When Failure is Not an Option
Host, Ken Harbaugh, interviews political leaders, influencers, and other history makers about the choices we confront when failure is not an option. Choices like Alexander the Great made when he landed his troops on the shores of Persia and ordered his men to burn their boats.
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“It didn't feel right for me to be diagnosed with PTSD. What did I experience that was worthy of me getting a diagnosis like that? These men and women are over there dealing with incredibly complex issues. I'm just over here sitting in my middle class suburban house and I'm told my brother’s been killed. But like, it didn't feel right.” - Ryan Manion
Ryan Manion talks about losing her brother to war, about her own PTSD diagnosis, and about harnessing her brother’s memory to do good.
Ryan Manion is the president of the Travis Manion Foundation, an organization that aims to empower veterans and the families of fallen heroes to “develop character in future generations”. Learn more about TMF at travismanion.org. You can find Ryan on Twitter at @rmanion and follow the Travis Manion Foundation at @TMFoundation.
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Burn the Boats
More about the name of the show...
In 334 BC, Alexander the Great led Greek troops across the Dardanelles Straits and into Asia Minor, landing on the shores of Persia. He hoped to finally vanquish his greatest enemy, Darius III - the King of Persia. But Alexander was badly outnumbered. The Persian army assembled to attack and Alexander’s troops began to speak openly of retreat. So he gave an order: "Burn the Boats." He told his men, “we either return home in Persian ships, or we die here.” There would be no turning back.
By burning his boats, Alexander hoped to galvanize and motivate his troops. They needed to fully commit to defeating Darius and the Persians. There was no other way - failure was not an option.
This podcast explores decisions our guests made when they fully committed to something because failure was not an option.
The Team
Ken Harbaugh
