"Lead Like A General" at Annual Meeting
The Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce held our 58th Annual Meeting on Tuesday at the Mount Vernon Inn. It was an interesting evening with the election of five new Directors to the Chamber's Board of Directors and a presentation by Paul Gilbert, Executive Director of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
The Mount Vernon Inn is such a charming location for any event and I especially like it in the winter when the blazing fireplaces make it seem cozy. Matt Heiss, the general manager, is friendly and accommodating and his staff works hard to make sure every diner has a quality experience. I had the petite salmon filet with roasted vegetables — it was delicious.
The Chamber has a Board of Directors of 20 local businesspeople. They are a great group. They are very invested in their businesses and the community. Each year five Directors complete a three-year term of service and five new Directors are elected by the membership. Some chambers of commerce merely appoint people to serve on the Board, but at the MVLCC the Directors have the approval of the membership to serve.
Elected for terms beginning February 1, 2012 and ending January 31, 2015 were Tony Riolo, Burke & Herbert Bank; Diane Moery, Hollin Meadows Partnership for Science and Math Education; Mike Leone, Cox; Kevin Lewis, LMK Partners; and John Barsa, Individual Member.
Paul Gilbert focused his presentation on his recent book "Lead Like A General." The book has compelling modern research on leadership illustrated by the actions of Civil War generals, with an interesting perspective on local Civil War events.
The chapters include "The Power of Momentum: John Mosby," "The Perfectionist's Dilemma: George McClellan," "Professionalism and Organizational Roles: Charles Stone," and more. The Civil War anecdotes recounted in the book are fascinating and the leadership lessons easy to understand and apply.
Here's the link to Lead Like A General if you are interested in a good leadership book that has a local angle.
Martin Tillett
10:50 am on Saturday, January 28, 2012
Both Stone and McClellan, Union Generals, are essentially discredited with respect to leadership qualities. Are they featured as examples of how not to lead like a General? Mosby, not even a General but a battalion commander known as a partisan raider with an uncanny ability to elude pursuers and disappear seems an odd example for leadership when consumers desire honesty and transparency from business and business leaders. In all fairness, I've not seen or know of the other Civil War Generals researched and cited in the book. Maybe this has some appropriate use being the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, but with partisan politics dividing elected officials thus creating one sided legislative agendas, I am uncertain as to whether Civil War leadership or lack thereof is an appropriate source for inspiration. Enlighten me as to the real value of leadership in bloody military campaigns and leadership in businesses serving in communities still reeling from an economic recession.
Paul Gilbert
6:14 pm on Friday, February 3, 2012
Mr. Tillett,
Thanks for your response, I hope you get the book and enjoy it. You clearly have good knowledge of the Civil War. Good and bad examples of leadership can be drawn from any time, but with the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War it seemed like a great area to look at.
Most of the examples in the book are General and that is where the title comes from. I did include two chapters about Mosby who did not achieve that rank, and one chapter on Lincoln. Each chapter has a day-in-the-life story of a leader and then compares those events and actions with modern research on leadership, and how people interact in group.
I hope you enjoy it.
Paul Gilbert (author)
Martin Tillett
7:18 pm on Friday, February 3, 2012
Mr. Gilbert,
I'll keep an eye out for the book in the Fairfax Library system. My interest in the Civil War primarily has to do with genealogical research concerning descendents that fought in the conflict. One among many engaged in the war was John R. Tillett of Company H, Mosby’s Rangers. Thanks for the response.
Martin Tillett