Five Business Lessons From The Greatest Battle Ever Fought On American Soil.

The Battle of Gettysburg, the most written-about battle in American military history, offers useful lessons to 21st century business leaders.

Gettysburg, PA (March 2009) — Studying history means contemplating how the past can prepare us for the future. Historian and speaker Ed Ruggero uses the battle of Gettysburg to teach leadership lessons to business executives. By studying history, we learn a great deal about human behavior, and that in turn helps us influence others, which is the essence of leadership.

"Many people associate history with the memorization of dates and names, with long-gone events that have no bearing on us. In fact, history—military history in particular, offers us a glimpse of how human beings act under pressure, how they make decisions within tight time constraints, with imperfect information and when the stakes are high. When it’s handled well, history offers us a priceless trove of information that we can use to make smart decisions today."

The Gettysburg Leadership Experience features on-the-ground study of the leadership challenges facing commanders in the largest battle ever fought in North America. Here are a few of the key lessons.

Five Leadership Lessons from The Battle of Gettysburg

1. THE HISTORY LESSON: McPherson’s Woods. Union Calvary Commander John Buford spotted Lee’s army advancing on the crossroads town. He had no instructions to proceed, but he was a professional soldier and knew that inaction was not an option. His instant analysis concluded that the high ground north of Gettysburg would make a good defensive position. He knew that if his outnumbered soldiers could hold off the enemy, then the closest Union infantry might win the footrace to those hills where they could dig-in and be ready for the attack.
   
   THE BUSINESS LESSON: Be Decisive. Life Rewards Aggressive Action. "Buford teaches us the essential need for decisiveness in business," says Ruggero. "In the absence of specific instructions from his superiors, he had to take charge of the situation. With its tight deadlines, incomplete information and rapidly changing scenarios, today’s business world resembles a battlefield in many ways, and it calls for the same sort of decision-making confidence. Lives may not be at stake but livelihoods certainly are. One of the key questions I put to participants at this spot is, ‘Is your organization developing its own John Bufords?’ That leads to some fascinating discussions about different philosophies around leader development. It’s critical that executive teams wrestle with these questions and figure out how they’re going to create the leaders they need."
   
   
2. THE HISTORY LESSON: Seminary Ridge. Two of Robert E. Lee’s principal subordinates were newly promoted and had not commanded very large units before the battle. Generals Richard Ewell and A.P. Hill found themselves each leading over twenty thousand men on a risky invasion. Lee was known for giving the leaders beneath him wide latitude, but hindsight indicates that this was not always a wise choice. Ewell and Hill disappointed Lee in a variety of ways with their decisions and actions.
   
   THE BUSINESS LESSON: Too Much Trust Can Be as Bad as Too Little. "Leaders area always told that they must trust their subordinates," points out Ruggero. "To exert too much control over them is to risk the dreaded title of ‘micromanager.’ Yet it’s all too easy to assume that a subordinate is ready for the next level of responsibility when in reality he or she is not. Senior leaders must strike a delicate balance between trusting their subordinates and giving specific instructions."
   
   
3. THE HISTORY LESSON: Little Round Top. In 1862 Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a professor of theology and rhetoric at Bowdoin College in Maine, a lifelong academic with no military training. On July 2, 1863, this citizen-soldier was in command of the 20th Maine, a regiment of infantry at the extreme left flank of the Union Army. His orders were to hold the position at all costs. If Chamberlain’s men failed, the Confederates could turn the Union flank and knock the entire Federal army loose from its position. After an entire afternoon of fighting, his soldiers were low on ammunition and their ranks decimated. Chamberlain suspected that the enemy gathering at the bottom of the slope was just as exhausted, but they were about to charge again. He couldn’t go back, and he couldn’t await another assault. So when the Alabama soldiers came up the hill, Chamberlain and his troops charged down. The unexpected maneuver broke the last Confederate attack, saved the position and—quite possibly—the entire battle.
   
   THE BUSINESS LESSON: When There’s No Clear-Cut Solution, Create An Entirely New One. "There was nothing in Chamberlain’s limited experience as a soldier that told him what to do, so he improvised," says Ruggero. "His actions on July 2, 1863 are still used as exemplars of inspired, creative leadership in training today’s Army leaders. They translate well to business, too. Leaders should stay open-minded and rely on their imaginations—and must have the courage to charge ahead in high risk situations."
   
   
4. THE HISTORY LESSON: Pickett’s Charge. On July 3rd, nearly 15,000 Confederate soldiers massed for a frontal assault against Federal troops dug in along Cemetery Ridge, nearly a mile distant. Lee had every reason to believe that his men, who had been victorious in almost every meeting with the Union Army, would prevail, break the spine of the Union position, split the enemy forces and send them running. Lee would then move on to Washington and the war could be over in a week.
   
   Lieutenant General James Longstreet was Lee’s most trusted and experienced subordinate. He counseled Lee against the assault: it was unnecessary, unwise and, as he saw it, doomed to fail. Longstreet argued his case for hours. Lee listened but finally overruled him. Longstreet was right, and Pickett’s charge turned out to be the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.
   
   THE BUSINESS LESSON: Know When to Listen. "One of the hardest things to do is to accept that your convictions may be wrong," says Ruggero. "I think the lesson here is that when a trusted subordinate or partner approaches you with a viewpoint that’s vastly different from your own, you should push aside ego and preconceived notions and carefully consider what he or she is saying. This doesn’t mean you should concede every point—but true leadership means knowing your own limitations and respecting the insights of others."
   
   
5. THE HISTORY LESSON: The Gettysburg Address. In November of 1863, President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery on the Gettysburg battlefield. Considered one of the greatest speeches in American history, it opens with the famous line: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
   
   THE BUSINESS LESSON: Remind Your People What They’re Working Toward. "Lincoln’s speech was brilliant in its simplicity," says Ruggero. "He defined for his audience what the war and its sacrifices were all about. Business leaders need to do the same, especially in difficult times. They must articulate their organization’s goals and give employees hope and direction for the future."

Ruggero says by immersing yourself in pivotal historical events you not only learn from the victories and defeats of the past, you stimulate new ways of thinking about issues like leadership, teamwork and communication.

"The battlefield really is a good metaphor for the business world," he says. "Both places require leaders to make the right calls amid murky, ill-defined conditions, incomplete information and high pressure. They must share a clear and concise vision. They must inspire courage and loyalty in their followers.

"We do ourselves a disservice when we fail to pay attention to history," he adds. "It’s all there just waiting to be unearthed, like a buried treasure. Not only are these lessons compelling, they’re practical, usable and highly relevant. The leaders who visit Gettysburg with us make tremendous discoveries that benefit them and make their companies richer for their efforts."