Case Study
JERRY HOLMES’ LEADERSHIP LEGACY
Sitting with a giant.
IDEATIONÂ Â |Â Â VENDOR MANAGEMENTÂ Â |Â Â VIDEO PRODUCTION
For more than a decade, I had the privilege of working with General Jerry Holmes, a beloved leadership teacher whose lessons shaped a generation of engineers and scientists. To understand the significance of General Holmes' career and legacy, consider this: he was in charge of NATO Air Force operations in Europe during the Cold War, he led envoys into East German, and his home had silent alarms. He can still command a room without volume, arrogance or ferocity. He cared for his wife until her final breath. I can’t express just how much I love and admire him.
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The Genesis of This Project
For years, I heard bits and pieces of General Holmes’ famed leadership lessons. When I finally had the opportunity to regularly meet with him and hear those stories firsthand, I realized they were a treasure trove. The leadership course for engineers and scientists had recently evolved into a program with expanded offerings, making this the perfect time to capture these stories.
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After General Holmes’ wife, Nina, passed away, he decided to move from Oklahoma to be closer to his children and grandchildren. I recognized that we had a short window to preserve these invaluable stories.
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The Constraints
Securing funding for the project required campaigning and the generosity of several donors. I also had to coordinate with a production crew, convincing them to fit us into their schedule by promising flexibility with the post-production timeline. Preparing both General Holmes and the crew was essential, as this would be a long day of shooting with only one chance to get it right. Everyone needed to understand the game plan.
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The Result
The videos were designed to be integral to the class that now bears General Holmes’ name. His legacy and the very DNA of the program will live on through these stories. The videos have also been used for student recruitment and fundraising purposes.
MEET GENERAL HOLMES
This part of the project wasn't actually part of the ask from our production company. They said that sitting with him that day was so profound that they couldn't help themselves.
LEADERSHIP LESSONS SERIES
Sarah's innovative ideas and creativity exceed that of anyone I know. Sarah arranged to have videos created of the life lessons I shared for 20 years while teaching leadership for engineers and scientists in a course that would become an endowed program named in my honor.
When Sarah came to me with her proposal, I assumed someone would point a camera at me, and that would be that. Instead, she brought in a second-to-none production team. She prepped the film crew so they walked in knowing the basics of my career history and my leadership lessons. Sarah prepped me, too, so I was comfortable and prepared when the crew came to my home. I don't believe anyone else would have thought of everything that needed to be done.
This project all started because Sarah took the time to understand what I was teaching and why it mattered so much to two decades' worth of students.
Jerry D. Holmes, Major General, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)