Chapter 2 Chapter 1 Influence: Rewriting the fate of life or the course of events

Any leader is a manager of a group or team.This group or team may consist of a few or a dozen people, dozens or hundreds of people, or hundreds or thousands of people... Leaders must often issue calls, give instructions, and act in the face of this group or team. To sum up, in order to achieve leadership goals, unify thinking, rationalize emotions, boost morale, sum up experience, and raise awareness... and the development and implementation of all these tasks are inseparable from beginning to end.It can be said that the success or failure of leadership activities and the level of leadership performance are closely related to leadership eloquence.If a leader wants to establish his image of success and enhance his influence, he must work hard to improve his eloquence.

Former U.S. President Nixon once said: "Almost all the important leaders I know have mastered a lost art, that is, they are very good at talking face-to-face with people. I think this commonality is not accidental. Leadership is persuasion If a leader can't attract and impress people when he talks, then he probably can't persuade people, so he may not be able to become a leader...MacArthur's wonderful monologue, de Gaulle's eloquent speech, Yoshida's self-awareness The sarcasm, Zhou Enlai's poetic speech... Listening to such speeches, people can't help but have great respect for the wisdom of the speaker. This impression is that a successful leader establishes his authority and exerts his One of the ways of persuasion." Thomas, an American researcher of human behavior, also pointed out: "The ability to speak is a shortcut to fame. It can make people prominent and stand out from the crowd. People who can speak eloquently often make people respect and be loved , to be supported by people. It makes a person’s talents fully expanded, shining brightly, getting twice the result with half the effort, and achieving outstanding performance.” He even asserted: “Half of the miracles that happen to successful people are created by eloquence.”

The leader is the leader of all.In order to achieve effective and successful leadership, leaders must make full use of the leadership environment, guide what they say and implement it, and guide and mobilize the leaders to work together towards the established goals to the greatest extent.To guide and mobilize others, successful communication and positive language are important means.Carnegie, the master of eloquence training, emphasized: only 15% of a person's success is due to his professional knowledge, and 85% is due to his ability to express ideas, lead others, and arouse enthusiasm in others.That is, its oral expression ability to control the language.

Leaders are the guides and guides of social and economic development, and all specific work must be done through language.Presiding over meetings, arranging work, receiving visitors, social activities, and giving speeches are all inseparable from eloquence.Moreover, the level of oral expression ability will directly affect the effect of these activities.Therefore, the level of speech is an important criterion to measure the quality and ability of a leader, or how much potential he has in social status and achievements, and has become one of the important factors for career success. Speech is a mirror that reflects the overall quality of a leader.Speech is a collection of various factors such as a person's ideological and political quality, policy theory level, scientific and cultural accomplishment, life experience accumulation, writing and expression ability, etc.The leader's speech level directly reflects the leader's political theory level, organizational coordination ability and personality charm.Only leaders with a high level of thought and policy can speak from a high level when speaking, grasp problems, think about problems and solve problems from the overall situation and the general trend of things; only leaders with high cultural literacy and oral expression ability Only when speaking can the thinking be clear, well-founded, and easy to understand, in order to grasp the audience, attract the audience, impress the audience, persuade the audience, mobilize the passion, so as to achieve the purpose of the speech.If the speech is full of words, the form is dull, the tone is dull, sloppy, and even subjective, it will definitely not leave a good impression on the audience, and it will definitely seriously affect the image of the leader in the audience's mind.

Speech is a ruler for the masses to understand and evaluate a leader's ability.The masses often know the leader by listening to the leader's speech; the masses know the leader more by listening to the leader's speech.The high level of speech is in line with the requirements of the development of the times, reflecting that the leader has a certain level of political thought and policy; in line with the local actual situation, reflecting that the leader is familiar with the situation and has a pragmatic style; being able to solve the practical difficulties of the masses, reflecting that the leader has a good style and Attitude; can stimulate and mobilize the enthusiasm of the masses, reflecting the good personality of the leader.Such leaders are popular with the masses.In fact, strictly speaking, the speech level of a leader not only represents the leader's personal image, but also represents the image of a place, a unit or a group.

A wonderful speech is a necessary condition for a leader to achieve great things and go to glory.From a big perspective.Leaders are the implementers and executors of the party's line, principles and policies.The level of the leader's speech is related to the implementation of the party's line, principles and policies, as well as the effect of reform, opening up and socialist modernization.Leaders who say wrong words will not only affect their own image and appeal, but also affect the effective implementation of various tasks of the party and the government, and bring harm to the cause of the party and the people.It can be seen that the leader's speaking well is not an ordinary personal issue, but an important political issue, which is dictated by the position and the need to perform duties.From a personal point of view, mistakes in work, disputes over personnel, conflicts among the people, etc., are mostly caused by misunderstandings caused by inappropriate language.Speech is the key to whether a leader can do a good job.Whether leaders can get the understanding, trust and support of various departments at all levels and the masses of cadres and masses in their work, in addition to having a noble personality to win the hearts of the people and rallying the hearts of the people according to organizational principles, they must also have a high level of speech, In order to do a good job of persuading and motivating the cadres and the masses.Whether a leader can realize his or her ideals and achieve success in work and social practice depends to a large extent on the proficiency or inferiority of speech skills.Therefore, a good speech is the key to a leader's success.

The realization of leadership influence and charisma should be reflected in behavior and language praise.Not to be promoted for meritorious deeds, not to be rewarded for contributions, this is what the wise kings and coaches of the past dynasties did not do.Why?Because they understand very well that meritorious deeds and rewards can best reflect the character and level of leadership, and can best reflect the degree of realization of the leader's influence and appeal. Feudal society began in the Western Han Dynasty.The society has gradually formed a hierarchical tradition of receiving rewards for no merit, especially those noble children.

In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan, Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, established a clan roster.There are dozens of brothers, nephews, descendants of the second and third generations, even children and above who have been crowned kings.For the disadvantages of this approach, Li Yuan's son Qin Wang Li Shimin has long seen it in his eyes and kept it in his heart. In the first year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty, the country initially settled down, and Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty began to appraise and reward the ministers who had made great contributions to the founding and founding of the country.

Li Shimin believed that Fang Xuanling, Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Du Ruhui, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, and Sun Wuji, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, made the most contributions and were listed as the first-class meritorious officials. , 1300 households per person. For Li Shimin's award, his uncle Li Shentong was very unconvinced.Li Shentong asked Tang Taizong: "As soon as the banner of Gaozu's uprising was raised, I led my troops to respond first. But now you rank people like Fang Xuanling as the first-class heroes. I am not convinced." Li Shimin replied Said: "The great affairs of the country are only about rewards and punishments; rewards and credits should be consistent. If this is done, those who have no credits will retreat by themselves. Punishments and crimes should be consistent. If this is done, people who do bad things will Afraid. Therefore, rewards and punishments cannot be easily implemented. Fang Xuanling and others helped me to strategize and make great contributions to stabilizing the country with effective strategies, so they will take the first place. As for you, Uncle, I cannot The family affair is just as rewarding as those ministers who have made outstanding achievements."

Since Tang Taizong did not show favoritism to his uncle (and he was the founding father who was the first to follow Li Yuan to fight in the South and North, and made repeated military exploits), other heroes would not argue or be dissatisfied because of asking for credit and rewards. Not only that, Tang Taizong seriously said to the ministers about the disadvantages caused by the dozens of kings surnamed Li conferred by his father Li Yuan: "Since the Western Han Dynasty, only brothers and sons have been crowned kings, and other distant relatives are not kings." Those who have made great achievements cannot be granted titles. If all relatives are crowned as kings and more people are given to them, it is to increase the hardship of the people to support their relatives.” Therefore, Taizong ordered that all Those who have no merit in the royal family and have been named county kings in the past will all be revoked the title of county king and demoted to county princes.

The feudal autocracy has strict hierarchical barriers, and everyone thinks they belong to a "noble family" (family with status, status, and famous ancestors), and they all think that they can climb the dragon and attach themselves to the phoenix.Therefore, if the feudal king is a little bit "fair", it will have an influence and appeal.If it is listed as "a bowl of water is flat" in front of rewards and punishments, it is especially commendable, and its influence and appeal are huge.It can be imagined that a Ming lord like Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, could place literati with different surnames in the position of the first hero, and boldly cut down the salary of the king of Wugong County. During the American Civil War, President Lincoln publicized his belief in the future of the United States through speeches, writings and talks, and he marked a height never reached in American history.America was in dire need of someone to say what the future of the country was and to justify the Confederacy's civil war.It was Lincoln who did the heavy lifting.Wherever he went, he took every opportunity to reiterate, to emphasize and remind people of the foundations of the country.His beliefs are very simple, that is, love of country, respect for people, and pursuit of integrity, values ​​and noble ideals.His speeches showed a great ability to influence and inspire, which made his beliefs recognized by the people, which closely linked him with ordinary people. At a special session of Congress on July 4, 1861, Lincoln reaffirmed his own firm conviction: "We shall give not only liberty to the people, but hope to the world. We firmly believe that every man will eventually Freed from chains, an equal chance will be given to all." Lincoln had this belief in mind from the American Declaration of Independence: This is a people's struggle.For the Federation, it is to maintain our national system.This system is to remove the shackles of hypocrisy from everyone's shoulders for everyone's liberation.Clear the way for everyone to pursue their ideals.Give everyone a fair start and a fair chance in the struggle of life. In order to let the general public understand and accept the goal of "where should the United States go", he constantly walked out of the White House and approached the public.He took care to make every word heard.In the era when mass media such as radios and televisions did not exist, Lincoln made great achievements by relying on his own way of observing the situation. In 1864, the year of the presidential election, Lincoln risked his life to come to the front line, condolences to the tired soldiers, and encouraged them, telling them that he had not forgotten them, the country had not forgotten them, the people had not forgotten them, and called on them not to forget that they were in the Fight for what matters.He addressed the 166th Ohio Regiment as follows: Not only for today, but also for the future, so that our children and grandchildren can still have this free and great country, this country that brought us happiness.I ask you to remember this, not for me, but for yourselves.I just happened to live temporarily in the big house of the White House.I'm sure your children will come here too, just as I came here from a poor family.In order for everyone in this free country to win a fair and open opportunity for their hard work, struggle and wisdom; in order to have equal rights to realize their reasonable life pursuits.For these we should fight, this country is worth fighting for. During the four years in office, Lincoln has always preached his beliefs.His message was simple and clear, that is, emphasizing equality and liberty (including freeing slaves), "all people should have a fair chance." Lift "the shackles of life."These are birthrights which should be upheld forever. These inspiring words from the top leaders of the country deeply influenced and inspired the people, especially those infantry fighters who came from the poor in the Civil War.They respected him, they trusted him, they cheered him on wherever he went.At no other time in American history have Union soldiers had such a deep emotional connection with President Lincoln.This deep connection began in early 1861, when Lincoln stepped out of the "ivory tower" of the White House to personally visit the soldiers who were about to go to the front line. After the victory of Gettysburg, the most important battle of the United States Union Army, President Lincoln established Gettysburg National Cemetery for the fallen soldiers.At the dedication of the cemetery, Lincoln delivered a famous speech.It is clear from his speech that all thoughts and goals are the firm belief that he has held in this country for many years. After listening to the two-hour speech of Edward Everett, the main speaker of the day, Lincoln reminded people again in just two minutes of what the Civil War meant and what America itself meant: Eighty-seven years ago our fathers founded on this continent a new nation founded on liberty and dedicated to the struggle that all men are born with equal rights. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, which tests whether our nation, or any nation so founded and striving, can endure.We are met on a great battle-field of that war.We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who gave their lives that served our country.It is entirely fitting and proper that we should do so. But in a larger sense, we have not been able to dedicate this ground, we have no power to consecrate it.The brave men who fought here, living, and died, have hallowed this ground so much that our insignificant powers do not increase or decrease its holiness.The world may not notice, nor long remember what we say here, but it will never forget what these brave men accomplished here.It is more important that those of us who are still alive should be dedicated to the unfinished work that was nobly advanced by those who fought here.We should devote ourselves to the great task they have left us.These respectable martyrs devoted themselves to their cause with all their loyalty and devotion. We should inherit their memory and dedicate more morale to our cause.Here we resolve, that their blood shall not be shed in vain, that our Nation shall be born anew in liberty, under the grace of God. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people lasts forever. Lincoln let the American people know where the United States should go, pointed out the direction of struggle for the people, and constantly promoted and repeatedly mentioned this goal.It influences and inspires everyone to take active actions and join in this vigorous struggle.Clearly reaffirming his convictions and purpose, and having the support of the people, Lincoln inspired a great deal of power in the people and allowed it to unleash.Lincoln understood that the power and wisdom that emerge from the revived consciousness of people are vital to the achievement of the leader's goals. "Those who shake the world must shake their voices." For leaders, it means expressing intentions to the masses, conveying policies, and communicating with the masses in terms of ideas.The importance of the leadership's level of speech lies in the ability to resonate, enable the masses to understand policies and principles, stimulate the enthusiasm and creativity of the masses, and promote the development of various undertakings.As a leader, he often shows his face and becomes the focus and center of various occasions and activities. People also hope to often listen to the intention and voice of the leader, and see the level and performance of the leader.If the art of speaking is not good, and the level of speaking is not high, leading cadres will lose face, drop chains, and lose tune in front of the masses.If it is an ordinary person, it may not matter if one or two sentences are missed or off topic, but leading cadres are different. The light ones are considered by the masses to be inferior, and the serious ones will be negligent, dereliction of duty and identity, which will have serious consequences, and even make mistakes.Therefore, the speaking ability of a leader plays a very important role in promoting work, showing personal charm, and successfully completing various tasks.In a certain sense, leadership activities cannot be realized without leadership speeches.Similarly, it is impossible for leaders who are not good at speaking and whose speaking level is not high to achieve effective leadership. As early as in ancient times, those outstanding figures relied on wisdom and eloquence to cooperate with each other, which gave us great inspiration; in modern society, great figures rely on their speaking skills to control the world, which also benefits us a lot. In the 14th century BC, Pan Geng, the Ming emperor of the Shang Dynasty, persuaded the people who were unable to leave their homeland with vivid, simple and eloquent words, and realized the idea of ​​moving the capital; Zhou Enlai and Chen Yi were good at rhetoric and eloquence in the ever-changing international political life, Greatly improved the international status and prestige of New China, and increased the aspirations of the Chinese people; international financier Sachs persuaded US President Roosevelt to develop and produce atomic bombs as soon as possible, thus laying an important foundation for ending World War II as soon as possible; in today's economic construction In the process of business negotiations, pertinent and powerful words during business negotiations will force the other party to make concessions or reach a consensus in order to facilitate an agreement; generous speeches that promote external and internal connections will revitalize one party's economy.All of these show that by giving full play to the art of eloquence of oral expression skills, huge spiritual wealth and material wealth can be created. Today's society is an open, progressive, and rapidly developing information age. Opportunities and challenges, difficulties and hopes are unavoidable issues before every leader. Extraordinary times require extraordinary leaders, and extraordinary leaders are far from Do not open extraordinary eloquence.Meticulous thinking and excellent eloquence are the catalysts and accelerators for the successful life of every leader who is determined to make progress. A leader's ability to speak is often regarded as an important indicator of the comprehensive ability of a leader.Therefore, leaders who are eloquent and eloquent are increasingly showing a unique advantage.Due to the effective display of eloquence and wisdom in all areas of life, they give full play to their talents and inject maximum success factors into their careers. And the great writer Montaigne also said: "Language is a tool through which our wishes and thoughts can be communicated. It is the interpreter of our soul." Therefore, in modern life, people pay more and more attention to eloquence. Knowledge and self-cultivation in all aspects, and put forward the new concept of "knowledge is wealth, eloquence is capital". Just like the general on the battlefield, the leader is the core figure who motivates his subordinates, and also the key factor in determining the victory or defeat of the war.Any organization, a cause, cannot do without the commander-in-chief of the leader.In modern society, if a leader wants to play the role of "connecting the past and the next", then he spends most of his time communicating with people in words. The leader's speech is an indispensable part of the leader's exercise of leadership functions and corresponding government affairs activities. item of work.It is not only closely related to the job responsibilities and leadership status assumed by the leader, but also the ability and quality that a leader must possess.The level of speech is directly related to the effectiveness of leadership work and the prestige of leaders. No matter what industry or level a leader is in, if he wants to lead people well, handle things well, and manage things well, he must lead in words and act in deeds.It can be said that the process of a leader establishing power and authority is the process of establishing words and deeds. If a leader wants to persuade his subordinates, impress their hearts with words, and truly achieve "the one who guides people's hearts must guide them with words", he must always pay attention to his words and deeds, and do the following. (1) Self-cultivation is the only way to regulate the family, govern the country and the world Leaders must meet certain standards and levels in terms of ideology, morality, and personal qualities.Leaders develop their own character and conduct is self-cultivation.Confucius devoted all his life to educating the people, asking them to cultivate themselves, keep their families in order, govern the country and bring peace to the world.Self-cultivation is the first element. As a leader, good eloquence is based on a person's personality and moral cultivation.This means that the cultivation of a leader's personality must conform to his or her status.What qualities should an eloquent leader possess? In a nutshell, a well-cultivated leader must not only have scientific thinking, but also have noble moral qualities and personality.A leader's personality is important because it affects the mood and behavior of the entire team. At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, when Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu asked Deng Yu how to unify the world, he said: "The world is so vast, and now I have pacified some small states and counties. When will it be possible to unify the world?" Deng Yu replied: "It is true that the world is full of heroes and wars are endless, and the future is indeed unpredictable. But no matter when it comes, one thing will not change: the people are looking forward to the appearance of a wise king. Since ancient times, the rise and fall of a country It all depends on the strength of the emperor's virtue and righteousness, not the size of the land. As long as you don't get discouraged, accumulate the virtue of the king wholeheartedly, and promote the prestige of benevolence and righteousness, the world will eventually be unified." After listening to Deng Yu's words, Liu Xiu felt much better, and was full of confidence in herself again.On the battlefield, instead of punishing those soldiers who were willing to surrender, Liu Xiu maintained their original posts and let them join Liu's army and continue fighting; he also sent a letter to the generals who surrendered, and issued an order to inform the world: " The surrendering army will not be reorganized, and the original organization will be maintained, and the generals of the surrendering army will return to their positions and lead their original subordinates to participate in the battle." Liu Xiu treated the surrendering army so favorably, so that everyone who surrendered couldn't believe it, and they were full of doubts and emotions. Uneasy, afraid that Liu Xiu would change his mind sometime.In order to show his sincerity, Liu Xiu often rode a horse to inspect various camps, especially the camps of the surrendered army.Seeing Liu Xiu's sincerity, the soldiers who surrendered naturally felt admiration and vowed to do their best for Liu Xiu. From this story, we can see that Liu Xiu listened to Deng Yu's suggestion and was able to treat the surrendered army with sincerity and sincerity, which is indeed a kind of virtuous and righteous approach.Jiang Jun saw that Liu Xiu was a magnanimous king.In order to repay Liu Xiu's kindness, they all tried their best to assist Liu Xiu.The Jiang army followed Liu Xiu to fight in the South and North, and went through fire and water, and made great contributions to finally put down the chaos in the world and establish the Eastern Han Dynasty. A united group not only relies on a scientific and strict management system to constrain each member's code of conduct, but also relies on a harmonious and harmonious environment to stimulate each member's enthusiasm and creativity.The personal character of the leader is the key that opens the door.First of all, start from the leader. Only by convincing people with virtue can people be emotionally motivated. If they are hypocritical, the team will be full of hypocrisy and deceit, and in the end it will only fall apart. (2) A righteous man must first correct himself Leaders should strengthen their own moral cultivation, set an example and model, treat their subordinates modestly and politely, and do not manage by giving orders. "If the upper body is clear without desire, the lower body will be upright and the people will be simple." If you ask your subordinates to do it, you should do it first; if you forbid others to do it, you will never do it yourself. The relationship between leadership language and moral character is very close.Because a person's language will show his thoughts and character, and of course it can show his moral level.Once the moral level of a leader is expressed through language, it will have a considerable impact on subordinates and the entire collective.Leaders have noble moral sentiments, subordinates are more convinced of you, and the whole team is more united.On the contrary, a poor moral level will make your subordinates feel disheartened by you, and at the same time, it will encourage the spread of bad style in the team, and eventually lead to the team's slump, until it perishes. Leaders should always keep in mind the saying "Above others, treat others as others, and below others, treat yourself as others", treat others sincerely, and set an example, so as to convince subordinates and gain their support and love.Only with noble moral character can you have a strong personality charm and make your subordinates support you from the heart instead of superficial flattery. (3) The purpose of speaking is clear and clear The language of leadership should express a clear goal.Even if you sometimes need to be subtle in your expression, you must give your subordinates a clear goal.The leader's speech should not be ambiguous, and the instructions should not be clear. This will make it difficult for subordinates to judge and complete tasks well. (4) The expression of the language should take into account the specific situation of the subordinates The leader's speech should be analyzed in detail.For example, the subordinate's personality characteristics, self-quality, psychology and morale and other details, so that the subordinates can be convinced of your words.But while highlighting the "leadership domineering", you should also show your concern for your subordinates, and try to make the two mastery.This is also the fundamental reason for leaders to control the overall situation with language. In short, as a leader, if you want to be able to control the situation and your subordinates well with language, you have to get your words to the point and get your words into the hearts of your subordinates.To do this, you need to always keep in mind to analyze the situation calmly and see what is in your favor.Moreover, when communicating with your subordinates, you must always examine your own words from the perspective of the subordinates.Use words to express your thoughts clearly, and make your subordinates become your loyal supporters, so that you can control the overall situation well. At 3 o'clock in the morning on June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany suddenly launched an attack on the Soviet Union with 162 divisions, 3 million troops, 3,400 tanks, more than 7,000 cannons, and thousands of aircraft in three routes: the southern route to Ukraine; the central route to attack Moscow; Northern attack on Leningrad.At that time, British Prime Minister Churchill, who was spending the weekend in Checkers not far from London, heard the news and ordered the BBC to broadcast his speech at 9 o'clock that night.This is Churchill's famous "wartime speech" in which Britain aided the Soviet Union in fighting German fascism.Churchill pointed out: "Tonight, I take this opportunity to address you all because we have reached a critical point in the war." "At 4 o'clock this morning, Hitler has attacked and invaded Russia." "I saw tens of thousands of villages in Russia tilling the land and struggling to get the means of life, where the basic human pleasures were still there, where the girls were laughing and the children were playing. I saw the Nazi war machine rolling over them, viciously I saw Prussian officers in full uniform, clanging swords, sabers, and shoe spikes, and treacherous agents who had just terrorized and suppressed more than a dozen countries. I also saw a large number of dull, educated The trained, docile, brutal German soldiers are stumbling forward like a swarm of crawling locusts. I see German bombers and fighters circling in the sky, still reeling from the many attacks of the British, but scrambling for To find a prey that I thought was easy to get. Behind this arrogance, behind this sudden attack, I see the small group of villains who planned, organized and waged this terrible war on mankind." "For this we have but one goal, one single, unalterable goal. We are determined to destroy Hitler, to wipe out all traces of the Nazi system. Nothing will alter this determination, nothing! We will never negotiate; we will never No negotiations with Hitler or his henchmen. We will fight him on land; we will fight him on the sea; liberated the people above from his yoke." "Any person or country that fights against Nazism will receive our aid." "Therefore, we will provide all assistance we can to Russia and the Russian people. We will call upon our friends and allies around the world to take the same course, and to carry it through with the same fidelity that we have." "Hitler's invasion of Russia was only the prelude to a planned invasion of the British Isles." There is no doubt that "Russia's danger is our country's danger, England's danger; and the cause of the Russian people fighting for their homeland is the cause of free peoples and free nations everywhere." "Let us learn from such a cruel experience! Let us redouble our efforts and fight together while life is still alive and strength is still there!" Churchill's short but impassioned "wartime speech" pushed Britain into the chariot of "uniting with the Soviet Union to resist Germany" and shattered the conspiracy of the Nazi leaders to unite with Britain and fight against the Soviet Union. On July 12, 1941, the governments of Britain and the Soviet Union signed an agreement to take joint action against the German War, which laid the foundation for the establishment of an anti-fascist alliance in which more than 20 countries, including the United States, participated.As a result, it fundamentally changed the world situation and the balance of power between the enemy and us in World War II, changed the entire process of World War II, and changed the fate of Britain.The famous British Labor Party critic Michael Foot asserted: "Before June 22, 1941, British victory was a dream, but after that day, British victory was expected." Churchill's "Wartime "Speech" has also become "one of the masterpieces of the glorious period" in his life.