Leading With Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton [Hardcover]

Lee Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 14, 2012

Make Every Step Count on Your Leadership Journey

How did American Military leaders in the brutal POW camps of North Vietnam inspire their followers for six, seven, or eight years to remain committed to the mission, resist a cruel enemy, and return home with honor? What leadership principles engendered such extreme devotion, perseverance, and teamwork?

In this powerful and practical book, Lee Ellis, a former Air Force pilot, candidly talks about his five and a half years of captivity and the fourteen key leadership principles behind this amazing story. As a successful executive coach and corporate consultant, he helps leaders of Fortune 500 companies, healthcare executives, small business owners, and entrepreneurs utilize these same pressure-tested principles to increase their personal and organizational success.

In Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, you will learn: courageous lessons from POW leaders facing torture in the crucible of captivity, how successful teams are applying these same lessons and principles, and how to implement these lessons using the Coaching sessions provided in each chapter.

In the book's Foreword, Senator John McCain states, ''In Leading with Honor, Lee draws from the POW experience, including some of his own personal story, to illustrate the crucial impact of leadership on the success of any organization. He highlights lessons and principles that can be applied to every leadership situation.''

This book is ideal for individual or group study as a personal development, coaching, human resource development, or executive training resource.

Editorial Reviews

Review

''In Leading with Honor, Lee Ellis shows us that the principles of leadership he experienced during some of the most difficult situations as a POW are applicable to leaders everywhere. Lee s candid narrative is compelling, giving us an appreciation for the importance of leading with honor and courage, even in the face of the most difficult adversity.'' --Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, Author of Obstacles Welcome: Turn Adversity into Advantage in Business and Life

''In Leading with Honor, Lee uses gripping stories from the POW camps to engage the reader and teach invaluable principles of leadership. I highly recommend this book for developing leaders at all levels in any organization, military of civilian.'' --William R. Looney III, General USAF (Ret)

''In the crowded world of books on leadership, Lee Ellis's unique contribution, Leading with Honor, rises well above the standard fare on this topic. His book is so authentic in that he has personally experienced most of the lessons he promotes. In short, he's ''been there, done that'' in terms of ''knowing himself'' and ''knowing others.'' The book strongly provides keen insights on the subject and he persuasively integrates leadership with such vital values concepts such as conscience, trust, principles and honor -- topics too often lost today. This book far exceeds anything I've seen and it's story telling style woven into strong, practical wisdom makes it hard to put down. I enthusiastically commend Leading with Honor to leaders seeking to synchronize their personal styles with the challenges of managing diverse people and tasks.'' --Archie B. Carroll, Director, Nonprofit Management & Community Service Program and Professor of Management Emeritus, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia

Rarely can a leadership book--usually stark and cold in tone, written with business school savvy--be called moving, but former Air Force pilot and leadership consultant Ellis culls lessons from his experiences as a POW in the infamous Hoa Loa Prison (the ''Hanoi Hilton'') in North Vietnam and juxtaposes them with suggested strategies. Two books in one, Ellis shares his recollections from this harrowing time, and at the end of each chapter, presents the lessons he's learned --often extensive, but never trite. Detailed descriptions of the personalities that make and destroy leaders (including fellow POW John McCain), as well as the physical and emotional torture he endured, give the book much added depth and show leadership as a quality of character. Though many of the leadership lessons are interpersonal, dominant among them is the idea of self-reflection. As Ellis writes: ''Authentic leaders consistently live in harmony with their values, even when no one is looking. Their walk matches their talk.'' Much more than a leadership text, Ellis offers an inspiring story that will engage readers. --Publishers Weekly

''In the crowded world of books on leadership, Lee Ellis's unique contribution, Leading with Honor, rises well above the standard fare on this topic. His book is so authentic in that he has personally experienced most of the lessons he promotes. In short, he's ''been there, done that'' in terms of ''knowing himself'' and ''knowing others.'' The book strongly provides keen insights on the subject and he persuasively integrates leadership with such vital values concepts such as conscience, trust, principles and honor -- topics too often lost today. This book far exceeds anything I've seen and it's story telling style woven into strong, practical wisdom makes it hard to put down. I enthusiastically commend Leading with Honor to leaders seeking to synchronize their personal styles with the challenges of managing diverse people and tasks.'' --Archie B. Carroll, Director, Nonprofit Management & Community Service Program and Professor of Management Emeritus, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia

About the Author

Lee Ellis is founder and President of Leadership Freedom LLC. He is a leadership consultant and keynote speaker in the areas of teambuilding, executive development, and assessment. Early in his career, Lee served as an Air Force fighter pilot flying fifty-three combat missions over North Vietnam. In 1967, he was shot down and held as a POW for more than five years in Hanoi and surrounding camps. After the war, he commanded a flying squadron and leadership development organizations before retiring as a colonel. Lee's military decorations include two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with Valor device, the Purple Heart, and the POW medal.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Freedom Star Media (May 14, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0983879303
• ISBN-13: 978-0983879305
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #718,596 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lee Ellis is founder and President of Leadership Freedom LLC and FreedomStar Media. He is a leadership consultant and keynote speaker in the areas of teambuilding, executive development, and assessment.

Early in his career, Lee served as an Air Force fighter pilot flying fifty-three combat missions over North Vietnam. In 1967, he was shot down and held as a POW for more than five years in Hanoi and surrounding camps. After the war, he commanded a flying squadron and leadership development organizations before retiring as a colonel. Lee's military decorations include two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with Valor device, the Purple Heart, and the POW medal.

Lee has a BA in History and a MS in Counseling and Human Development. He has authored or co-authored four books on leadership and career development.

Lee and his wife Mary reside in Cumming GA, and have four grown children and six grandchildren.