I know you’re probably pressed for time. Everyone seems to be in today’s chaotic environment. However, as we approach a very important election day, I would ask you to take just a moment out of your busy schedule to read the following article … absorb its true meaning and think about what must be done by all of us if we hope to survive the many challenges we’re currently facing. I think you might find the end of this article to be quite surprising … causing you to rethink our current way of life and start demanding those in Washington to represent you as you intended them to. You might even consider sending this piece on to others in hope of opening a few more eyes to the urgency of the situation.

The Fall of a Nation

I would like to tell you the story of a nation. This nation had its beginnings with a settlement of hardy farmers near the sea and so situated strategically to command a large trade area. From this settlement grew a great nation, and its influence would spread over a great part of the world.

Its people became skilled in crafts, engineering, and commerce until they were the most prosperous mankind had ever known. Its soldiers guarded the far corners of the earth.

Its currency dominated commerce.

Its technology was unequaled.

Its standard of living was the envy of the world.

As time went by, its people began to feel the corruptive influences of riches and much leisure. Old values were fading away, and people gave vent to their frustration in spectacular games and entertainment that was becoming increasingly crude.

Drunkenness and adultery became widespread.

Robberies and beatings were making the streets of its great capital unsafe.

The confusion of the times was being reflected in the high rate of suicides and mental disorders. The effects of all of this was becoming evident upon the national character. There was scandal and dissension within the government itself. Alien forces within were making it increasingly hard to unify the nation and one of its great leaders was assassinated.

As time goes on, we find other troubles besetting the nation. The farmers, the backbone of the state, are being ruined by war and an inflation which resists the government’s attempts to fix prices.

The nation has steadily been exporting its gold so that an adverse trade balance has mounted. The benefits of a great trading area are beginning to be offset by grinding taxation, and its currency is rapidly losing its value, posing a threat to the nation’s stability.

On top of all this, invasion at the far reaches of the domain, by Asian forces, less advanced but great in number, threaten our very way of life.

The empire was falling apart and the capital itself fell on a date documented in history as the end of civilization for centuries to come. And that date … the 4th of September, 476 A.D. The nation … the Roman Empire, which had its beginnings with the farmers of Laotia near the Mediterranean Sea.

It is all documented history. The growth of the nation … the giving away to corruption … the entertainment … the scandals … and the assassination of Julius Caesar.

Also the inflation, the adverse trade balance, and the government’s attempts to fix prices all happened. The invasion of savage Asiatic tribes known as “Huns” was led by Attila, who with other Barbaric tribes, eventually overran the empire and plunged the world into what is known today as “The Dark Ages.”

I will leave it to you to decide if history is repeating itself. The story I have just told you is of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Did you have another nation in mind? It’s something to think about, my friends!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

This is one of my favorite Generational Gems … one which should be passed on to anyone involved with the offer of service in any way.

Once there was a very unique gentleman by the name of Eddie Rickenbacker. He worked as a mechanic and laborer before becoming an American fighter ace in World War I as well as a Medal of Honor winner. He was also a race car driver and automotive designer, a government consultant in military matters, and a pioneer in air transportation.

After surviving the war, he started the Rickenbacker Motor Company to produce automobiles, but the venture flopped. Later, he tried to start Florida Airways, but that flopped too. As a result, he combined Eastern Air Transport with Florida Airways to form his most lasting and successful business endeavor—Eastern Airlines (1938 – 1991). His lifelong leadership of this major international transportation company left an indelible mark on the annals of air travel worldwide. Rickenbacker pushed Eastern into a period of extraordinary growth and innovation. For a time, Eastern was the most profitable airline in the post-war era.

Eastern Airline, one time official airline of Walt Disney World, was known for its exceptional customer service as a result of the insistence and leadership of Chairman Eddie. The following story, told by one of Eastern’s leadership staff members, explains why customer service was high on everyone’s priority list:

In the late 1940s, we were experiencing some major problems mishandling luggage. Rickenbacker tried everything to solve the problem but had little success. The entire leadership team attended a three-day leadership conference in Miami. As we arrived to check in at the hotel, we were informed that our luggage would be delivered to our rooms. We went directly into meetings, assembled for a late dinner, and finally retired to our rooms for the evening. We were shocked to discover our luggage had not arrived.

The next morning we all showed up at the morning session in the same clothes, unshaven, and very uncomfortable. Another day of constant training and strategy sessions, another late dinner, and we again retired to our room to find our luggage still had not yet arrived! Tempers flared, words were shared, and we spent a second very uncomfortable night.

Finally, at 3 a.m., the hotel staff banged on our doors to deliver our luggage. The next morning we arrived at our third day of meetings to be greeted by a stern-looking “Chairman Eddie” who said: “EMPATHY—the grandfather of all wisdom! Now you know how our customers feel!”

Within two weeks after returning home from that conference, we had solved the baggage problem and never again had to deal with it!

This entire country, especially the airline industry, would benefit from a few more great leaders like “Chairman Eddie”!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.