I’ve been reading The Histories by Herodotus and while there are many fascinating passages one of the things I was not necessarily expecting to find is “Management Tips from Herodotus.” I think any good idea requires mulling over so I won’t comment on it.
“…whenever he (Xerxes) saw any one of his own side behaving with distinction, he inquired about him who had done it, and the secretary recorded the name of the ship’s captain with that of his father and home city.”
This is from Book Eight which covers among other things The Battle of Salamis. Salamis was a naval battle fought between the Persians and Greeks in the early5th Century BC. That’s a long time ago for those of you whose chief profession is in sales. (That’s a joke; if you’re not laughing, lighten up.)* Xerxes was the Emperor of Persia and had amassed the largest army the world had ever seen. He was fighting against a much smaller force and was losing badly.
*As a note, a quick glance at my profile will show I worked for MassMutual Financial Group I have nothing but respect for salespeople. Those agents ate what they killed. I can’t deal with people like me but sales guys do it every day.
NashKen 
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