28 Jun “T3” LEADERSHIP WITH A SMILE! THE 2000-YEAR-OLD MAN TURNS 100!

Happy 100th B’Day Mel Brooks, b. (Melvin Kaminsky). Depression era kid from Brooklyn.  “We were so poor my mother couldn’t afford to have me – the lady next door gave birth to me!”  Iconic Comedian, Actor, Writer, Film Maker. His irreverent, satirical, and outrageous comedy changed the American cultural landscape. One of the very few to win the entertainment ‘Grand Slam’: Oscar, Tony, Grammy, and Emmy awards.  

His inspirational style: 

• TEAMWORK:  Famously built trust, comity, and loyalty with others.  Envisioned goals and worked hard to achieve them. Selflessly shared credit with others while working for Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” in the 1950’s. His partnership with the late Carl Reiner in “2000 Year Old Man” skits, and production of “Get Smart” in the 1960’s is comedy genius. 

• TONE:  Patriotic WWII Vet; Combat Engineer who fought in the Battle of the Bulge.  Part of the 78th Infantry Division and 1104th Engineer Combat Battalions. Forward artillery observer, cleared minefields under enemy fire, and helped build bridges across rivers like the Roer and Rhine. Dangerous, frontline work. Described his service as part of a personal and generational fight, turning trauma into enduring cultural defiance. Pushed boundaries, finding humor in darkness while celebrating resilience, slapstick and absurdity

“Being stupid and politically incorrect doesn’t work … You can be politically incorrect if you’re smart.”  A “Mark Twain Award” recipient for contributions to society.  Had a serious side too: Produced “The Elephant Man” in 1981.  Nominated for eight Academy Awards, it is a deeply poignant, purely dramatic biographical film. Brooks intentionally removed his name from the promotional materials to ensure audiences took the heartbreaking true story of Joseph Merrick seriously. 

• TENACITY: Mel’s seven decades of boundary-breaking work still make us laugh: “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” “High Anxiety,” “Silent Movie,” “History Of The World, Part I,” “Space Balls,” “Robin Hood: Men In Tights” and more! 

– Rear Admiral Paul Becker, USN (Ret) is a motivational and national security keynote speaker.  He is a leadership professor at the U.S. Naval Academy and the CEO of The Becker T3 Group. In 2016, The Naval Intelligence Community established “The Rear Admiral Becker ‘Teamwork, Tone, Tenacity Award for Leadership” in his honor.  To connect with Paul, visit his website: https://TheBeckerT3Group.com