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Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Character, Courage, and Vision

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This book is not a biography of Robert E. Lee, nor is it a history of the Civil War, although the reader will learn plenty about both. This book is a case study of the character of Robert E. Lee. In exploring his character, it becomes clear why he was such a great and beloved leader.

Lee was, first and foremost, a Christian. He understood human imperfections and made allowances for them, and he was genuinely concerned for the well-being of everyone - even the enemies against whom he fought. Lee also believed in rewarding and promoting those who did their work well. Knowing all of this is key to understanding his leadership.

Crocker also illuminates two mysteries about Lee, that, perhaps, have become clouded with the passage of years. The first is the fact that he fought against U.S.A. Crocker explains that Lee opposed secession, but opposed even more the idea of forcing the Southern states to remain in the Union at gunpoint. He considered himself a Virginian first and foremost, and when push came to shove, he could not take up arms against the Old Dominion state, where so many of his relatives and friends lived. At no time was Lee enthusiastic about the war; even in fighting, he sought to bring the war quickly to an end. Lee refused to permit his men to steal from or to harm any civilians, even in Union territory, and even though some Union soldiers had no such qualms about Confederate civilians.

The second mystery is his relationship with slavery. Lee opposed slavery and saw it as a moral evil. Even so, he wanted to abolish slavery gradually, because he was concerned that the former slaves should have the means to provide for themselves before they were set free. In this, he opposed the abolition movement, but he was no defender of slavery.

The description of Lee's surrender to U.S. Grant is particularly touching. This is due in part to Lee's concern for the well-being of the people of the South (and this was his ultimate reason for surrendering) and in part to the picture it paints of two honorable generals agreeing to terms of surrender like gentlemen. Even Grant was impressed with Lee's personal dignity, although not with the cause for which he fought.

Crocker highlights the virtuous aspects of Lee's character and shows them at work. The virtues, then, become something to be lived out, not something abstract. He ends each chapter with a summary of character norms that made Lee the great man that he was.

It was most helpful of Crocker to include a bibliography at the end, because the reader of this book is very likely to want to read more about General Lee.

Crocker's easy writing style made this book a breeze to read, yet it was full of the information necessary to get his point across completely. Lee was a model leader, and a model gentleman, and the two are related. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the secret to getting ahead while staying true to your principles.

The strength of this book are the leadership lessons that transcend their historical context. Lee's personal and professional challenges are succinctly illustrated through Crocker's insight and intellect. Today's leaders will benefit from this work as well as be challenged by the ethics and morality of Lee's life. Regardless of your views on the Civil War or comprehensive knowledge of it, you will enjoy and be educated by the thought provoking decisions Lee made and how he made them.

Not at all a Marble Man, Robert E. Lee was a true leader. This book does him justice and puts his leadership skills and abilities into a modern context useful for anyone in a leadership role. It's much more a character study than a business book. The author clearly is a great fan of the great man.

Business lessons are nicely extrapolated from both true historical events and how Lee handled adversaries in blue, adversaries on his staff, and adverse events in the field. Lee's brilliance at taking risks and making the most out of less is strongly shown-- especially in The Seven Days Battles and during Chancellorsville-- his finest hour.

The author is particularly harsh on General Longstreet at Gettysburg, suggesting most strongly that Longstreet was insubordinate, disobedient to orders, and undermined Lee's strategies during that cataclysmic struggle. This is a very readable and approachable introduction to Lee for the modern reader and a pleasant review for students of the Civil War who don't mind Lee's lessons put into a more modern frame.

While Lee is the great spirit of the "Lost Cause", his greatness or lack of it is not due to his victories or defeats, but rather on the very elegant and superb quality of his character. War often brings lesser men to the forefront of history and thrusts gargantuan tasks and responsibilities upon them. But it also gives superb men their moments-- often at great cost to themselves and others. Without Lee, one could make the argument that the Confederate cause would have failed long before it actually did.

The idea that "the man and the hour have met", popular during the inauguration of Jefferson Davis, is far more appropriate for Lee and his elevation to command of the Army of Northern Virginia. Lee is certainly one of the great Americans with a character and demeanor from which we can still learn valuable lessons today. Ever the gentleman and man of kindness and forgiveness, Lee would turn a silent gaze on the failure of Stuart at Gettysburg and even forgive Longstreet. One might say that these were mistakes on Lee's part, but he had to work with what he had available to him and there were few commanders in Lee's opinion who could replace either man. Even those few independent thinkers such as Stonewall Jackson-- who could be trusted with independent action and great responsibility while fulfilling the wishes of the commander-- could fail as did Stonewall during the Seven Days fighting around Richmond. But Lee would give them other chances and they would do their utmost to regain the trust and respect of their Marse Robert. This is an excellent book and quite a treat, too!

This selection is not a typical "how-to" or recipe for leadership success. The focus on Robert E. Lee's character offers tremendous insight and encouragement for one's own leadership aspirations. I would recommend this book to anyone, regardless of your interest in the Civil War.

An absolutely fascinating treatment of perhaps the greatest American of the 19th Century. An understated evaluation of the personal qualities that made General Lee the dominant figure of the Civil War era. Having read a number of how-to-do-it books on management over many years, I rate this as the most practical and interesting of all. I did major in history, so my perspective is not that of an MBA whizzkid. This book has substance.

~Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Character, Courage and Vision~ is in the words of former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, "A splendid and inspiring book." The author H.W. Crocker III sketches an extraordinary little book profiling the extraordinary character and courage of the South's esteemed General Robert E. Lee. This timely piece chronicles the man Robert E. Lee, his spiritual convictions and extraordinary character forged amidst great hardship. The Lee family may have had aristocratic roots, but Lee embraced the esteem of the family name with humbleness instead of pomp and splendor. The great Confederate general is renowned by southroners, Union sympathizers, and Europeans alike. The esteemed Lord Acton sought dialogue with Lee after the war. President Theodore Roosevelt said affectionately that Lee was "the very greatest of all the great captains that the English-speaking peoples have brought forth." British Prime Minister Winston Churchill observed, "His noble presence and gentle, kindly manner were sustained by religious faith and an exalted character."

Lee was an astute student, and excelled at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He served with honor as scout and engineer in the U.S.-Mexican War making a reputation for himself. He developed a little business acumen trying to manage his plantation at Arlington. Lee was great because he was unassuming and was a gentleman of Christian piety. He learned from his mistakes-and yes he made mistakes. Lee was a brilliant strategist and considering the lowly status of his underdog army, he defied the odds. Lee in humility credited providence for his successes. Lee was also great because he surrounded himself by great men, as Crocker highlights in the chapter entitled Lee's Lieutenants. Both Stonewall Jackson and cavalry leader Jeb Stuart were bold, daring, and ultimately gave their life to the cause they fought alongside General Lee for.

Just as his father General Lighthorse Harry Lee before him, Lee pledged his life and sacred fortune for the cause of his country. As a patriot, Lee simply could not conceptualize a patriotism that didn't put God and Family first. In 1861, as Lee was summoned by the Lincoln administration with a prestigious offer to command a Union Army, his conscience dictated his forthright refusal of such an offer. To trample on home and hearth in the name of an abstraction like the "Union" was beyond Lee's comprehension. He refused to lead an army to invade the southron states. The Union after all was formed for the security of the several States and the people therein, not to wage war on her people. The proposition established in the 1776 Declaration of Independence, which posited "rule by consent of the governed" plainly goes against the idea of tethering the Union back together by force. With the eventual secession of his home state and its accession to the Confederate States, Lee led his sword in defense of his beloved Commonwealth of Virginia. The cost borne by Lee to stand by the courage of his convictions was enormous. Being a northern Virginian he soon lost his much-loved estate straddling the Potomac yet he boldly named his army, the Army of Northern Virginia because that was the ground he defiantly intended to hold. Always daring, Lee would eventually take war to the north in Pennsylvania.

Commendation is to be given to H.W. Crocker Jr. for profiling the late Robert Edward Lee and garnering lessons on leadership from this extraordinary leader. The great value of the text is it's readibility and Crocker possesses a unique dynamism as a storyteller which adds lustre to it. Lee was neither a politician nor a statesman, but he is an admirable exemplar of what true leadership is. In sum, there are a great deal of life lessons to be learned from the wily Grey Fox.

"...a union that can only be maintained by swords and bayonets and in which strife and civil war are to take the place of brotherly love and kindness has no charm for me. I shall mourn for my country and for the welfare of mankind. If the union is dissolved and the government disrupted, I shall return to my native state and share the miseries of my people, and save in defence, will draw my sword on none." -Robert E. Lee

I came across this book while perusing the bookstore, and I was greatly impressed. This book doesn't promise to be the definitive biography of General Lee. After all, historians have written multi-volume works on Lee to understand this enigmatic figure of History. But Mr. Crocker has done a fine job of introducing Lee in terms of leadership decisions. The examples used in the book demonstrate leadership from Lee's life, both on and off the battlefield. I find this approach a useful guide, as opposed to theories of leadership. Lee's actions speak for him, and Crocker notes them accordingly.

Robert E. Lee was indeed "one of the noblest Americans who ever lived..." and is a model of integrity for all who aspire to lead. This book is historically accurate, well written, and required reading for my Introduction to Management students. Like William Danforth's, short but simple, I Dare You, Crocker's book is an inspiration for aspiring leaders. If all students (and executives) studied Robert E. Lee, we just might foster a renewed emphasis upon civility, integrity, and the kind of corporate responsibility invisioned by Chester Barnard. If we allow the politically correct crowd to render obscure the likes of General Lee, Thomas Jackson, and Jefferson Davis et.al., our future as a free republic will be bleak indeed. Give this book to everyone you know who loves America, values civilized society, and desires to lead others.

Crocker has done a brilliant job of identifying and then analyzing various "executive lessons in character, courage, and vision" from Lee's career. He organizes his material within 11 chapters which range from "Understanding Lee" to "The Marble Man." One of the most interesting sections in the book is the Appendix in which Crocker discusses Lee's "lieutenants": Stonewall Jackson, A.P. Hill, Jeb Stuart, and James Longstreet. I also appreciate the "Select, Critical Bibliography" which suggests other sources for those who wish to increase and extend their understanding not only of Lee but of the much larger historical context within which he lived and, yes, struggled. This is not a biography of Lee. Rather, it offers a sharply focused analysis of a military strategist whose human strengths and weaknesses were revealed throughout the Civil War. Crocker observes that "One should never underestimate what the War Between the States cost Robert E. Lee." The book highlights Lee's principles (which were never compromised) while providing numerous examples of the leadership he provided to his troops. For me, amidst everything that can be said of Lee, what impresses me most is his dignity...especially when Lee's personal "cost" to which Crocker refers was greatest. Throughout most of one of history's bloodiest wars, Lee's principal adversary was Ulysses S. Grant. After the war, Lee became president of Washington College. Consider this especially revealing response by Lee to a professor: "Sir, if you ever presume to speak disrespectfully of General Grant in my presence, either you or I will sever his connection with this university." Adversaries, yes, but Grant and Lee had great respect for each other's qualities of character as well as military skills. I leave it to each reader to select from among the various "lessons" provided those which are most relevant to the reader's own needs and interests. Once having read this book, we are better able to understand Douglas Southall Freeman's comment after he completed his four-volume biography: "I have been fully repaid by being privileged to live, as it were, for more than a decade in the company of a great gentleman."