The Power of Initiative: How One Person’s Actions Changed the Course of History
“Andrew Higgins is the man who won the war (WWII) for us.”
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
That’s quite a statement coming from the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces—and future President of the United States. How did a man most people have never heard of “win” World War II?
Andrew Higgins was an entrepreneur in the lumber industry who also designed and manufactured small boats. When the war broke out, Higgins was convinced that small, agile boats would be vital to the Allied effort. Anticipating shortages in steel, he designed a boat made primarily of wood—even going so far as to purchase an entire crop of Philippine mahogany to ensure he had the resources he needed.
Higgins offered his design to the U.S. Navy, but they repeatedly rejected it. Even as Navy-designed boats malfunctioned—resulting in the deaths of soldiers during transport—the Navy refused to adopt Higgins’ design simply because they preferred their own.
Fortunately, the Marines were more open-minded.
They were the ones losing men in subpar Navy boats, and they desperately needed a better solution. After testing the Higgins boat, the Marines found it vastly superior. They pushed the Navy to reconsider, resulting in a Senate hearing led by Senator Harry Truman. A side-by-side test was ordered.
The Navy boat nearly sank.
The Higgins boat performed flawlessly.
The verdict was clear: the Navy was ordered to adopt the Higgins design.
More than 23,000 Higgins boats were produced during the war. They played a decisive role in the D-Day invasion. Eisenhower later said, “If Higgins had not designed and built those boats, we never could have landed over an open beach at Normandy.”
The turning point in the war was made possible because one man anticipated a need, took initiative, and persevered against resistance to change.
What This Means for Us
You and I may never face a Normandy-level challenge, but unmet needs surround us every day.
We can wait for an invitation to help—or we can do what Higgins did: anticipate and act.
There are lonely people who believe they have no one to talk to.
You can show them they’re wrong.
There are people who feel their words don’t matter.
You can surprise them by listening—fully and intently.
You can help an elderly neighbor with trash cans.
Pick up groceries for someone who’s struggling.
Invite a coworker or neighbor in for a cup of tea.
Show up before someone asks.
The possibilities are endless—from Normandy to simple neighborliness.
But they all have one thing in common:
They require us to act.
Initiative, action, and persistence helped win the war.
They can make a difference in your world, too.
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