Thursday, February 19, 2026

THURSDAY — LEADERSHIP, HISTORY & POWER

“We are not genetically predisposed for leadership. We’re actually predisposed, my theory is, to be good followers. And it is exceptional followers who become leaders of character. And it’s a learned trait, not an innate skill.”

— Gen. Paul J. Selva

On this day in 1945, 70,000 U.S. Marines hit the beaches of Iwo Jima – a battle expected to last days that ground on for over a month and produced 27 Medals of Honor, the most for any single battle in U.S. history. Speaking to the Association of Military Colleges, Gen. Selva used that crucible to make a case every executive should hear: leadership isn’t factory-installed, it’s field-upgraded – and you can’t develop others until you’re willing to expose your own weaknesses first. To learn more, Check out Selva Discusses Lessons of Leadership From Iwo Jima.

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Stay safe. Stay healthy. Be strong. Lead well.

Chad