Immersive leadership experiences at iconic battlefields. We immerse leaders in transformational programs at historic sites like Gettysburg, Normandy, and Pearl Harbor. In these crucibles of the past, you’ll learn to thrive in rapidly changing, high-pressure environments and build the resilience, judgment, and confidence to lead.
Born from a deep appreciation of the lessons embedded in pivotal moments of history, the Lincoln Leadership Institute was founded to unlock the transformative power of those lessons for today’s leaders.
Our mission is clear: we equip leaders to perform and produce in rapidly changing, stressful environments, using timeless battlefield principles to drive real results for modern organizations, including tangible improvements to team performance and your bottom line.
As pioneers of experiential leadership development, we take you out of the boardroom and into the field. Literally. Our methodology brings you to the very sites where history was made, from the fields of Gettysburg to the beaches of Normandy, and connects past events to present-day leadership challenges.
And the people who guide you there aren’t classroom trainers. They’re the commanders, scholars, and battlefield guides who know what these decisions cost — and who ask you the questions you’ll still be answering when you get home.
By learning through immersive experience rather than lectures, you gain unforgettable insights into courage, strategy, and character. You’ll walk away not only inspired, but also armed with practical tools and perspectives to lead your organization more effectively (and ethically) in the face of adversity. It’s leadership training grounded in history and tailored for your future.
“When I first walked the fields of Gettysburg, I realized the greatest leadership lessons aren’t only in history books. They’re embedded in the very ground where courage, character, and decisive action changed the course of nations. That revelation sparked a mission: to transform how leaders are developed by immersing them in the crucibles where leadership was tested under ultimate pressure.”
“Today’s leaders face rapidly changing markets, complex global dynamics, and the need to inspire teams in uncertain times. The principles that guided Lincoln, drove commanders at D-Day, and sustained leaders through our nation’s most defining moments are not relics of the past. They are timeless truths that, when understood and applied, create transformational results in modern organizations.”
“At Lincoln Leadership Institute, we don’t just teach theory. We forge leaders of character through experiences that challenge, inspire, and fundamentally change how you see yourself and your capacity to lead. When you walk in the footsteps of history’s greatest leaders, you discover you’re capable of far more than you ever imagined.”
— Steve Wiley, Founder
Our approach isn’t a classroom moved outdoors — it’s the people who walk the field with you. They aren’t trainers who learned leadership from a textbook. They’re the ones who lived it: special-operations commanders who led under fire, a Lincoln scholar, an entrepreneur, a physician who once made life-and-death calls in an operating room, and licensed guides who know this ground by heart. Each of them sees the same moment of command differently, and each one asks you something a lecture never could. That mix — not any single voice — is what you can’t find anywhere else.
Learn from seasoned facilitators: historians, licensed battlefield guides, military veterans, and former executives who bring history’s lessons to life for modern application. They will challenge and inspire you, translating historic insight into strategies you can use in your organization.
Licensed Battlefield Guide
Retired Federal Executive and educator with degrees from Salem College and Penn State, bringing extensive government and educational experience.
Director of Curriculum
Jared Peatman is a historian and educator who provides leadership development events through a wide range of historic sites or metaphors.
Author, Entrepreneur, Historian, Speaker
Ph.D. in History of the American West, bringing historical perspective to modern leadership challenges.
“The most powerful performance training available.”
- USA TODAY
Experience the leadership journey of a lifetime on hallowed ground, or let us bring the experience to you. Join an upcoming open-enrollment program, or contact us to design a leadership initiative around your organization’s needs.