Field Experience

Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Although he was reflecting on his own experience, Ford could have been referring to just about any team, at any time. In the previous post, we discussed how assembling the right team enabled the Ford Motor Company to grow from a small startup in a crowded market into the largest automaker in America in the 1920s. In this post, we will look at how Abraham Lincoln approached the prospect of taking office as the nation split, and how humility and pragmatism enabled him to turn a “team of rivals” into the cabinet responsible for the Union war effort.

As the campaigns for the presidential election of 1860 got underway, Abraham Lincoln was the most unlikely of all the contenders in the Republican Party. His only national political experience was a single term in Congress. He was an able state legislator and well-known attorney in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois, but in a party dominated by national figures, Lincoln was a rank outsider. The frontrunner was William H. Seward, an ambitious former senator and governor of New York. In close second was Salmon P. Chase, a former senator and governor of Ohio who was every bit as ambitious as Seward. Simon Cameron was not a serious candidate, but he nonetheless controlled many votes at the Republican Convention. Edward Bates, a former Congressman from Missouri, was the fourth candidate. Lincoln’s candidacy was expertly managed by a dedicated team who steered him through to the Republican Convention, where he was nominated on the third ballot.

The election of 1860 unusually pitted four candidates from four different parties against one another. Lincoln emerged as the winner in the Electoral College, an outcome that deepened the sectional divisions between the North and South. Unable to sleep on election night, Lincoln wrote a list of the men he wanted in his cabinet. The list included all his Republican rivals. Over the days and weeks that followed, Lincoln approached each man on his list and offered him the cabinet post he had selected for him, deftly tailoring his approach to win over each of the towering personalities. Seward became Secretary of State. Chase was appointed Secretary of the Treasury. Bates became Attorney General. Cameron was appointed Secretary of the Navy. These and the rest of Lincoln’s cabinet members were accomplished, well connected men, and they had more experience in government than he did. Keeping them together was a daunting prospect.

Much has been made of Lincoln’s “team of rivals.” He selected these men partially because of the sectional balance they would bring to foster a sense of unity, but more importantly, he picked them because they were highly capable. Lincoln understood that each of these men needed to have his voice heard; and he set a tone of allowing them to speak freely in cabinet meetings and did not get upset when they vehemently disagreed with him. Early in his term, Seward sent a memorandum that pointedly told Lincoln he was unfit for office. Lincoln was hurt, but it was politically unwise to fire Seward; Lincoln met with him privately and diffused the situation. In time, Seward became one of Lincoln’s most loyal lieutenants. Lincoln often frustrated Secretary of War Edwin Stanton with his habitual folksy storytelling to make his points. Lincoln used stories and often self-deprecating humor to diffuse tensions in difficult meetings. His leadership style allowed him to leverage his cabinet members’ considerable talents to manage the war effort and gave them the latitude they craved. His pragmatic recognition that he needed them underpinned his approach and set the conditions for them to work together.

Battlefield Leadership’s Lincoln Leadership Experience explores Abraham Lincoln’s unlikely road to the White House and the way he forged a team that spearheaded the Union war effort and steered the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery through a fractious Congress. This program will open your eyes to Lincoln’s nuanced approach. Thinking like Lincoln will challenge you to consider how you lead your own team.

We will see you on the battlefield.

Through our unique programs, leaders from Fortune 500 companies, government entities and higher education institutions learn how to overcome challenges and transform their organizations, positioning them for future successes. Find out how Battlefield Leadership can help your team by emailing info@battlefieldleadership.com or by calling 864.386.9637. 

A great leader is never a one-man band. Think of the most high-functioning organizations: their strength is not due to one person carrying the load. Great organizations are led by people who surround themselves with the right team members who share a vision and contribute their talents to drive toward that common goal. Leaders focused on growth must make the effort to not just build but develop their teams to hit those targets.

By 1903, Henry Ford had already chalked up two failed attempts to establish a company that manufactured practical, affordable automobiles for American families. In 1899, his first venture, the Detroit Automobile Company, foundered when Ford’s business partners insisted on manufacturing cars of inferior quality with high price points. Sales sputtered, and demand quickly waned. The company folded in 1901. Ford wasted no time in establishing the Henry Ford Company, but once again, his partners did not share his vision and instead were intent on making luxury cars. Ford resigned in disgust when one of them hired a consultant to refine the features of a new, high-priced model; the company was soon reincorporated as the Cadillac Automobile Company.

Everything changed when Ford received the backing of Alex Malcomson, a Detroit business tycoon who had made a fortune in the coal business. Malcomson, a risk taker who saw the potential in Ford’s dream, agreed to form a partnership and put up the cash. On June 16, 1903, the Ford Motor Company was incorporated. From the start, Malcomson and Ford agreed to their respective roles: Ford was head of design and production; Malcomson managed the finances.

The Ford Motor Company established a production facility on Mack Avenue in Detroit and began churning out the Model A. Sales were steady, and production and profits mounted. Soon it became apparent that the Mack Avenue plant was overwhelmed by demand. Ford secured a new factory site on Piquette Avenue and began scaling up production. He soon realized that he needed help to run the expanding operation. Ford assembled a team of associates—each of whom played a key role in catapulting the company to the top tier of automakers. Harold Wills, J.C. Smith, and Harry Love specialized in experimentation and design. Fred Seeman and Charles E. Sorensen directed the pattern-making efforts. Engineers Joseph Galamb and Oscar C. Bornholdt designed tools and developed new models. Frank Bennet and Fred Rockelman ran the motor testing room. On the financial side of the business, Malcomson installed his trusted clerk, James Couzens, to manage cash flow, orders, and billing.

By 1918, half of all cars in America were Model Ts. In the 1920s, one of Ford’s sales managers brought him a new slogan, “Buy a Ford, save the difference.” Ford changed it to read, “Buy a Ford, spend the difference.” In a word, Ford summed up the essence of his dream, to make mobility and consumerism accessible. Over 15 million Model Ts were produced, making it the most sold car in history.

Battlefield Leadership’s American Innovation Program at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, explores Ford’s visionary leadership and the way he did more than any other industrialist to bring about the modern age that became known as “the American century.” See the world that Ford was born into and worked to transform. Learn from his successes as well as his failures and gain an appreciation for building the right team at the right time to bring a vision to fruition.

We will see you on the battlefield.

Through our unique programs, leaders from Fortune 500 companies, government entities and higher education institutions learn how to overcome challenges and transform their organizations, positioning them for future successes. Find out how Battlefield Leadership can help your team by emailing info@battlefieldleadership.com or by calling 864.386.9637. 

Any leader who was brought in to turn around a failing organization remembers the looks on the faces of his/her new team members that first day on the job. Scared of the prospect of layoffs, some poorly concealed their fear; others had thinly veiled anger. A sense of nervous exhaustion permeated the air. For turnaround leaders, those initial team meetings have no margin for error – setting the right tone is critical.

On December 7, 1941, the United States awoke to the news that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. In a matter of minutes, the ships anchored along Battleship Row were smashed and burning; three lay on the harbor floor. Most of the Navy and Army Air Force’s planes were destroyed. Additionally, 2,403 servicemen and civilians were killed, and 1,178 were wounded. The Commander-in-Chief, US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Husband Kimmel, was stunned as he watched the attack unfold from his lawn.

Ten days later, President Franklin Roosevelt selected Rear Admiral Chester Nimitz to replace Kimmel. Nimitz departed for Pearl Harbor immediately. After taking command, his first order of business was summoning his senior staff officers. The men in the conference room were riddled with guilt. Nimitz understood, later remarking, “These were all fine men, but they had just undergone a terrible shock, and it was my first duty to restore morale and salvage these fine officers for future use, and this I proceeded to do.” To them he said, “We’ve taken a whale of a wallop, but I have no doubt of the ultimate outcome.” One of the officers in the meeting later remembered, “In a very few minutes speaking softly, Admiral Nimitz convinced all hands of his ability to lead us out of this.”

Over time, Nimitz built relationships with his senior leaders. He toured the facilities at Pearl Harbor and spoke with the construction workers laboring feverishly to repair extensive damage from the attack. He personally inspected the Yorktown, which had been mauled during the Battle of the Coral Sea and gave the engineers three days to make it seaworthy. Working around the clock, repair crews and logisticians got the critical work done in time for Yorktown to be available for the upcoming Battle of Midway.

As Nimitz worked to both rebuild and transform the Pacific Fleet, he also had to navigate complicated and thorny relationships with his superior, Admiral Ernest J. King, and his fellow theater commander, General Douglas MacArthur, along with a host of Allied leaders — all of whom had ideas about what the winning strategy looked like. His task was to forge horizontal and vertical alignment around his leader’s intent in a complex organization operating in a rapidly changing environment. His success is a testament to Nimitz’s character. His example is a masterclass in transformational leadership.

There is no better way gain inspiration from Nimitz’s leadership than to walk in his footsteps. At Battlefield Leadership’s Pacific War program, you will travel to Nimitz’s birthplace in Fredericksburg, Texas, to what was his grandfather’s hotel, now a part of the National Museum of the Pacific War. You will examine every aspect of his professional development that set the stage for his command of the Pacific Fleet — or you can journey to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to see the Arizona at rest and experience what Nimitz rebuilt in the harrowing days after the attack. Join us and be transformed.

We will see you on the battlefield.

Through our unique programs, leaders from Fortune 500 companies, government entities and higher education institutions learn how to overcome these challenges and transform their organizations, positioning them for future successes. Find out how Battlefield Leadership can help your team by emailing info@battlefieldleadership.com or by calling 864.386.9637. 

Anyone who has managed remote workers since the pandemic began has likely had nagging questions about what their employees are doing all day. Is my team working or watching Netflix? When was the last time I spoke to all of them? Bosses take comfort in seeing their teams together in one workplace; it’s the instantaneous way of ensuring that employees are, in fact, getting the job done. The reality, however, is that the days of watercooler chat and working lunches in conference rooms are waning.

Distance is a hurdle leaders must overcome if they are to succeed. Any boss who believes they can lead through email is doomed to fail. Leaders must make the effort to gather their teams by whatever means possible – through offsites, periodic meetings in the office, or a Zoom call to communicate their intent. Imparting a vision for the way forward with a clear definition of what winning looks like is the cornerstone of any leader’s job description. If there is no intent, the organization will be rudderless. The lack of clear direction will always be felt; it will be sharper if team members are far flung.

The Battles of Saratoga in the fall of 1777 offer a clear example of how not to lead at the strategic level. The Revolutionary War was well into its second year. In London, King George III and his government were irritated, their patience worn razor thin. The king was ready to listen to anyone who offered what sounded like a viable plan. His commander in chief in North America, General Sir William Howe, pledged to take Philadelphia and capture the Continental Congress to force a surrender. Dismissive of Howe’s abilities and eager to gain fame for himself, General John Burgoyne proposed a different plan. He would lead a separate army south from Canada into upper New York to gain control over the Hudson River, linking with Howe’s army headquartered in New York City. With that accomplished, Burgoyne promised to divide and conquer the colonies and force them into submission. The king was persuaded. Burgoyne got his army.

Burgoyne gleefully sailed for Canada assuming the government would instruct Howe to support him and coordinate their efforts. Orders were dispatched, but they lacked clarity, and the time they took to reach Howe meant that Burgoyne would be on his own. Making matters worse, neither George III nor his government ever defined a vision of what victory looked like. Were his generals obliged to wage total war to bring the Americans to their knees, or were they seeking a negotiated settlement? What restraints were there in the war’s conduct?

Burgoyne felt he had free reign to pursue his invasion as he saw fit. It was a disaster. Having received a fraction of the troops and supplies he was promised, he plunged deep into northern New York. He issued proclamations promising pardons to all colonists who joined him. When no one flocked to his banner, he threatened the Americans with violence. As his progress bogged down in the dense forests just north of Saratoga, Burgoyne sent a string of pleas for help to his colleagues in New York City. First, they ignored him. Then, they moved at a snail’s pace in a half-hearted attempt that was in no way helpful. By September 1777, as his soldiers stumbled into a clearing at Freeman’s farm, Burgoyne was incensed that he had only silence to support him. Two battles and several weeks later, he was forced to surrender.

The Battles of Saratoga offer lessons that underscore the need for leaders to communicate clear intent from the top down and to provide their teams with a vision of what the end state looks like. Join us for Battlefield Leadership’s Saratoga program to walk in Burgoyne’s footsteps and understand why these battles were the turning point in the American Revolution. You will never take communication for granted again.

We will see you on the battlefield.

Through our unique programs, leaders from Fortune 500 companies, government entities and higher education institutions learn how to overcome these challenges and transform their organizations, positioning them for future successes. Find out how Battlefield Leadership can help your team by emailing info@battlefieldleadership.com or by calling 864.386.9637. 

As the nation enters the endemic stage of COVID-19, one of the biggest points of contention between workers and leadership teams is the question of permanent work-from-home (WFH). Forbes reported results of a survey that revealed 67 percent of Apple’s employees were unhappy with the company’s new policy requiring a return to the office three days weekly. Fifty-six percent stated they were actively seeking new fully remote jobs at other tech companies. JP Morgan Chase’s CEO, Jamie Dimon, recently bowed to pressure from outraged junior bankers and backtracked on his demand that all employees return to the office, telling shareholders, “It’s clear that working from home will become more permanent in American business.”

The most common complaint from leaders opposed to permanent WFH is that distractions inevitably disrupt the workday: Kids need to be picked up from school, dogs need to be walked, the Amazon delivery just arrived, etc. The best solution is to bring everyone back to the office where home-based distractions are eliminated, and employees can be seen. Some employers, like Goldman Sachs’ CEO, who frequently decries work from home as “an aberration,” are uncompromising in this belief. The reality of the “Great Resignation,” however, means that attracting the best candidates to fill fully onsite roles will remain a challenge. 

If you are wrestling with the challenges of staffing and managing a permanently remote team, you can learn valuable lessons from the way General Dwight Eisenhower and his staff approached preparing for the Normandy invasion wherein the combined Allied naval, land, and air forces would land on the French coast and punch a hole through Hitler’s “Atlantic Wall” to establish a foothold and set the stage for the advance on Germany.

To have any hope of succeeding, the operation code-named “OVERLORD” had to be planned in the utmost secrecy; every possible contingency had to be considered to mitigate the enormous risks. It was a daunting task for Eisenhower, his commanders, and staff who, as recent appointees, were mostly unaccustomed to working together.

Planning began in December 1943. The concept came together quickly. The plan was for three airborne divisions, along with glider troops, to land behind the beaches with naval forces. They were to bombard German defenses to set the conditions for seaborne landings on the beaches dubbed, “Utah,” “Omaha,” “Sword,” “Gold,” and “Juno.” It was a massive undertaking. The naval forces consisted of 5,000 landing and assault craft, 289 escort vessels, and 277 minesweepers participating. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel.

While OVERLORD’s scale is staggering, so too were the preparations. Eisenhower made training a priority. In the months leading up to D-Day, airborne troops made multiple jumps over drop zones all over England where the geography was like Normandy’s. Seaborne troops practiced loading and disembarking from landing craft. Glider pilots practiced their landings. Each soldier, sailor, and airman trained on the fundamentals of his job until he could perform them in his sleep. Once the operational plan was approved, Eisenhower cascaded it all the way down the ranks. Models depicting the invasion area were provided for soldiers to study and commit to memory. Commanders briefed the plan to their men and had them repeat it. Everyone understood they would have to work together without the benefit of constant contact. 

Once the invasion was underway, problems ensued. Pilots under heavy German fire dropped the airborne troops over the wrong drop zones. Paratroopers lost equipment as they exited their planes that were flying at the wrong speed and found themselves alone on the ground. Strong tides pushed some landing craft farther down the beaches. Still, the invasion was ultimately a success. The lesson from OVERLORD is that careful planning, robust training, and clear communication of the plan can enable team members to overcome the challenges of operating away from one another amid a complex, rapidly changing environment.

Battlefield Leadership’s Normandy program will take you to the beaches and drop zones of June 6, 1944. Walk in the footsteps of the US Army Rangers who climbed Point du Hoc, stand at Pegasus Bridge, and explore Brécourt Manor where Major Dick Winters and the soldiers of Easy Company,101st Airborne Division immortalized in Band of Brothers assaulted a German artillery battery. On that hallowed ground, you will not only get a sense of what D-Day was like, but also gain an appreciation of the Herculean leadership that underpinned it.

We will see you on the battlefield.

Through our unique programs, leaders from Fortune 500 companies, government entities and higher education institutions learn how to overcome these challenges and transform their organizations, positioning them for future successes. Find out how Battlefield Leadership can help your team by emailing info@battlefieldleadership.com or by calling 864.386.9637. 

As CEOs and CHROs continue to wrestle with how to entice the right candidates to fill an ever-growing list of vacancies amid the Great Resignation, some startling statistics are circulating. According to the ADP Research Institute, a quarter of American workers quit their jobs in 2021. Recent surveys indicate that only 16 percent of employees feel fully engaged at work, and a mere 15 percent feel resilient at work.

These numbers clearly signal that companies must do something beyond offering beefier salary packages and more perks. Workers want to feel that that they are not just doing a job or climbing a career ladder toward a golden retirement. They require a sense of purpose. This isn’t the first time this has happened.

For three days in July 1863, the American people fixed their eyes on the tiny town of Gettysburg, where the Union Army of the Potomac sought to hurl General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army out of Pennsylvania. The scale of the battle was immense. Tales of heroism from places like Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, and Cemetery Ridge would eventually become part of the collective memory of the Civil War, but as the guns fell silent and the smoke cleared, President Lincoln was faced with a growing problem. Although the battle was a Union victory, it did not end the war. Casualty reports and photographs from the battlefields of both Gettysburg and far away Vicksburg, Mississippi, which fell to the Union at the same time, horrified the American people. They had had enough of war. Just days later, the New York City draft riots broke out on July 11, 1863.

Several months later, the Herculean effort to bury the dead at Gettysburg in a new military cemetery was well underway. The cemetery’s planners thought a dedication ceremony was needed to properly commemorate the sacrifice of the fallen. Renowned orator Edward Everett was invited to give the keynote address. At the last moment, one of the committee leaders, David Wills, extended an invitation to President Lincoln to offer “a few appropriate remarks.”

The president was sensitive to the significance of the event and to the fact that Everett’s remarks would likely be lengthy, but he knew he had to use the opportunity to refocus the public on the war’s purpose. As was his custom, Lincoln drafted several versions of his speech, carefully honing the turns of phrase to hit just the right note. Arriving in Gettysburg the day before the ceremony, he asked to be taken to the spot where his friend General Reynolds had been killed in the battle. Lincoln then retired to his room at the Wills’ home and continued his revisions through the night.

Lincoln had been right in anticipating the crowd’s stamina. As Everett concluded his two-hour speech that had included comparisons of the current war to the ancient Battle of Marathon, the people politely applauded but were clearly reaching the end of their patience. Lincoln rose from his seat and began to speak. When he sat back down just two minutes later, the awestruck crowd didn’t even applaud. The speech was so brief, the photographers couldn’t capture a clear image of him delivering it. In 272 words, Lincoln achieved what he set out to do: rally the people to the war’s purpose to give the nation “a new birth of freedom.”

The one thing Lincoln was wrong about was the durability of the speech. He didn’t expect it to be remembered in the long term; he was simply saying what he thought the people needed to hear in that moment. The Gettysburg Address is now commonly lauded as one of the finest speeches ever given in the English language.

If you are striving to infuse a sense of purpose in your team, Battlefield Leadership can help. Our Lincoln Leadership Experience will walk you through the evolution of Lincoln’s extraordinary communications skills throughout his career culminating with the Gettysburg Address. Our Gettysburg Leadership Experience will transport you to the very spot where he spoke those immortal words. Whichever program you choose, you and your team will be transformed.

We will see you on the battlefield.

Through our unique programs, leaders from Fortune 500 companies, government entities and higher education institutions learn how to overcome these challenges and transform their organizations, positioning them for future successes. Find out how Battlefield Leadership can help your team by emailing info@battlefieldleadership.com or by calling 864.386.9637. 

When COVID-19 shut down the world, most Americans thought the pandemic stage would last 10-14 days. College administrators extended spring breaks, K-12 teachers pivoted to remote learning, and office workers packed their laptops. Although stores quickly ran out of toilet paper, cleaning products, and snack foods, many were confident this was a strange yet brief disruption to the normal pattern of life. That was two years ago. Now people are heartily sick of hearing anything about COVID-19.

Two presidents have had their agendas hijacked by this ever-mutating virus. Approval ratings of officials from both parties have taken a beating, and public trust has steadily eroded in the face of a weary electorate that just wants life to go back to the way it was. The media likes to portray these as unprecedented times of deep crises; however, this perspective takes a rather short view of history.

In the summer of 1862, President Abraham Lincoln was inundated by complaints from within his administration and the public. Everyone was frustrated by the string of humiliating defeats the Union armies had suffered. In the East, a series of lackluster commanding generals appointed by Lincoln had made swashbuckling promises of easy victories only to be trounced on the battlefields of Virginia by much smaller Confederate armies. The war that was supposed to be over in less than 90 days had dragged into a second year. Confidence in Lincoln’s leadership was flagging, and in the North, there were growing calls for a negotiated peace with the Confederacy.

The pressure on Lincoln was coming from all sides. Abolitionists were relentlessly pushing for total war to end slavery. Copperheads wanted the Confederacy defeated to reunite the nation. Confederates wanted Lincoln to concede their independence. The only thing everyone could agree on is that they were sick of the war.

Lincoln’s dilemmas were how to end the war and what the post-war country would look like. He had determined it would be impossible without ending slavery. In July 1862, he previewed his draft of the Emancipation Proclamation with Secretary of State William H. Seward and Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles. The proclamation emancipated slaves in the states that were in rebellion as a wartime measure and established the legal framework for all four million slaves as Union armies advanced deeper into the Confederacy. Recognizing that Lincoln’s critics would interpret the proclamation as the Union’s “last shriek of retreat,” Seward convinced him to hold off issuing it until it could be coupled with a Union victory.

The Union’s Army of the Potomac won a narrow victory at the Battle of Antietam that September. It was a disappointing performance by General George McClellan, but he had managed to push Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia out of Maryland. For Lincoln, this was the moment. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and although it was politically divisive, it was an important step in refocusing a war-weary public. In the face of mounting casualties, people were rapidly losing sight of what the war was about. In the midterm elections that followed, Democrats made some gains in their historic strongholds, but results indicated Northern voters endorsed Lincoln’s policies.

Battlefield Leadership offers two opportunities to explore the political and military events surrounding Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Our Antietam Leadership Experience will take you through the decisions made by McClellan, Lee, and their respective teams at the Battle of Antietam. You’ll walk the Corn Field and Bloody Lane and cross Burnside’s Bridge, gaining insight into Lincoln’s timing. Our Lincoln Leadership Experience will take you through the political philosophy and career of the man who came from the humblest of origins and redefined the office of President of the United States. Each of these programs will change the way you think about leadership through crisis and offer you context you’ve likely never considered.

We’ll see you on the battlefield.

Through our unique programs, leaders from Fortune 500 companies, government entities and higher education institutions learn how to overcome these challenges and transform their organizations, positioning them for future successes. Find out how Battlefield Leadership can help your team by emailing info@battlefieldleadership.com or by calling 864.386.9637. 

In the last post in our blog series on the “Great Resignation,” we looked at how General George Washington retained his demoralized soldiers by snapping his losing streak with an improbable surprise attack on the Hessians in Trenton on Christmas Day, 1776. Washington risked everything to deliver a big win that would re-instill his soldiers’ confidence in both themselves and his leadership. In this post, we will explore how another inspirational leader, Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, dealt with a group of soldiers who attempted their own “great resignation” from the Union Army in 1863.

By May 1863, the Civil War had dragged on for over two years—far longer than anyone expected. War weariness had set in, and for the men of the 2nd Maine Regiment, this was compounded by combat experience gained over the course of multiple battles against determined Confederate armies. Now, two years after marching away from their homes near Bangor, Maine, the survivors of the 2nd Maine believed their enlistments were up; however, there was a problem. While some had joined the regiment by signing two-year contracts, the others, amid a muddle of confusion, had signed three-year contracts and were told they had to remain in the Army. Angry and determined to go home, 40 of the men mutinied.

Four days later, the mutineers were marched into the encampment of the unsuspecting Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s 20th Maine Regiment. The guard handed a shocked Chamberlain orders from General George Meade telling him to either make the men serve, or—if they refused—shoot them. Horrified, Chamberlain decided to take a different approach.

After dismissing the guards, Chamberlain learned the men had been poorly treated and had not been fed in three days. He ordered food for them and asked if they had a spokesman who could explain their story. Listening to the man recount the confusion, broken promises, and frustration that framed their experience in the Army, Chamberlain sympathized.

Having grown up in the same part of Maine as the men, Chamberlain knew these weren’t disobedient criminals but good soldiers who felt they were not valued by the Army. Calling them together, Chamberlain looked them in the eyes and told them he was putting them on duty, but he would treat them with the respect they earned as soldiers. Assuring them of their rights, he pledged to do all he could for their claim. Chamberlain then assigned them to vacancies in his existing companies rather than keeping them together. Separating the group had the twin effect of diffusing their collective anger and making each man feel like a valued member of a new team.

Just a few weeks later at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, Chamberlain and the 20th Maine held Little Round Top against fierce Confederate attacks at a pivotal moment. Nearly all the one-time mutineers fought hard. Some distinguished themselves among the best in the regiment.

Chamberlain’s personal approach resonates through the ages, making him one of the most inspirational and relatable leaders of the Civil War. Join us for our Lessons from the Battle of Gettysburg program, and we will take you to Little Round Top. You will walk in the footsteps of the men of the 20th Maine, see the battlefield as they did, and apply Chamberlain’s timeless leadership lessons to your life.

We will see you on the battlefield.

Through our unique programs, leaders from Fortune 500 companies, government entities and higher education institutions learn how to overcome these challenges and transform their organizations, positioning them for future successes. Find out how Battlefield Leadership can help your team by emailing info@battlefieldleadership.com or by calling 864.386.9637. 

The “big quit.” The “Great Resignation.” The “take this job and shove it measure.” Americans are leaving their jobs in droves. More than 20 million people quit in the second half of 2021. To mitigate the effect, hiring managers are using sign-on bonuses, flexible schedules, and a variety of perks to attract candidates. Still, the “help wanted” signs are everywhere.

Why are workers leaving? The data is clear. Exit surveys consistently show that people leave their bosses, not their jobs. Employees want to work for leaders who provide clear direction, recognition, and above all, a reason to stay on the team.

High turnover is one of a leader’s harshest realities. How can you inspire frustrated, overworked employees to stay with you? If you have led an organization hard hit by departures, you know the intense pressure all too well. The work still needs to get done even as your team is dwindling. It feels isolating, particularly during the Covid pandemic; however, you are in good company.

In December 1776, General George Washington, commander in chief of the Continental Army, had racked up a humiliating string of defeats at the hands of the British Army. He lost every battle he fought. He lost New York and New Jersey. He lost the confidence of the Continental Congress and several senior members of his team. Some even said he lost his mind.

Washington and his army had retreated to safety on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River. Each day, he paced up and down the riverbank, debating what he should do. His soldiers’ enlistments were due to expire on December 31. Unless something dramatic were to happen, on January 1, 1777, the Continental Army would cease to exist, and the Revolution would be snuffed out. Washington’s soldiers were tired, sick, dejected, and unpaid. He knew he needed to give them a reason to stay. He also knew he had almost nothing to offer.

Washington was aware that the British and their Hessian troops had settled into winter quarters and were not expecting to fight any battles until spring. His spies informed him that Trenton, New Jersey, was the end of the British line. Trenton held a small contingent of Hessian troops who were isolated from the nearest British post in New Brunswick. The more Washington thought about it, Trenton looked like an opportunity.

Reflecting on his recent losses, Washington realized his strategy had been misguided. To survive, he needed to play to his team’s strengths. His soldiers knew the area, a major advantage over the Hessians marooned in Trenton. The Hessian presence in Trenton was a smaller and much more realistic target than the 25,000-man British army that had thrashed the Continental Army at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights. Washington knew his soldiers lacked the training necessary to fight big battles; they did, however, excel at surprise attacks.

As Christmas neared, Washington hatched a plan. If he could cross the Delaware, lead a surprise attack on Trenton, and defeat the Hessians, he would stand a chance at convincing his soldiers to reenlist. With an achievable goal, he believed he could boost their confidence and regain their trust.

Washington’s choices were stark. If he did nothing, his frustrated soldiers would quit. If the attack failed, the army would be destroyed. The only hope for success rested on risking everything. It was the biggest gamble of his life.

At Battlefield Leadership, our Washington’s Crossing program takes participants through what historians have dubbed the “ten crucial days” that saved the American Revolution. Join us at the McConkey’s Ferry house where Washington met with his staff and walk the battlefield at Princeton as we discuss how Washington averted what was nearly the “great resignation” of 1776. You will learn how he pivoted his strategy, managed executive disagreements, achieved buy-in from his team, mitigated risks, and clearly communicated his “leader’s intent.” This program will teach you to think like Washington, equipping you to meet your company’s challenges head-on.

We will see you on the battlefield.

Through our unique programs, leaders from Fortune 500 companies, government entities and higher education institutions learn how to overcome these challenges and transform their organizations, positioning them for future successes. Find out how Battlefield Leadership can help your team by emailing info@battlefieldleadership.com or by calling 864.386.9637. 

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once said, “The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.” Never has that been truer than during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus rampaged across the world, economies shuttered, travel ceased, work was done from home, and “social distancing” became a perennial practice. Now, two years into the pandemic, much of the world is learning to live with COVID, and people are eagerly anticipating the “return to normal.” But what does “normal” mean?

In 2021, many corporate leaders started talking about what “normal” would be for their companies, and three topics emerged across business magazines and professional forums:

• The “Great Resignation”
• COVID Fatigue
• WFH (work from home) forever?

It’s no wonder that demand for professional development coaching soared over the past two years. In 2019, the International Coaching Federation estimated the market size of the coaching industry at $15 billion. In 2022, it’s projected to hit $20 billion.

If you are searching for a professional development solution, the options are bewildering. Cliché exercises, catchy acronyms spelling out formulas for success, seminars, webinars, executive bootcamps, and a dizzying array of books abound. Thousands of coaches and consultants promise game-changing experiences that will drive better results.

The Battlefield Leadership approach is different. We use history’s lessons to prepare today’s leaders for tomorrow’s challenges. Our programs bring corporate leaders together at historic locations to walk in the footsteps of those who came before us. By leveraging the power of place and taking contemporary leaders through the sequence of historic events, what becomes clear is that leadership attributes don’t change; only time and circumstances do.

If you are struggling with employee retention amid the “Great Resignation,” think about General George Washington having to convince every soldier in the Continental Army to reenlist every six weeks following a string of humiliating losses against the British in 1776. Despite the centuries that separate Washington’s day from ours, his challenge is strikingly familiar—retaining talent during the toughest of times.

If “COVID fatigue” has taken a toll on your team, think about President Abraham Lincoln rallying a war-weary people. By the time Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address in November 1863, the Civil War had dragged on for nearly three years. The public had had enough of war and death, and there was no end in sight. Lincoln’s challenge resonates today—motivating exhausted people to achieve important goals.

If your company shed office space in favor of remote work and you fear the “WFH” movement is impacting team synergy, consider General Dwight Eisenhower and the Allied commanders’ preparation for D-Day. They faced the same challenge you’ve been dealing with over the past two years—how to train, equip, and trust team members to execute a plan.

We at Battlefield Leadership use lessons from history because of the power of hindsight. Examining events from decades, or even centuries ago, allows us to evaluate the full effects of leaders’ decisions over the long term. By contrast, the case studies featured in countless management books and business reviews are often isolated snapshots in time, devoid of the context necessary for a comprehensive assessment.

In the 1990s, Enron was lauded as the example of a company that got it right. Once a darling of Wall Street, Enron collapsed almost overnight in a cloud of scandal. Business analysts fawned over Elizabeth Holmes as she built Theranos up to astonishing heights with big promises to revolutionize healthcare. Convicted of fraud, Holmes now faces the prospect of prison.

At Battlefield Leadership, we teach our clients to view current situations through the lens of history-making, character-based leadership. Join us for our weekly blog series showcasing the most powerful leadership themes from our programs, beginning with leaders who inspire. We believe effective leaders should always be learners, and we invite you to embark on a study of the past that can transform your company’s future.

We will see you on the battlefield.

Through our unique programs, leaders from Fortune 500 companies, government entities and higher education institutions learn how to overcome these challenges and transform their organizations, positioning them for future successes. Find out how Battlefield Leadership can help yours by emailing info@battlefieldleadership.com or by calling 864.386.9637.