Labor Day 2017
In 1894, 30 railroad employees were killed when President Grover Cleveland deployed 12,000 U.S. troops and several thousand U.S. Marshals to crush the wildcat Pullman Strike. Six days later, in the hopes of healing the wounds from this action, Congress unanimously passed (and the President signed) legislation recognizing Labor Day as a federal holiday.
We don’t often think of the unofficial end of summer as a leadership parable written in blood, but it is. So as you enjoy today, consider the merits of engagement versus the detriments of attempted control. Consider the importance of pausing and considering ALL of your options before acting. And, most importantly, consider that when you’re engaged there is no “us versus them.” There’s only us.
Happy Labor Day.