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Lessons from the Old West for Today’s Leaders.
Identify your objective and carefully consider how you want to hit your target.
Allan Pinkerton was able to track the bandits responsible for robbing the Adams Express Company only after he was given a full description of the Reno gang members. That basic information led the posse to the outlaw’s hiding place where they could put together a plan to apprehend the bad guys and retrieve the stolen money.
Go the extra mile.
When the Pinkerton posse kidnapped the leader of the Reno gang, they were employing extreme measures to ensure the desperados faced justice. That daring action proved to be positive for the detective agency because businesses could see the Pinkertons offered exceptional service. Allan Pinkerton and his men were hired to solve several other robberies after brining in the Reno gang.
Never underestimate the powers of observation.
If the posse wasn’t paying close attention to the coming and goings of various townspeople in Council Bluffs, Iowa, they would have missed the strange behavior of a citizen who eventually led them to the spot where the Reno gang was hiding.
Embrace the benefits of cross training.
Posse members took on a variety jobs in an effort to achieve their objective. Some worked as bartenders, others as railroad employees. They gained valuable knowledge about the offenders they were after that helped define the best way to apprehend the Renos.
Follow a job to the end.
You haven’t failed until you quit trying. The Pinkerton posse never abandoned their quest to arrest the Reno gang even when the outlaws fled to Canada. The bandits thought they were safe in another country, but Pinkerton acquired the necessary legal documents to have them extradited.
To learn more about the business practices behind the forming of some of the most legendary posses read
The Principles of Posse Management
