Episode Overview

Main Theme:
This Thanksgiving episode of The EntreLeadership Podcast explores how America's founding story—the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving—reveals timeless lessons about uniting people around a shared vision, leading through adversity, and the power of gratitude. Guest historian and leadership expert Steven Mansfield joins John Felkins to dive deep into what the Pilgrims endured, how their purpose propelled them, and what modern leaders can learn from their journey.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Real Story of the Pilgrims

• The Lesser-Known Pilgrims' Narrative: Steven Mansfield shares his passion for Pilgrim history, clarifying misconceptions and highlighting their unique impact on American identity.
  • Quote: "The Plymouth settlement and the Pilgrims is the first permanent Christian English settlement in the New World. So that's its place of glory." – Steven Mansfield [01:44]
• Not Just Religious Refugees: Contrary to popular belief, the Pilgrims left religious freedom in Holland not fleeing persecution but out of a sense of burden and vision to spread their faith.
  • Quote: "They were doing fine in Europe... but in their prayer meetings, what do they start to do? They start to say, we know there's this New World... and there are natives there who don't know the gospel. So... that's primarily why they sailed." – Steven Mansfield [06:09]

2. Journey to the New World: Hardship & Leadership

• The Mayflower Voyage: A harrowing 66-day journey across the North Atlantic with overcrowding, storms, and sickness.
  • Notable Moment: John Howland's near-death ("slam dunked" back on board by a wave) becomes a story of obedience—and comic relief.
    • "He reaches out and grabs a rope... the ship goes one way away from him... comes back and a wave picks him up and slam dunks him Michael Jordan style through the open hatch back to where he was." – Steven Mansfield [14:00]
• Leadership Structure: The congregation was led by elders, not a democracy; their pastor stayed behind in Holland while the young and healthy made the journey.
• Severe Suffering: Overcrowding, low food supplies, seasickness, and death plagued the voyage.
  • Quote: “[The sailor] said, these pilgrims are psalm singing puke stockings... The one sailor who insults them is the only guy who dies on the entire voyage.” – Steven Mansfield [14:49]

3. Arrival, Starvation, and Native American Alliance

• Landing North of Plan: Storms pushed them far north of their chartered Virginia territory, compounding confusion and risk.
• First Winter—The Starving Time: Bitter conditions and poor timing meant half the group died from starvation and disease.
  • Quote: “It got to the point where there was five kernels of corn per person and a little bit of brackish water...” – Steven Mansfield [19:40]
  • "Half of them died. Now, bear in mind, we're only in that winter... Every family had a death of some sort." – Steven Mansfield [20:00]
• First Encounters with Natives: Historical records tell how Samoset and Squanto approached the Pilgrims—famously asking, "Do you have a beer?" due to their prior exposure to English language and customs.
  • "Two big old tall Indians... walk up to the Pilgrims and in perfect King James English... say, do you have a beer?" – Steven Mansfield [17:22]
• Native Wisdom: Local tribes taught critical farming and survival techniques, including how to plant, fish, and make popcorn.

4. Transformation through Vision and Incentives

• From Socialism to Free Market: The Pilgrims initially tried communal farming, which proved unproductive and demotivating. Governor Bradford's shift to family-owned plots radically increased yields and optimism.
  • Quote: "Their governor, William Bradford... decided that they should have family plots... They went basically to privatized farming... and their yield come the fall of 1621 was huge." – Steven Mansfield [22:36]
• Lessons for Modern Leaders: Vision, accountability, innovation, and rewarding individual effort—all critical to successful teams.

5. The First Thanksgiving: Celebration & Lasting Influence

• Four Days of Multicultural Feasting: After the abundant harvest, Pilgrims hosted a four-day feast with 90 local Native Americans.
  • "They had athletic contests, they wrestled, they had shooting contests... There was a food fight. I don't know if they were throwing edible food, but they were throwing apple cores..." – Steven Mansfield [23:52]
• Five Kernels of Corn Tradition: New England families for generations would place five kernels on each plate as a somber reminder of what the Pilgrims endured—an exercise in humility and gratitude.
  • "They would pause and put five kernels of corn on each plate." – Steven Mansfield [26:53]
• Thanksgiving as National Holiday: The tradition evolved over time, with Lincoln declaring a national day of thanksgiving during the Civil War, and FDR setting the modern date.
  • "Lincoln was the first one to call a national day of prayer and thanksgiving... FDR made it November." – Steven Mansfield [29:27]

6. Lasting Leadership Takeaways

• Vision Drives Unity: The Pilgrims' journey was powered by a collective, transcendent vision—critical for leadership at any level.
  • "The fact that they were vision driven... That's the success. That's what leads to success in business, marriage, weight loss, whatever we're about, we gotta have a vision." – Steven Mansfield [34:16]
• Responsibility & Ownership: Shifting from communal to family plots mirrors the power of personal responsibility and incentive in business.
• Gratitude in Hardship: Their thanks came not from abundance but amidst grief and loss; gratitude was a conscious choice—a leadership lesson for all.
  • "When we celebrate Thanksgiving, we have to realize that the first pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving out of an unbelievably agonizing era of death and suffering... Yet they rose, they built a civilization..." – Steven Mansfield [36:50]

7. Dispelling Myths & Embracing Real Heritage

• Mythbusting: Pilgrim history has been warped or sanitized; the real story is richer, involving nuanced relationships with Native Americans, robust individualism, and vibrant faith.
• Encouragement for Modern Leaders: Dave Ramsey closes with a call for gratitude, fortitude, and vision in leadership roles—drawing directly from the Pilgrims' story.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Steven Mansfield, on the Pilgrims' Motivation [06:09]:
  • “The burning hot issue is what they said in the Mayflower Compact… We sailed for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.”
• John Howland's Ordeal [14:00]:
  • “A wave picks him up and slam dunks him, Michael Jordan style, through the open hatch back to where he was.”
• On the First Thanksgiving [23:52]:
  • “They had athletic contests, they wrestled… There was a food fight… and the elders had to stop it.”
• On Five Kernels Tradition [26:53]:
  • “They would pause and put five kernels of corn on each plate.”
• Advice to Leaders [34:16]:
  • “What’s the defining vision, purpose, etc., driving your life? That’s the success… We gotta have a vision.”
• On Giving Thanks Amid Suffering [36:50]:
  • “The first pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving out of an unbelievably agonizing era of death and suffering and watching children starve… And yet they rose, they built a civilization…”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:36] – Why the Pilgrims, not Jamestown, dominate Thanksgiving legacy
• [03:09] – Pilgrims’ spiritual vs. business motives for coming to America
• [07:43] – The Mayflower voyage: hardship, leadership, and John Howland’s mishap
• [16:09] – Starving time: five kernels a day, half the community lost
• [17:22] – First meeting with Samoset/Squanto: "Do you have a beer?"
• [22:36] – Switch to privatized farming and the subsequent abundance
• [23:49] – The original Thanksgiving: multi-day cross-cultural feast
• [26:53] – The five kernels tradition and its ongoing meaning
• [29:27] – The evolution of Thanksgiving into a national holiday
• [34:16] – Business & leadership lessons distilled from Plymouth history
• [36:50] – Choosing gratitude in hardship: the Pilgrims’ truest legacy

Tone and Language

The episode is passionate and reverent but often playful, blending historical storytelling with modern business and leadership wisdom. Mansfield’s lively style balances the gravity of suffering with humor and humanity.

Final Takeaways

• Leadership requires vision—not merely reaction to adversity.
• Unity comes from a shared, higher purpose.
• Gratitude is most powerful when it is chosen in hardship.
• Take time to reflect on real heritage and hard-won victories, especially as leaders tasked to inspire and rally others.

“Great victory out of great suffering… the Pilgrims, you know, they live as a symbol for me.” – Steven Mansfield [36:50]

Happy Thanksgiving from The EntreLeadership Podcast!