By Bil Holton (summary by Jeffrey Bush)
- Throughout the war, General Lee was extremely self-denying in the matter of food.
He refused to enjoy a full course meal when his army was half-starved. — Douglas
Southall Freeman - Truly involved leaders make themselves accessible instead of distancing themselves
from the “troops” by taking up residence in ivory towers. - Apologies are the heart’s way of reminding the ego that everyone has value, that
someone else besides you is important. - The absence of legitimate support, particularly from top management, kills as many
companies as a musketball through the heart. - You cannot define best practices out of context. Of course, there are some best
practices that work every time: truth, honesty, integrity, wisdom, sensitivity, prayer,
encourage. - Today, more than ever, leaders must rise above the inertia of inaction.
- Lee emerges as the whole person because his prewar, war and postwar career are
totally free of contradictions: he acted like the same man under all circumstances.
Clifford Dowdey - Many people are seen as leaders because of circumstantial evidence. The evidence
referred to is: how the leader reacted to the situation, whether he/she met with
success or failure, how direct reports felt about the experience, if mistakes were
learned from, how decisions were made, whether responsibilities and
accountabilities were owned and acted upon with integrity, skill, etc. - The great leader adapts to circumstances without complaint.
- Leaders, as coaches, will want to develop four general, coaching competencies:
impassioned motivator, sensitive counselor, enthusiastic sponsor, and dedicated
educator. - To be effective, to be effective at all, those who assume the mantle of leadership
must cultivate character. It is character that shines as a commanding presence. It is
character that inspires those who follow to outperform themselves. It is character
that makes one “awesome and complete.” It is uncompromised character that
removes one from “common clay.” - One of the survival skills for managers who want to remain productive and
responsive to performance improvement challenges is the ability to effectively
manage civilized disagreement. - Since confrontation is natural, leaders must know how to minimize or eliminate
dysfunctional in-fighting and seek constructive outcomes and lasting peace. - As those who are asked to lead people and manage systems through these
turbulent, chaotic times, you must be courageous “amid darkness and storm.” - As leaders who navigate organizations through stormy business landscapes, refuse
to be intimidated by naysayers. Successful leaders lay firm foundation with the bricks and blocks that are tossed unjustly in their direction. In most cases, criticisms - arise out of “pinched” egos.
- So expect the heat, inspect the heat, and then listen to the critics with a grain – no, a
particulate – of salt. - Any leader who knows anything about leading people, from battlefield to boardroom,
knows this: There’s absolutely no substitute for an honest, unshakable belief in the
performance power of discipline. - Data, logic, derailment assessment, and statistical analysis do not – and cannot –
speak the same language as empathy. - Lee’s endurance was phenomenal. His incredible endurance was fueled by his sense
of duty and responsibility. - An excuse is the line of least persistence. Indecision, followed by excuses, is nothing
but alibi leadership. High-performance teams do not – would not even conceive of –
including excuses as an element in the productivity process. - An excuse looks for alibis; responsibility seeks results.
- We must expect reverses, even defeats. They are sent to teach us wisdom and
prudence, to call for greater energies, and to prevent our falling into greater
disasters. — A.L. Long - Managers and leaders who give their totality to work at the expense of relationships,
particularly family ties, are paying too high a price. - Good leaders find the fault but share the blame.
- Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expedience asks, is it politically correct?
Egotism asks, would it be the popular thing to do? But integrity asks, is it the right
thing to do? - Lee’s extraordinary ability to lead is legendary. Your leadership worth, your human
worth, will be measured by your character, your attitudes, your contributions, not by
time on the job. The ultimate testimony to your worth will not be what you have
gotten out of your career, but what you have brought to it. - One of the greatest, if not the greatest compliment, any leader can receive is the
acknowledgment of having manifested absolute and equivocal grace under fire. - Advice seems believable from one who stays composed and graceful under trying
circumstances. - Any leader can spout the latest management theories, chant the hottest techno-
babble, proclaimed the best budget, tight wire strategies, applaud the latest acquisitions, invest in the newest quick-fixes, and concoct sizzling market - projections. Only the rare leader sees the human element as the organizations, most
- valuable asset, believes it, and shows it.
- As a leader, if your foundation becomes shaky, it’s because your integrity is out of
balance. Lee refused to deviate, even an inch, from the street line of integrity.
Leaders must move beyond the illusion of integrity’s insignificance. All the great
ones, military or civilian, use it unfailingly as a guiding principle. Honor is the throne
of integrity. Sacrifice is the altar of honor. - Heart power is the strength of any organization.
- Perfection is polished imperfection.
- A leaders day-to-day behavior sends messages that either support or suffocate
spirited performance. - Most leaders take responsibility, but the best leaders have response–ability.
- Fundamentally, leadership competence is a function of role competence.
- Because the moment of absolute certainty never arrives, tenacity usually takes you
beyond the point where most people quit. Tenacity is the inner voice that whispers:
it’s always too soon to quit. - Heed the voices of wisdom of those who have gone before you. No leader is born
wise.