What makes a good leader?

NH Civil War Gal

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These questions came from another site called Aeon. I was reading about Xenophon and how he had been in a disastrous military effort and retreat and it got me to thinking about the leaders from the Civil War - either side - and especially how the average soldier kept on. They had their desertions back then too, btw.

So who do you think had it and why.

"What makes a good leader? What kind of leader can induce humans to endure hardships and expend effort toward a common goal? What exemplary traits mark out a leader and allow him or her to execute the requisite tasks with skill, induce a harmonious fellowship among those for whom he is responsible, maintain loyalty and mission clarity among the ‘troops’, whomever they might be?"
 
On a tangent, being a good leader means knowing your limitations.

Specifically, in all of my readings about the final days of the Confederacy and looking at those Regimental returns shrink, I got the distinct sense that the much of the lower leadership were 'bleeding off' their Companies during the winter of 64-65.

Think about it - if you're leading your neighbors (and friends) and you 1) know how far it is to home, 2) that the spring planting season is coming, 3) that the rule of law in the lands between you and your people extended as far as a constable's musket shot and 4) the war is lost, would you not give tacit guidance to four-man mess groups to head West to make their ways back as best they could?
That is quite the quandary for a leader to be in. No real good answer because allowing desertions can have serious consequences.
Leftyhunter
 
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That is quite the quandary for a leader to be in. No real good answer because allowing desertions can have serious consequences.
Leftyhunter

Exactly, Provost Marshals being what they were. Yet desertion was a huge issue at the time. It also begs the question, where does one's loyalty lay - to the cause or to your men?
 
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Factual competence. With respect to the US Civil war, logistical competence could not be faked. The soldiers knew whether they were getting fed and whether camps were clean.
Competence in the navy was even more factual. The flotilla was in the right place at the right time or every officer and sailor could see plainly that it was not.
As noted above, General Lee's tactical competence was very clear, at one point in the conflict. But it was not of much benefit once the organizational power of the US was brought to bear on the operational problems.
 
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