On July 1st 2nd and 3rd 1863, military leaders at all levels were put to the test on the fields, ridges and hills surrounding the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 160,000 Americans clashed over those days in the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, causing over 51,000 casualties—making it the bloodiest three days in American history.

The battle proved again and again that the quality of leadership often means the difference between life and death, victory and defeat, success and failure. Leadership is always the critical variable in every endeavor.

Perhaps we can learn lessons from America’s bloodiest three days that can help us hold the high ground in other arenas of life. Perhaps the lessons of battlefield leadership will help us to inspire, encourage, and enable others to do things they did not think themselves capable of before.