| oy reading biographies. By learning about the lives | | | | With success there is often failure. |
| of leaders I am better able to understand the | | | | The key is to stand up and admit losses. During |
| challenges I face today. History is full of stories | | | | the Civil War, General Lee accepted responsibilities |
| about great leaders. What I have found to be | | | | for losses throughout the fight. Today’s |
| most appealing about leaders that I have studied | | | | leaders, however, like to push failures off on |
| is that they believed in a cause and saw all | | | | other people instead of standing up tall and |
| obstacles as mere inconveniences that would | | | | accepting their responsibility. |
| eventually be overcome. While in the business | | | | Show strength in the battlefield. |
| world these people are today called | | | | In the Civil War, General Lee was outnumbered. |
| CEO’s, in the past, these were the people | | | | That did not cause him instant defeat. Instead he |
| who put their lives on the line for a cause they | | | | was aggressive and cunning and was able to |
| believed in. Some of the most obvious of these | | | | often win battles against the Union forces. These |
| leaders were the leaders in the American Civil | | | | traits are just as important in today’s |
| War. | | | | business world. To be able to survive the |
| In the past great leaders believed in the cause. | | | | competition between companies is paramount. |
| They did not fight because they had nothing | | | | Be able to adjust when necessary. |
| better to do. As a matter of fact many of the | | | | While generally everything that is done in |
| men who took up arms had families at home, and | | | | today’s business world has a plan, that |
| great jobs bringing in a lot of money, but the | | | | plan may change, and you need to be able to |
| cause was more important than anything else. | | | | change with it. The same thing happened in the |
| They walked away from everything because the | | | | Civil War. Sure they had battle plans, but when |
| reason was good enough; it was worth laying | | | | the enemy did something unexpected, it was |
| their life down for. While you may not need to | | | | important that the leaders quickly adjusted their |
| put your life on the line for your job, you do need | | | | tactics to regain the advantage in battle. You |
| this kind of dedication in order to be a great | | | | must be able to do the same thing in business. |
| leader. | | | | See a problem coming at you across the field and |
| The leaders stood in front of the fire. Instead of | | | | quickly alter your strategies to be able to handle |
| standing at the back of formations and sending | | | | what is approaching. |
| the soldiers out to fight, American Civil War | | | | Taking a few cues from the leaders in the |
| leaders were the ones who went out in front of | | | | American Civil War will be a boon to anyone who |
| the soldiers. They were often the first one to | | | | wants to become a better leader. They had all |
| take a bullet. Today things are different, when | | | | the skills necessary, taking responsibility, |
| something goes wrong, usually someone further | | | | aggressiveness, improvisation, vision and honesty. |
| down the line loses their job when the leader | | | | While these are not always the easiest traits to |
| blames them for the problem. | | | | show they are the signs of a great leader. |