On the 155th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, it is worth pausing for a moment to consider Lincoln’s message on that November day. Arguably the greatest speech in world history, there is much we can learn from those 272 words about inspiring a shared vision, creating a culture of change, and tapping into universal values…. Read More

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity to act despite our fears.” – John McCain Senator John McCain was buried in the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery on September 2, 2018. McCain, a six-term senator from Arizona and 2008 Republican presidential nominee, died of brain cancer at the age of 81. Flying from… Read More

In 1955, British racecar driver Stirling Moss took on his biggest challenge to date: the Mille Miglia. A 1,000-mile open road race across Italy, the race heavily favored the Italian drivers who had more knowledge of the course than an outsider could hope to possess. Moss had just signed on for Mercedes racing that season… Read More

On this anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, we are posting a piece from A Transformational Journey from Gettysburg, Steve Wiley’s book on leadership interspersed with history tie-ins from Jared Peatman. One hundred and fifty-five years ago today, the Battle of Gettysburg turned from a potential Confederate victory to stunning defeat due to General James… Read More

I am in the midst of working on a new book about Joshua Chamberlain, the 20th Maine, and the Battle of Gettysburg. As part of my background reading, I am trying to become more knowledgeable about the weapons the men carried and the battlefield tactics they used. The current master on that subject is Earl… Read More

In The Way of the Owl, martial arts expert and naturalist Frank Rivers uses the owl as a model for effective conflict management. The book is full of useful advice, such as: 1. A sharp blade is both safer and more effective than a dull one (6). 2. Security lies in knowledge, benevolence in training… Read More

Today marks the 153rd anniversary of the surrender of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House, effectively beginning the end of the Civil War. It’s a good day to think about leadership lessons from Lee, and a good day to read about the general. Elizabeth Brown Pryor’s Reading the Man is… Read More

One of the main characters in our Transformational Journey from the Alamo is, of course, Davy Crockett. Like so many American heroes, much of what we think we know about Crockett is not based in fact but rather consists of stories created over the years in order to “sell” something. For example, both the Walt… Read More

For Civil War soldiers, the only thing worse than armed combat was the sheer danger and terror of sitting in camp. Of the 750,000 men to die during the war – a recent revision from the traditionally cited number of approximately 620,000 – two-thirds died of disease. That means that 340+ men died of disease… Read More