Robert E Lee Qualities

At the beginning of the Civil War, leaders in the North and South understood the imperative task of selecting the best possible men to lead their troops. Both sides needed to find men of outstanding character in order to succeed in their war efforts. Accordingly, Robert E. Lee showed himself as exactly such a man. In agreement Abraham Lincoln sought out Lee, an accomplished U.S. military veteran with 32 years of service, to lead the Union troops. Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, knew Lee lived in Virginia, a state that had succeeded from the Union. Davis wanted Lee to command the Confederate Army. Ultimately, Robert E. Lee, a man of great character who valued relationships as the crucial element in leadership, honored those around

Lee excelled as a leader. He understood the emotional and physical demands faced by the soldiers he led. With many men under Lee’s control in the Confederate Army, he “worked hard at becoming the sort of man he knew his army needed” (Marrin 106). During the war, men in the army were far from home and their families. Knowing how the men felt, Lee worked to be available for his men as their general, a father figure and even a friend. One morning in an exchange with a young lieutenant, General Lee used a casual greeting and empathized with the soldier’s workload, believing that speaking as a friend, he would best convey his expectation of a good day’s work (Marrin 108). The relationships General Lee formed with his troops built a foundation of trust. His men expressed that “if he was nearby, they felt safe...” (Marrin 172). General Lee cared deeply for his men and tried to never expose them to unnecessary danger. It was described that Lee felt as if “losing men was like losing his own children, it brought tears to his eyes” (Marrin 108). Moreover, General Lee experienced success as a result of his relational leadership style in that is his men “regarded him as a higher form of humanity” (Marrin 109) and “what they did, they did for him” (Marrin 109) in their war efforts. Robert E. Lee, a born leader, shined in commanding an army of men with whom he served

Lee treated everyone as equals. As a result, he never elevated himself, as the general, above his men. “He deliberately chose to live simply as a way of building respect” (Marrin 106), refusing to sleep indoors or eat better than those he led. General Lee honored the men who bravely fought in the battles he commanded. On one occasion, Lee said no words to his soldiers as they prepared for the battlefield, but instead “removed his hat, as if in church, or in the presence of someone he greatly respected” (Marrin 108). General Lee honored his soldiers and consequently, in return they honored him. After the Confederacy lost the war, Lee still received respect as “…his men loved him for himself, not only for his deeds” (Marrin 187). Even though Lee did not secure a victory for the South, he experienced personal triumph upon return home when the war ended. When walking on the streets, Lee encountered “union men, common soldiers, and officers alike, raising their hats” (Marrin 189) in a show of respect for a man of honor