The following was published by Steve Wiley and Jared Peatman in the Fall 2012 edition of Leadership Excellence. It is reprinted here for your convenience. Experiential education has been a part of American training and development since the 1610s. Fully three-quarters of the settlers who came to Virginia in the 17th century were indentured servants who… Read More
The Alamo as… Risk Management?
One hundred and eighty-three years ago men in San Antonio, some inside the walls of the Alamo and some outside, closed their eyes for the last time. The following morning the Mexican Army launched an attack that ended the 13-day siege, wiping out all 200 combatant defenders and nearly 600 of the attackers. Many stories… Read More
Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln
Two hundred and ten years ago today Abraham Lincoln was born in a modest home in rural Hardin County, Kentucky – yes, the same place where the television show Justified is set. Lincoln often seems chronologically distinct from the Founding Fathers, but he was born just 21 years after the ratification of the Constitution and… Read More
Santa Was Born in 1863… Really!
Did you know that our image of Santa Claus was created during the Civil War? By Christmas 1862, many of the Union’s soldiers had been away from home for over 18 months – months that had brought few victories to their cause – and the nation was growing discontent. Just two weeks earlier, the Battle… Read More
Communication Tips from Lincoln
On the 155th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, it is worth pausing for a moment to consider Lincoln’s message on that November day. Arguably the greatest speech in world history, there is much we can learn from those 272 words about inspiring a shared vision, creating a culture of change, and tapping into universal values…. Read More
Courage… from the Civil War to John McCain
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity to act despite our fears.” – John McCain Senator John McCain was buried in the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery on September 2, 2018. McCain, a six-term senator from Arizona and 2008 Republican presidential nominee, died of brain cancer at the age of 81. Flying from… Read More
Stirling Moss and the 1955 Mille Miglia: Lessons in Communication
In 1955, British racecar driver Stirling Moss took on his biggest challenge to date: the Mille Miglia. A 1,000-mile open road race across Italy, the race heavily favored the Italian drivers who had more knowledge of the course than an outsider could hope to possess. Moss had just signed on for Mercedes racing that season… Read More
Pickett’s Charge: A Broken Negotiation
On this anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, we are posting a piece from A Transformational Journey from Gettysburg, Steve Wiley’s book on leadership interspersed with history tie-ins from Jared Peatman. One hundred and fifty-five years ago today, the Battle of Gettysburg turned from a potential Confederate victory to stunning defeat due to General James… Read More
Leadership Insights from The Rifle Musket (Really!)
I am in the midst of working on a new book about Joshua Chamberlain, the 20th Maine, and the Battle of Gettysburg. As part of my background reading, I am trying to become more knowledgeable about the weapons the men carried and the battlefield tactics they used. The current master on that subject is Earl… Read More
Was “Grit” the Key to Abraham Lincoln’s Success?
Every few years a new leadership or performance theory emerges that gets everyone talking. Angela Duckworth’s work on “grit” is just such a theory. Duckworth boils her theory down into one very simple statement: “When you consider individuals in identical circumstances, what each achieves depends on just two things, talent and effort” (42). She continues,… Read More
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