Katherine Graham and finding her second wind

Katherine Graham suddenly lost her husband, Phil Graham. Phil committed suicide while he was holding the position as CEO of The Washington Post. Then, Katherine as second generation of the family business stepped into the role as a grief-stricken widow, mother of four, newly minted CEO of The Washington Post in 1963. 

Graham is considered by many a top 10 CEO of all time! (Featured in Outsiders alongside Buffett for extraordinary performance.) 

I am studying Graham’s life through her autobiography: Personal History. Graham is sharing how she found a way forward personally and professionally.  

I’m quickly finding Graham has an incredible amount of perseverance. She is gritty. She learned at an early age in life to persist. She reflects on a challenging moment in her childhood: 

The fatigue of the climb was great, but it is interesting to learn once more how much further one can go on one’s second wind. I think that I am an important lesson for everyone to learn for it should also be applied to one’s mental efforts. Most people go through life without ever discovering the existence of that whole field of endeavor which we describe as second wind. Whether mentally or physically occupied, most people give up at the first appearance of exhaustion. Thus, they never learn the glory and the exhilaration of genuine effort. 

 Most people, most companies, most leaders don’t ever realize their potential. Most people never find their second wind. I’m finding the greats lean in for the second wind. 

Isadore Sharp, founder of Four Seasons, stressed: "Excellence is often just a capacity for taking pains." Steve Jobs echoes Isadore: "I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance....” 

As leaders, we have an opportunity to be a spark to nudge our teammates to reach for their second wind. Hitting the second wind is an opportunity to maximize our talents and gifts during the few decades we get to be on earth.  

Let’s lean into that second wind! 

Onward, 

Matt