Most leadership programs take place in a conference room.
Leadership in the Battlefield takes place where leaders faced uncertainty, limited information, exhausted teams, and changing conditions — and made decisions that affected thousands of lives. Whether standing on the fields of Antietam or walking the creeks and fields connected to the Underground Railroad, participants are challenged to think differently about leadership, communication, execution, innovation, accountability, and decision-making.
Through discussions with site experts, historical case studies, and facilitated leadership conversations, participants examine the decisions made by military and civilian leaders — and connect those lessons directly to today's business challenges. We look at:
- Who made what decision
- Why they made it
- The outcome of that decision
- And how a decision made over 150 years ago has a direct correlation to decisions you need to make next week or next month in your organization
Battlefield Sites
Baltimore (War of 1812) · Antietam and Gettysburg (Civil War)
At these parks we explore decisions made by formal commanders as well as fighting men, because not all key decisions were made by Generals. We talk about how people who were literally "boots on the ground" affected the outcome — because that's what happens in life and at work.
Credentialed experts provide an overview at each site, and our facilitators lead discussions to show how participants can take the lessons learned back to the worksite. All participants are given materials on which to capture their learnings from each stop on the tour.
The Underground Railroad
Cambridge (Harriet Tubman) · Easton (Frederick Douglass)
These trips do not focus on military battlefields, but perhaps more importantly on sites where decisions were made that directly impacted the fight — and flight — to and for freedom and dignity. Both trips focus on a key figure in the Railroad's system, and also on lesser-known people who played important roles and made dangerous decisions that could have resulted in capture, imprisonment, beatings, and even death.
As with the battlefield sites, credentialed experts provide an overview at each stop, and our facilitators lead discussions to show how participants can take the lessons back to their workplace. All participants are given materials on which to capture their learnings.
