Do you recognize the names of Frank Wills, Mark Felt, or Alex Butterfield? Whether you do or not, the course of U.S. history was changed by these men.
Today is the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in. What was first described as a “third-rate burglary” eventually led to the resignation of President Nixon and a host of indictments for people on his staff. Watergate was the office building housing the Democratic National Headquarters. On this date in 1972, Frank Wills, an astute security guard on his evening rounds, noticed that a door latch had been taped open. He alerted the police and set an investigation in motion.
Mark Felt, the FBI’s number two, provided invaluable direction to the Washington Post reporters pursuing the cover-up story. He supplied deep background material which earned him the name of Deep Throat, and his covert intelligence kept the investigation alive and led to Congressional hearings.
But the real break came during a Senate Watergate Hearing in 1973, when Deputy Assistant to President Nixon, Alex Butterfield, was asked: “Are you aware of any listening devices in the Oval Office?” His decision to tell the truth (unlike several of his colleagues) led to the bombshell revelation of Nixon’s taping system — and the discovery of tapes that eventually implicated the President.
There are many people who played prominent roles in the Watergate investigation but these three were outside the limelight — yet crucial to the outcome. It’s a reminder that everyone — from the security guard to the deputy assistant — can be important contributors to your overall effort. Never minimize the impact all the members of your team can have. There is no such thing as an inconsequential role.
