Investors Business Daily editor, Bucky Fox, shares his in-depth article about POW leader and hero, Gen. Robbie Risner (1/16/1925-10/22/2013). Lee and others share their thoughts and overall impact that this leader and man had on their lives as Vietnam POWs and beyond.
Please read about this important page in history – Click Here
Also, please visit our tribute page to Gen. Robbie Risner to learn more about his life and accomplishments – Click Here
On October 22, 2013, Brig. Gen. Robbie Risner passed away from his final challenge on earth at the age of 88. Would you join me, his friends, family, the Vietnam POW community, and the military community in saluting and paying tribute to this great man?
He is one of the great Americans of our generation and the greatest generation; for me and my comrades in the Vietnam, he was a pivotal leader that allowed us to return home with honor. He was Lt. Col. Robbie Risner when I met him covertly in the Hanoi Hilton in Vietnam. I had been a POW six months; he had already been there more than two and a half years.
Brigadier General Robinson Risner is credited with destroying eight MiG-15s and damaging another while assigned to the 336 Fighter Squadron. On September 21, 1952, then Major Risner scored double kills. He achieved Ace status on September 15, 1952, downing his fifth MiG-15. These were just a few of his achievements before his Vietnam POW experience from 1965-1973 (U.S. Air Force photo)
As the senior ranking office during that time, he was often tortured for exerting leadership to solidify our team work and resistance to the communists. When I made contact with him, he had already been through the “ropes” torture or pretzel several times and had just come out of 10 months of total darkness and isolation. Still Robbie was upbeat and clearly in charge. He always bounced back and led with great courage showing us how to resist, survive and return with honor. Robbie was a man of great faith, and he trusted that God had a plan for his life.
Today, he fulfilled that plan and joined the angels. I singled out this great hero in my latest book, Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, for his courageous and sacrificial leadership in the most difficult times. Also, the career highlights of General Robinson Risner are available on the Veterans Tribute website, and more about his life can be read on his Wikipedia page.
We welcome your comments and well-wishes in this forum, and thank you for taking a moment to remember this great man.
LE
Lee Ellis and Robbie Risner celebrating together at an event in 2010.
Related Links:
Video – Lee Describes his First Meeting with Robbie Risner
By Lee Ellis
Think of the organizations that have strong connections with you—more than great service or products, you have a strong, emotional connection with them. To achieve this level of engagement, they’ve likely worked very hard to create an internal culture that reflects their external culture.
Current Culture Examples
I realized how popular the NASCAR brand had become a few years ago while facilitating a group of PricewaterhouseCoopers consultants, most of whom were only a few years out of college. During a break in the action, two of the young ladies carried on a long, informed discussion about the Bristol Race, which had occurred the previous weekend. I was amazed to see how NASCAR had transcended its provincial beginnings and gained loyal fans in sophisticated business circles.
Zappos Shoes is another compelling example of building culture and employee engagement with its staff and customers. They’re so committed to creating a culture of passionate, engaged employees that they now offer $5000 to anyone that would like to leave the company at the end of their training period. If a one-time bonus exceeds one’s commitment to the Zappos brand, then they want to know at the beginning of the relationship.
There are many other examples of companies making their mark in their respective industries—Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A, and Duke Energy just to name a few.
Their cultural development process is more than a tactical plan—it’s a deeper layer that taps into the emotions and deep desires of human nature.
Building Culture in the POW Camps
Even in challenging times in the POW camps of Vietnam, our senior leaders instinctively created a winning culture to fuel passion and commitment with me and my comrades. Here’s how they did it.
As the senior ranking officer in the camps in the early years, Lt Col Robbie Risner wasted no time in issuing simple and direct guidance:
“I’m in charge, and here’s what I want you to do. Be a good American. Live by the Code of Conduct. Resist up to the point of permanent physical or mental damage and then no more. Give as little as possible and then bounce back to resist again. Pray every day. Go home proud.”
Risner’s policies passed quickly through the camps via covert communications, clarifying our mission, vision, and values for what would turn out to be a long war. Risner made the military Code of Conduct the cornerstone of POW culture. The Defense Department had adopted this code after the Korean War as a tool to help POWs resist Communist exploitation. Virtually every warrior in the U.S. military had memorized it during training, and Risner made it clear that he expected everyone to follow it to the best of his ability.
During our darkest moments, knowing we were united by common values and shared commitment to mission and vision made a difference in our mental and physical survival.
The Honor of Building a Winning Culture
Organizational cultures are shaped by the values and beliefs established by leaders and shared by the people and groups in the organization. Positive cultures increase motivation, teamwork, and commitment. With a clear understanding about core values, operating styles, and standards of behavior, people can focus their talents and energies toward common goals. A common mindset also enables people to operate independently, while remaining aligned with the values and policies of senior leaders.
Establishing a culture requires clarity, commitment, and creativity:
– Clarity about vision, mission, core values, and operational policies. Over-communication is a key to clarity—sharing it multiple times, multiple ways.
– Commitment to the organization’s mission and defined values. An over-arching principle in the military is a “Be responsible, No excuses” attitude, for example. Creating an attitude of ownership and healthy accountability with your team also cranks up the commitment level.
– Creativity to make the cultural story unique and compelling. What are some ways that you can make the culture-building process more fun or emotional? Think beyond a set of rules and descriptors.
Once the culture is defined, it must be communicated fervently and frequently, until it is caught and bought in every corner and on every level of the organization.
The Big Payoff
What’s the payoff for creating strong employee engagement and a positive culture?
In a Gallup article, organizations that engage their employees grow their earnings more than 2.5 times faster than organizations that do not. In addition, “optimized” teams within an organization — those that are in the top 50% of teams on both employee and customer engagement — generate a 240% boost in financial performance compared with teams that fail to engage their employees and their customers.
In summary:
It’s an emotional process that yields positive strategic and tactical outcomes. What has been your experience and tactical steps to creating a winning culture? Please share your comments.
LE
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By Lee Ellis
The long awaited movie, Unbroken, came out during the holidays. And while I read the book and enjoyed it very much, I looked forward to the movie with mixed emotions for a couple of reasons. I knew that the film would be good, but I wasn’t sure that I wanted to experience the pain of viewing so realistically what Louis and his mates would endure. When I saw it, it was painful but there were many good lessons we can draw from it. It also brought back some of my personal memories as a former Vietnam POW and the life and leadership lessons that I learned through that experience.
As we embark on the year 2015, let’s look at three powerful insights to live and lead with honor regardless of the era.
1. Believe in Yourself
Pete, Louis’ older brother, inspired him to greatness as a runner by telling him he believed in Louis and that Louis must believe in himself. In a similar vein, Mack, the third crewman in the raft, though strong and healthy, died because he believed they wouldn’t make it. Both these examples underscore the general truth that automaker/industrialist/pioneer Henry Ford espoused when he said, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are usually right.”
“Believing in oneself is crucial to success. The solution is to identify the lies that you believe about yourself and shut them down.”
One of the best ways to believing in yourself is by listening to a “Pete,” someone in your life who cares about you enough to tell you the truth and remind you of the potential that they see in you.
2. Eliminate Bitterness and Envy
This idea was briefly shown at the end of the movie, but if you read the book you know that Louis came home a mess. Today we call it Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and it was ruining his life through anger and alcohol. After surviving all the beatings and torture, Louis came home to freedom only to live in emotional shackles until he got holistic freedom in body, soul, and mind. For Louis, two critical steps were listening to the wisdom of his wife and attending the famous Billy Graham crusade in Hollywood, California. There he reconnected with God and experienced the power of forgiveness, which enabled him to forgive his captors. At that point, he found freedom, the nightmares stopped, the anger died, and the bitterness went away.
In a similar vein, my POW comrades and I had time to deal with bitterness before our release. Thanks to the great work by the National League of POW/MIA Families and the American people who put the heat on our captors to improve our treatment, most of us turned loose of bitterness and left those shackles behind while in the prison camps. Like Louis, some of our senior leaders who were extensively tortured and abused emerged from captivity to live wonderful lives of true freedom until they were well past eighty years of age.
“The shackle of bitterness (and its stealthy cousin envy) never hurts the folks who cause us harm or have what we want because they usually have no idea of the pain they’ve caused.”
Unfortunately though, it ties us up and limits our effectiveness with others. It’s the worst kind of prison, so find a way to forgive and let it go.
3. Be Willing to Pay the Price for Success
As Louis was headed to the Olympics in 1936, Pete looked him in the eye and said, “Louis, a moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory.” A similar line inspired me when I was young. During high school football practice our coach often said, “We suffer in practice so we can celebrate on Friday night.”
Six years later, I was locked in a POW camp with my cellmates choosing to believe that suffering coupled with an attitude of resilience was the only way we could return with honor.
Embracing an Honor Code
Recently, my team and I released an Honor Code based on the lessons in Leading with Honor™—seven short statements that seem so simple yet are so difficult to live by. As one who is engaged in this battle of trying to live with honor, I can tell you it only comes through suffering. For me nowadays, suffering usually comes in situations that require patience, listening, giving up control, and being kind when someone is blocking my way or cutting me off.
Those who are successful in life and leadership are usually the ones who are willing to do what others are not. They go the extra mile. They hold themselves accountable to higher standards and in the short run, they suffer for the glory that lies ahead.
The Cost of Honorable Sacrifice
“Realistically, only one in a million has the courage and grit of a Louis Zamperini, but few are called to that role.”
For most of us, the challenges are simpler and the suffering is more with our ego and our energy. As you look to the next twelve months, what are your goals and are you willing to sacrifice to achieve them? More importantly, what will be the cost if you don’t make that sacrifice?
Please share your thoughts about these three lessons or others you saw in the Unbroken movie or book about Louis. Also, if you want to join me in a battle to live with honor, please download The Honor Code at http://www.LeadingWithHonor.com.
LE
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As president of Leadership Freedom® LLC, a leadership and team development consulting company, Lee Ellis speaks and consults with Fortune 500 senior executives in the areas of hiring, teambuilding, leadership and human performance development, and succession planning. A retired Air Force Colonel, his latest book about his Vietnam POW experience is entitled Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton. Learn more at www.leadingwithhonor.com.
Over 40 years after Lee’s release as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, he returned to remember and honor the senior leaders that enabled he and his comrades to return with honor.
Just Released! An in-depth article on Lee’s return the POW camp in Vietnam – here’s an excerpt –
“Ellis, usually a model of reserve, started to look a little apprehensive as he walked in, and he was immediately frustrated by Vietnam’s rigid officialdom: a cameraman he brought from the cruise ship can’t bring in his professional-level gear because he didn’t seek government permission first. Still cameras and cell phone cameras were OK, though.
As it turned out, one of the remaining sections of the prison is where Ellis was held. It was dubbed ‘Thunderbird,’ after the former Las Vegas hotel, as were other sections: ‘Desert Inn’ and ‘Stardust.’ Bare light bulbs provided scant light. Two rows of statues depicted shackled Vietnamese prisoners — the museum is dedicated to them; the American POWs are treated almost as an afterthought.”
Click here to continue reading the article, and please share it with others.
Related Articles:
The Power of One Person’s Commitment – A POW Bracelet Testimony
Leader and Gen. Robinson Risner Rose To Torturous Challenge As POW
(Note: this editorial was originally posted in the July 4th edition of the San Diego Union – click this link to view the original article.)
During this important season of celebrating our nation’s independence, think about the many courageous stories throughout history that contributed to the freedoms that we enjoy today. They serve as our collective legacy as Americans, and we should honor and remember the courageous sacrifices that were made. But what about our generation? Are we willing to stand courageously and sacrifice to protect what’s most needed to preserve our freedom now? Let me explain.
At this point in history the greatest threat to our country and our way of life is the breakdown of truth. Almost everyone seems to value truth–until it becomes inconvenient or embarrassing. Then, all too often the ends justify the means and the truth is shaded, hidden, or completely ignored.
There’s an epidemic of truth slippage in our culture today, and it’s steadily chipping away at our freedom more than we realize.
Having survived as a Vietnam POW under the thumb of the communist party and its minions for more than five years, I’m particularly sensitive to this issue of truth. When we challenged their use of torture to gain untrue propaganda statements, they blatantly told us that “truth is whatever benefits the party most.” In other words, the ends justify the means. When our ethics are weak and we want to win, look good, or protect our unlawful behaviors, our commitment to truth can slide right off the table.
In the Hanoi prison camps, we were led by some of the greatest leaders imaginable. What stood out was their commitment to be responsible, sacrificially do their duty even in the face of physical pain and mental/emotional suffering, and then share exactly what they had done and the losses they had incurred. In my recent book, Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, I wrote about these great leaders like Denton, Risner, Stockdale, Day, and Fisher. Among these giants of leadership and many others, there was no guile—they courageously led with honor and set a standard that we would do well to emulate today.
Most Americans can sense when something doesn’t sound right, when decisions and explanations don’t make sense, and when things aren’t working well.
Deep down, we’re losing confidence that leaders and organizations are faithful to the truth and speak without guile. Spin has become a primary tactic in politics, and those who aren’t willing to spin are criticized for being poor politicians with no hope of winning. Is it possible for someone to tell the truth consistently and still get elected? Have Americans become so dulled to lies that they don’t care—or so eager to prevail in their ideological debate, that winning is more important than truth?
Logically, one would think that if someone believed strongly in his own ideas, he would be happy to lay out the truths that support them for all to see. While that would be logical and rational, unfortunately, arguments presented to the masses are more often won by appealing to emotions. The communists built their entire propaganda operation on that premise; on a daily basis we heard blaring through the loudspeaker the lie that “the U.S. bombing is killing mostly old folks, women and children.”
Reflecting on history. we can see that tyrants, crooks, and incompetents use lies to achieve their goals because truth typically leads to proper accountability and justice—which they want to avoid. What honorable person wants to stand up and say my goal is to get what I want at all costs?
So if truth is the cornerstone of freedom and we see it under assault at every turn, how can we preserve the foundation of our nation?
I know from personal experience that to speak and live the truth requires a great deal of courage. When things get hard, when mistakes are made, when the road ahead is risky, it’s not easy to tell the truth when you’re concerned about your image or power. But that’s exactly when the test of our character comes. Likewise, when we encounter those who are afraid to walk the path of courage, we must have the courage to call them out and hold them accountable for telling the truth.
History also tells us that leadership always makes a difference. Who will lead us toward more truth by example and by shedding the light of day into the darkness of lies? Decide now whether you have the personal courage to stand for truth. Our freedom is at stake. LE
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About the Author:
As president of Leadership Freedom® LLC, a leadership and team development consulting company, Lee Ellis (Colonel USAF, Retired) consults with Fortune 500 senior executives in the areas of hiring, teambuilding, leadership and human performance development, and succession planning. His latest book about his Vietnam POW experience is entitled Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton. Learn more at www.leadingwithhonor.com.
Another brave and courageous man, Rear Admiral Jeremiah Denton USN (Ret), passed away on March 28, 2014. He was 89 years old.
To his fellow POWs, he was the last of the “Big Three” to pass away (the other senior leaders being Vice Admiral, James Stockdale USN (Ret) and Brig. Gen. Robbie Risner USAF (Ret)). Including another noted senior leader in the camp, Col. Bud Day USAF (Ret), three of them died in the last 12 months at either 88 or 89 years old.
In addition to his military accomplishments, he also served as a U.S. Senator from the state of Alabama.
In this tribute to Admiral Denton’s memory, we’ll share his heroic acts from Lee Ellis’ perspective as a fellow POW. Admiral Denton plays a major leadership role in Lee’s personal POW experience as told in his latest book, Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton; and Denton is a critical figure in Lee’s speeches and writing on the topic of leadership and honor.
Here’s an excerpt from Lee’s book on one of the most courageous acts during the Vietnam War –
“Facing similar propaganda exploitation, CDR Jeremiah Denton endured excruciating torture before finally agreeing to go before the propaganda cameras. Prior to filming, his captors prepped him for several days on what he was supposed to say about America’s ‘cruel and oppressive war.’
Here is his surprising response after their prep work:
At risk of his life, Denton departed from the party-line script and said, ‘… whatever my government is doing, I agree with it, and I will support it as long as I live.’ The V were stunned. Not wanting to lose face with the reporters, however, they allowed Denton to continue answering questions about the daily camp routine. They were unaware that as the cameras rolled, he was blinking his eyes in Morse code: T – O – R – T – U – R – E. The payoff was huge. When the video of the interview went public, it was the first time the U.S. government had accurate information about the treatment of POWs.
Angered by Denton’s departure from the script, but still unaware of his encoded communication, the V displayed their trophy at another staged press conference two weeks later. This time Denton stood up while on camera and walked out. The consequences were severe. The V put Denton in the rope torture and then beat him until he was unconscious.
Denton’s courage is all the more exemplary when one considers that he knew that this type of torture awaited him if he defied his captors. During his seven and a half years in captivity, he never hesitated to provide leadership when he was the SRO of a cellblock or camp. Although that made him a prime target for abuse and exploitation by the enemy, he steadfastly pushed himself and the enemy to the limit. He deliberately kept the torture team occupied, so they would have less time to harass his fellow POWs. Denton’s will to win was motivated by his strong sense of personal and professional commitment, undergirded by his deep faith in God.
On February 12, 1973, Denton was the senior ranking officer (SRO) on the first aircraft to land at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, and he spoke the first public words of the North Vietnam POWs. He stepped to the tarmac and said ‘We are honored to have had the opportunity to serve our country under difficult circumstances. We are profoundly grateful to our Commander-in-Chief and to our nation for this day. God bless America.’”
He represented Lee and the other POWs well in freedom just as he had done so courageously in captivity. We formally salute Admiral Denton and will never forget his commitment to truth, freedom, and authentic leadership to his nation, family, and friends.
Below are a few key articles from other news outlets sharing the life and accomplishments on this great man. Please share his life and courage with others.
Article Links:
C-Span Interview from the G. Gordon Liddy Show
C-Span Interview from the Washington Journal. This includes Denton’s take on “terrorism” in 1985 and was decades ahead of others
Want to know what leaders in America need the most? Listen to Lee’s latest interview this morning on “Bill Bennett’s Morning in America” as he and Oklahoma Congressman Ernest Istook have a conversation about this topic as well as Lee’s memories of Christmas in the Vietnam POW camps.
Do you agree with Lee’s answer? What are your additional thoughts? We value your input –
Related Posts:
Leadership Snapshot – Vietnam POW 40th Reunion News Coverage – Watch Here
In Memory – Brig. Gen. Robbie Risner – A True Hero, Leader, and Great American
Step back in time for a few minutes and join us in reviewing this fantastic video from The Nixon Foundation chronicling this year’s 40th Anniversary of the Vietnam POWs return home. You’ll love some of the archive footage that they’ve compiled, and you’ll likely learn something new about life and leadership, too. Please watch and share!
Related Articles:
Leadership and Overcoming Bitterness – Listen to This Conversation
In Memory – Brig. Gen. Robbie Risner – A True Hero, Leader, and Great American
Leading with Honor® - Leadership Lessons Learned 