Tried by War, by James M. McPherson

Completed "Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief"

General thoughts about the book:

I enjoyed this book and found the focus provided new information that a less focused book may not have.

=Pointed out that General McCellan (the General who was always planning, but never doing), probably had always been successful, so now he hated to take a chance on "losing", so he would just always stall. As I noted before I have had Department Heads like that, but never thought of this as a source for the problem, so in the future I will look at that. I thought of "perfectionism" type behavior, but I never specifically thought of just adverse to risk. I try to encourage risk taking, but perhaps I need to review how I do this when I have a "McCellan" on my staff.

Another general thougth from this book is how the focus of the book emphasizes that Lincoln was, in a sense, a micromanager, but somehow he knew when not to micromanage and when not too. For example, McPherosn mentions how Lincoln actually tested the weapons and it is because of Lincoln that Spencer rifles were ordered for the North. Of course earlier, he menitoned how Lincoln imimersed himself in military techniques to where he presented excellent strategies for battle.

Another theme of the book is the importance of subordinates. If Lincoln had been able to select "action" Generals, the war could have been over much sooner. Perhaps also it emphasizes the importance of the management principle of "a bias for action" being the basis for "Excellence".

Also, Lincoln practiced some other priniciples-"Managment by Walking Around"-he visited the troops frequently and got out and reviwed the actual situation, and maintaining his principles. He never wavered from his basic principle of "preserving the Union", and later, his absolutely commitment to end slavery (in Tried by War, it appears part of this was his promise to the Black troops who fought for the Union.)

The book emphasises that Lincoln, as Commander in Chief, exercised the functions (Policy, National Strategy, Operations and Tactics) of Commander in Chief in a dynamic manner rather than in a static manner.

Reading the book, I was impressed by how some things never change, (opposition to war, "peace at any costs", hardliners etc.). I think considered the fact this was a civil war was a main reason for standing firm (and the fact Lincoln held to his principle of preserving the Union).

As far as how this book affects my approach to my job, I am reminded of the need for qualified subordinates, allowing them to do their job and encourage risks, but remove them if necessary. Another concept was the importance of holding to the basic mission of the organization. Also, I was reminded again that it is important to get out of the office and see what is actually going on (not depend on what you are being told) and also the importance of dynamic rather than static management.