Business Marketing Advertising

At the death of Woodrow Wilson, the Springfield (Mass.) “Republican” made public a letter he wrote to its editor on June 5, 1918, explaining why General Wood had been kept away from the front during the late war.
In this letter President Wilson said: “I have had a great deal of experience with General Wood. He is a man of unusual ability, but absolutely unable to submit his judgment to those who are superior to him in command.”
When I read this letter I could not help but think of salesmen I know who are being kept out of more responsible positions for the same reason. They can subordinate their judgment to that of the man who is responsible for their success.
Fortunately there are few men in a successful sales force thus afflicted. Yet, there comes to all of us at times, the thought that certain instructions or certain borders should be different. Because we think so, we act indifferently. We don’t push as we should.
Instead of going about talking against the plan, and telling everyone how much better our own ideas are, let us regard ourselves as generals, serving just its Dawes and Butler served under Pershing, and just its Pershing served under Foch. Let us remember that before a man can give orders he must first prove his ability to take orders.