Robert E. Lee

1. Robert E. Lee And his fluctuations in popularity 3 types of leadership Lee’s changing perception There are three types of leadership styles; authoritarian, delegative, and participative. A well-rounded leader knows how to incorporate all three of these styles into his leadership tactics and apply them at appropriate times. Throughout Lee’s career there are multiple examples of him demonstrating all three leadership styles at once. One who uses the authoritarian style is often times thought of as the absolute decision-maker. He or she gives the commands and they are carried out. The deligative style is similar except for these commands or requests are given to a chain of command or team and they are expected to ensure completion. The third is the participative method this method is where the leader actually participates in these commands he is giving. Throughout Lee’s military life there are multiple examples of these styles often times used together. The first being the battle of Second Manassas commanding the movement of thousands of troops preparing for battle. The second is the battle of Fredericksburg, Lee instructed his chain of command to move their troops and spread them out against an attack. The third is the Mexican American war where lee had set out with a few solders to find an alternate route in the taking of Mexico city. Unfortunately , these leadership styles become more or less desirable overtime and history’s great leaders loose and gain popularity fairly quickly. As a nation faces unknown situations and experiences often times they turn to the past to seek answers. This is the exact reason the perception of men and women change drastically over time. A country pressed in a time of war might or might not glorify war depending on the circumstance. For this reason, many military figures have been assessed in a rather bi-polar way throughout time. General Lee’s popularity had fluctuated much more frequently in the past than other historical figures. For example, from 1900-1920 Lee’s popularity was at an all time low. Which isn’t surprising as we watch a nation struggling in one of the most gruesome wars in history. It is obvious that his popularity would shift during WW1 because a nation in a time of war isn’t going to glorify the leadership of a “war advocate.” General Lee possessed very distinctive qualities as a leader; those qualities just become more and less desirable over time. In today’s society more Americans are drawn to leaders that are less risky and more meticulous in their decision-making. As a result, Lee’s popularity somewhat plateaus in present day analysis. As Americas’ feeling of stability rises or falls it directly affects the perception of historical leaders in the past. Lee’s life Robert E. Lee lived from 1807-1870. He was an engineer, a West Point cadet, an administrator, a solider, and an incredible leader. Lee held a variety of military positions in the Federal Army as well as the Confederate Army and participated in more than 300 battles.” His strategy was daring always, and he never hesitated to take the gravest risks.” His ability to step back, assess a situation in less than a millisecond, and be willing to take the risk and consequence is the true definition of an excellent leader. Lee’s popularity(1800-2000) 1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000