This past Saturday, before the Colts’ debacle, I delivered a leadership development session. It was noteworthy for its firsts.

It was the first time I had done a session utilizing the life of Benjamin Harrison, 23rd President of the United States. It was the first time I had done a session where the setting was actually related to the historical content–we met in Harrison’s home on the near north side of Indianapolis. And it was the first time that I’ve put into execution a service built around a partnership with the Benjamin Harrison Home organization. On all three counts and all three firsts, the session was a raving success.

The topic was Harrison’s experience as a Union officer in the Civil War. It was his first, and last, wartime experience. He organized a unit in mid-1862, was its captain and then its colonel. Before mustering out of service in mid-1865, Harrison rose to the rank of brigadier general.

The content was superb on two fronts–one was how a person copes with a brand new leadership assignment, while the other was how a leader helps followers deal with the unknown and the unexpected. For a reaction on how the session went, contact Dr. C. Lee Mitchell in Indianapolis.