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Robert E. Lee and Effective Leadership


            Effective leadership involves creating direction in achieving the vision, aligning people through communication, and motivating and inspiring subordinates toward a shared vision. Direction helps in creating strategies that work toward a vision, or desirable future state. Alignment of people is achieved through communication of new directions and building a commitment to subordinating self-interests in order to further the interests of the organization. The ability to motivate and inspire is what makes an exceptional leader. It is evident through General Robert E. Lee's many leadership roles that he possessed the ability to motivate and inspire. Lee led as a businessman, as a warrior, and as an administrator. His actions in many circumstances throughout his life, exemplify some of the mainstream leadership theories of today. His style of leadership had a uniquely effective quality that is rarely observed. The lessons learned and qualities of leadership recognized from Lee's experiences are beneficial for leaders of any organization today (Crocker, 2000). .
             Lee, creating an army from scratch in a hurry, was very much in the position of an entrepreneur starting a business only Lee had to make his business instantly profitable and able to stand immediate assault from an industrial giant. To accomplish this phenomenal task, Lee exhibited three of his hallmarks of effective leadership (Crocker, 2000). Lee knew what he wanted, what an army should be, and he was "quick in decision, yet methodical in all he did (Crocker, 2000) ". This leadership behavior in Lee as the "initiating structure " category. This involves the leaders concern for accomplishing the task. A leader defines and structures roles toward attaining task goals (Yukl, 2010). Lee's contribution to the Confederate effort began at a desk job. Through this job, Lee tested the theory that leadership is not restricted to CEO's. Successful organizations cultivate leadership at every level in the hierarchy.


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