"They're shooting right down on us from the mountain to the east ... mortars, heavy machine guns, and maybe a thousand rifles. How are you coming in to relieve us?" The commander on the ground asked me these questions as our helicopters approached. His company was pinned down in a steep V-shaped valley. He then explained that the only approach was to hover above his company in the midst of all that gunfire and jump right into his perimeter. Getting this company of soldiers in there and getting them would test the leadership skills of the most savvy commanders. The story has a happy ending that you can use to talk about leadership with your team. Each leadership essential is illustrated with a real combat story that's memorable and guaranteed to generate a discussion you can use to make everyone on your team a successful leader.