Hey everyone,

This week, I was fortunate enough to attend a global investment conference in London, where one of the most memorable events took place in the Churchill War Rooms beneath Westminster.

Walking through those rooms felt like stepping through a portal into 1940.

What I discovered there changed how I think about leadership, crisis management, and what it really takes to build something meaningful when everything is falling apart.

In Churchill's Footsteps

Descending into history

For those unfamiliar, the Churchill War Rooms are the preserved underground command center where Winston Churchill and his War Cabinet directed Britain's war effort during World War II.

When the war ended in 1945, everyone simply walked out, locked the doors behind them, and left everything exactly as it was.

Forty years later, when they reopened the rooms, they found Churchill's half-smoked cigars still on his bedside table, maps with thousands of pinholes tracking convoy movements across the Atlantic, and telephones that once connected directly to Roosevelt in the White House.

When I descended those stairs, I understood why this place moves people to tears.

Everything remains frozen in time. The clocks all show 5 PM—the moment the lights were switched off when victory was declared.

In the Map Room, you can see where generals tracked Allied convoys with colored pins, leaving so many holes around the Strait of Gibraltar that sections of the map had to be patched.

Churchill's broadcasting room, where he made only four BBC transmissions during the entire war, still contains the microphone he used to address the world during humanity's darkest hour.

However, it was Churchill's personal quarters that struck me the hardest.

His single bed was perfectly made. His desk stood preserved, papers still scattered as if he'd just stepped away for one of his famous two daily baths. The cigar on his nightstand—an actual Churchill cigar, on loan from his family, still in its original wrapper.

One couldn’t help feeling the visceral presence of greatness.

The lessons of crisis leadership

During World War II, Churchill ran the most complex organization imaginable under the most extreme pressure conceivable.

Every decision carried life-or-death consequences. Every day brought existential threats. Every night, he went to bed knowing that millions of lives hung on his choices.

Yet he maintained routines that seem almost absurdly normal:

• Two baths daily.

• An hour-and-a-half afternoon siesta.

• Working from his grand double bed until 3 AM.

As he famously said, “My tastes are simple: I am easily satisfied with the best.”

His approach was grounded in the ultimate strategic discipline. Churchill understood that crisis leadership requires anchoring oneself in sustainable practices, especially when everything around you is in chaos.

We can all take a page out of his book for running our own enterprises.

How do you make decisions when the stakes feel impossibly high? You gather intelligence (his Map Room operated 24/7), you build alliances (Roosevelt, Stalin), and you communicate relentlessly.

Churchill's wife, Clementine, made 17 radio broadcasts from those rooms—more than Churchill himself—because they understood that leadership during crisis requires constant, clear communication.

Most importantly, you maintain unwavering focus on the ultimate objective.

Every decision Churchill made served one goal: defeating Nazi Germany.

Everything else was secondary.

The cost of doing what's required

But here's what struck me most powerfully: the toll the war took on Churchill himself, ultimately proving that he was indeed mortal.

Our guide mentioned that after the war ended, Churchill needed years to recover, taking stints in England and France during retirement to write and paint.

The man who had rallied a nation, forged the Grand Alliance, and helped save Western civilization was so depleted that he was on the brink of complete meltdown.

The photograph above was taken in April 1945. Churchill is pictured with his chiefs of staff in the garden at 10 Downing Street.

He looks triumphant, confident—the picture of victory. But internally, he was completely broken.

This is the reality of meaningful work.

As Churchill himself said, “It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required.” Doing what's required often demands everything you have.

The question isn't whether it will cost you—it will.

The question is whether what you're fighting for is worth that cost.

Living through our moment

Standing in those preserved rooms, I couldn't help but think about historical perspective.

In 1940, the people working in those underground chambers couldn't know they were living through one of history's most pivotal moments.

They were just trying to survive each day, make the right decisions, and push through unimaginable pressure.

Today feels different. But is it really?

We're living through the AI revolution. We're watching technology reshape every industry, every job, every assumption about how the world works.

In 80 years, people might look back on 2025 the way we look back on 1945—as the moment everything changed.

The difference is perspective. Churchill and his team couldn't see the end of their story while they were living it. We can't see the end of ours either.

But that's exactly why Churchill's example matters so much right now.

We're all wartime CEOs in our own way—making decisions with incomplete information, rallying teams through uncertainty, and building something meaningful despite the chaos around us.

The preserved rooms beneath Westminster remind us that ordinary people, working under extraordinary pressure, can shape history.

The best days aren't behind us. They're being written right now, in the choices we make when the world feels like its crumbling around us.

Churchill understood this. He lived it.

And his example—preserved perfectly in those underground chambers—continues to inspire anyone brave enough to do what's required.

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? If you liked it, sign up here.

And, if you loved it, forward it to your friends and family.

Thanks for reading,

— Luca

P.S. Want to work together?

1. Get your free AI audit: If you’re still manually doing work that AI could handle in minutes, I'll show you exactly where you're bleeding time and money. In 25 minutes, I'll audit your current workflow and map out your personalized AI transformation roadmap. This is the same process I used to save 15+ hours per week in my own business. 🤖

2. See my complete tool stack: Beyond what I've shared today, I maintain a living document of every AI tool I test, why I use it, and which ones actually move the needle. Access my complete AI toolkit by reaching out here. 💼

That’s it from me. See you next week, Luca 👋

P.P.S Let’s connect on LinkedIn and X.