Overview:  Why the Battle of Little Big Horn

The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also called Custer's Last Stand, occurred over two days on June 25-26, 1876 near the Little Big Horn River in eastern Montana. The stunning victory of the combined forces of the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne tribes against the 7th Cavalry of the U.S. Army was the most famous of all of the Indian Wars. 

The U.S. cavalry detachment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, lost every soldier in the unit through a combination of circumstances in which their Native American opposition was underestimated due to the convergence of overconfidence, exaggerated urgency, and inadequate assessment.  The story and its lessons provide a platform from which to understand leadership principles important in today’s hypercompetitive business environment, such as: hubris based on past success, the importance of adequate competitive intelligence, the benefit of strong intra-unit relationships and trust, effective communication, and the need for focused decision-making under pressure in a highly fluid situation.

The program will emphasize and examine leadership through the lenses of both the Native American and US Cavalry perspectives on the situation, will feature the participation of direct descendants of Native American tribal leaders who fought at the Little Bighorn, and will explore the startling revelation that Custer, from the time he realized the real size of the enemy force he was facing, had less than 45 minutes to live.  The role of rapid decision-making under intense pressure in the face of unexpected circumstances will provide a powerful backdrop on haunting terrain for an examination of the aspects of leadership, outside the decision-making role a leader must play, that affect the ultimate success of the mission far above the mere force of the leader's character and style.

Methodology and Delivery

The classroom version of the Little Bighorn battlefield-based program will utilize a combination of case studies, battle maps, Powerpoint slide content, video clips, facilitated group discussion, and table group assignments to relate the story and leadership lessons from the Battle of the Little Bighorn.  As few as two cases, and as many as six, can be included depending on program objectives and planned duration.

The program begins with the strategic overview establishing the context of the American movement West and the history of the government relationship with the Native American peoples.  The situation of the Lakota Sioux, and the visionary and inspirational leadership of Sitting Bull is then brought into focus as a precursor to the battle itself. As the battle begins, the decisions and actions of Major Marcus Reno are examined in the context of his relationship with Custer.  Custer’s decision to divide his command in the face of the enemy village is the next focal point in the story of the first major military disaster in the Indian Wars, and it is followed by the study of Captain Frederic Benteen, whose lack of urgency and focus on self-interest sealed the fate of Custer’s command.

The defense mounted by Benteen and Reno, within sight and sound of Custer’s battle to the north, is the subject of inquiry as it relates to the critical nature of trust as a requirement for team cohesion under crises situations.  Custer is again the focus for an examination of motivation in the face of adversity and the role of hubris in his decision-making.  The role of the confusing terrain is also considered here as a factor in Custer’s demise.  And the final case study explores the leadership of Crazy Horse and Gall as warrior chieftains in wreaking vengeance on the hated troops of the Federal Army, and as an inquiry into the basis for authority among Native American leaders, in contrast to that of the 7th Cavalry.

Leadership Elements Explored and Discussed

• Inspiring others to action
• Gaining enrollment
• Envisioning and shaping the future
• Displaying confidence in decision-making
• Leading by example
• Focousing on Individual vs. team success
• Creating conditions for success for multiple teams
• Influencing upward
• Audacity in pursuit of objectives
• Overcoming fear of failure
• Tactical decision-making in a strategic context
• Contributing to a team leader’s success
• Managing risks
• Capitalizing on momentum
• Surrendering initiative

The Benefits

Through our exploration and analysis, participants of the Antietam Leadership Experience will take away a number of benefits.  Rich in character-based leadership, this leadership lesson from history provides participants further insights into:

• The role of leaders in shaping the future
• Building and sustaining teams
• Managing processes
• Nurturing learning
• Managing order through chaos
• Effectively communicating and understanding intent, setting clear direction and expectations, and achieving organizational alignment

Additional benefits include:

• Greater Team Cohesion -- In addition to gaining and experiencing new perspectives on leadership, group participants will also derive a greater esprit de corps.  When intact teams participate together and share a common experience, the result is highly impactful and can contribute greatly to achieving organizational alignment. 
• Cost-Effective Classroom Programs -- In addition to our onsite battlefield leadership experiential programs, we also offer one- and two-day experiential classroom programs for the Battle of Little Big Horn.  Presented in a framework consistent to the delivery of our battlefield programs, the classroom format can be a cost-effective way to introduce or extend leadership training programs to a larger group of leaders and managers, and can be conducted on-site at a client’s location of their choosing.  
• Tailored Customization -- An important benefit to participants and organizations alike is when we customize the content of a program and/or place emphasis on a leadership aspect that has been deemed critical to the participating organization.  By gathering information from pre-session interviews or teleconferences with program sponsors and/or HR leaders, we can focus in on specific events, characters and dynamics of the battle and its leaders to make the program highly relevant and situational to all participants and the needs of that organization.  Additionally, our battlefield programs can be modified to use and integrate a company’s respective core competencies and leadership models. Further, program agendas can be adjusted to meet specific time constraints and desires of the participant companies. 

Who Should Attend

The leadership training principles and concepts presented through the Little Big Horn Leadership Experience can be tailored to meet the needs of the highest level senior leaders to the less-experienced yet rising leaders within an organization.  The Little Big Horn Leadership training experience offers universal leadership themes upon which any leader will find beneficial to his or her career growth and/or organizational aspirations. 

Additional

Though the onsite battlefield leadership training expereinces are generally restricted to the months of mid-May through late June and September through mid-October due to weather and crowd considerations, the classroom Little Bighorn Leadership Experience can be delivered year-round.

Recommended pre-reading for the Little Bighorn Leadership Experience is either James Donovan's A Terrible Glory or Nathaniel Philbrick's The Last Stand.