The Letter to Garcia: A Lesson on Grit and Initiative

The Story Retold

Back in 1898, during the Spanish-American War¹ in Cuba, President William McKinley² needed to contact a rebel leader named Calixto García³—fast. No cell phones (invented 1973)⁴, no email (1971)⁵, no GPS (1978)⁶. Just jungle, enemies, and a lot of ways to get lost.

So they handed a sealed letter to a soldier named Andrew Summers Rowan⁷ and said, “Get this to Garcia.”

Rowan didn’t ask, “Where exactly is he? What’s his address? Who’s paying for my boat? What if it rains? What if I get lost? What if the locals don’t speak English? What if Garcia moved? Should I come back and check in first?” He could have spent weeks waiting for perfect instructions that would never come.

Instead, he took the letter, figured it out, crossed the ocean, trekked through the jungle, dealt with people who didn’t trust him, and delivered it. He didn’t make excuses. He made a way.

That’s the whole point of the story: when something needs doing—important or not—if you’re being relied upon for the outcome, be the person who finds a path, even when there isn’t one yet.

(Side note: the original essay was written in 1899 by Elbert Hubbard⁸ and some parts feel dated today. The core lesson—take initiative with integrity—still holds up.)

What “Rowan Energy” Looks Like for You

1. Own the mission

When you accept something—homework, practice, a club task—treat it like your job, not your teacher’s or coach’s job to chase you.

2. Start before everything is perfect

Don’t wait for every instruction. Begin with what you know, learn the rest as you go. No instructions can be perfect, so don’t treat instructions as verbatim scripture—use them as a starting point and adapt as you learn.

3. Try, then report

If you hit a wall, try two or three solutions before you ask for help. When you do ask, say what you tried.

4. Be trustworthy

Keep your word, commit your time and efforts, and finish the boring parts. Trust is built through small, consistent actions—not grand gestures.

5. Think “path,” not “permission”

Instead of “Can I…?” try “Here’s my plan. Anything I’m missing?” You’re still respectful—you just come with momentum.

6. Protect your integrity

Doing it right matters more than doing it fast.

Quick Scripts You Can Actually Use

When assigned something:

“Got it. I’ll handle it and circle back by Friday with results.”

When blocked:

“Here’s the problem. I tried A, B, and C. I’m leaning toward D—does that sound right?”

When finished:

“Mission complete. Here’s what I did, what I learned, and what I’d improve next time.”

References