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Lessons in Leadership from War to Healthcare Facilities Management
The HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, based on the real-life accounts of The 101st Airborne’s E Company, or Easy Company, during World War II, is a gripping account of war—and leadership. The series follows the path of Easy Company paratroopers from Camp Toccoa in Georgia in 1942 to ultimate victory in Europe in 1945. The series demonstrates not only the tactical excellence of Easy, but also leadership via emotional intelligence, courage, and team cohesion.
The Healthcare Facilities Network Podcast brought together veterans and healthcare facilities leaders to discuss how these lessons remain relevant today, particularly for those managing people, aging buildings, and aging infrastructure in critical environments like hospitals.
Our thanks to guests Steve Spaanbroek, CEO, MSL Healthcare Consulting; Geoff Schuller, Regional Director, CommonSpirit Health and United States Navy Veteran; and Tom Elliott, Facilities Director, Confluence Health, Aramark Healthcare and United States Air Force Veteran.
Watch the full episode:
Here are five leadership lessons drawn from the series identified by our panel, and how they translate directly to healthcare facilities management:
Trust
1. Leadership Is Earned Through Trust, Not Rank
Captain Dick Winters, the heart of Easy Company’s leadership, earned respect not by commanding it but by demonstrating competence, humility, and care. In one iconic scene, before the D-Day jump, he helps each man to his feet—literally supporting them under the weight of their gear.
“They can’t do it without him… so he helped every one of those men up.”
In healthcare: Facility directors who are visible to their employees and show up out in the field to interact during the course of routine work build the credibility that sustains a team through crisis. You earn trust by being visible, approachable, and present.
Informal Leaders
2. Lead from the Middle: Empower Informal Leaders
Carwood Lipton wasn’t a West Point grad, but his leadership held Easy Company together during the Battle of Bastogne. When Lieutenant Dyke faltered under pressure, Lipton stepped up—quietly, consistently, and effectively. Lipton’s effectiveness ultimately saw him promoted to a First Lieutenant by war’s end.
“Apparently they’ve had a leader the whole time... and he doesn’t even know I’m talking about him.” – Lt. Speirs
In healthcare: Facilities departments often depend on veteran lead engineers or shift supervisors who "run the shop" even without a formal title. Identifying and investing in these informal leaders is critical for operational continuity and team culture.
Decisiveness
3. Leaders Are Defined by Decisiveness—Especially in Crisis
One of the starkest failures of leadership in the series is Lieutenant Dyke's inability to act during the assault on Foy. His hesitation costs lives, and he’s relieved of command.
“He wasn’t a bad leader because he made bad decisions. He was a bad leader because he made no decisions.”
In healthcare: When systems fail—generators stall, water lines burst, or elevators shut down—leaders must act. Delaying a decision out of fear often results in greater damage. Equip teams with decision-making authority and clarity before the crisis hits.
Training
4. Training Must Be Tactical, Not Just Theoretical
Easy Company’s rigorous training at Camp Toccoa allowed them to endure the chaos of Normandy and Bastogne. They trained for terrain, equipment failure, and separation. When under fire, they fell back on instinctive knowledge.
In healthcare: Annual fire drills and compliance training are not enough. Teams must regularly walk through utility failure scenarios, vertical evacuations, and generator switchovers—especially given how rarely real crises occur.
“You fight how you train. So train for the real thing, not just the paperwork.”
Judgment
5. Know When to Break the Rules—With Purpose
Captain Winters defied orders by canceling a second patrol across the river. His superior wanted prisoners, but Winters recognized the human cost of a redundant mission and quietly prioritized his men's safety.
In healthcare: Leaders often face policies that don’t account for real-world complexity—whether it's staffing ratios, preventive maintenance frequencies, or emergency response protocols. Effective leaders know when and how to flex without compromising compliance or care.
Conclusion
A Leadership Blueprint From War Rooms to Boiler Rooms
Band of Brothers offers far more than historical drama. It captures the complexity of leadership—how it must flex between firmness and empathy, systems and people, policies and context. In healthcare facilities management, where lives are indirectly shaped by every MEP, environmental, and infrastructure decision, these leadership principles matter more than ever.
At its core, leadership is about connection. Whether in a foxhole in Bastogne or an energy plant astride an acute care hospital, those who succeed are visible leaders who build credibility by listening to and removing barriers to success for their employees, especially when it may be difficult to do.
“We stand alone together,” a phrase discussed by Dick Winters in the documentary We Stand Alone Together, meant standing alone together with his soldiers during WWII. It’s a leadership philosophy that maintains its relevance today.
