Beyond Custer's Last Stand: Leadership, Followership, and Risk—Little Bighorn, 150 Years Later

Beyond Custer's Last Stand: Leadership, Followership, and Risk—Little Bighorn, 150 Years Later

What happens when leaders stop hearing uncomfortable truths? What responsibilities do followers have when they recognize dangers that those above them do not? And how do organizations become trapped by their own assumptions? Drawing on letters written by George Armstrong Custer and his soldiers in the months before the Battle of the Little Bighorn, host Gil Troy and leadership expert Dr. David Leitner explore enduring questions of leadership, followership, risk, dissent, and organizational blind spots. Together they examine the difference between command and leadership, the role of courageous followership, and why institutions are often most vulnerable when confidence is at its highest. As America reflects on Little Bighorn 150 years later, this conversation moves beyond the battlefield itself to consider lessons that remain relevant to military institutions, businesses, governments, and democratic societies today. To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit:  The Little Bighorn Manuscript Collection | [https://www.shapell.org/collection/?collection=52&featured=52]Shapell.org [http://shapell.org] Don Your Buckskin Suit | Custer and His Soldiers Digital Book | Shapell.org [https://www.shapell.org/publications/don-your-buckskin-suit-custer-and-his-soldiers-little-bighorn/] Chapters (00:00) Custer: Commander vs. Leader (00:35) The Context of Little Bighorn (09:02) Understanding Followership and Leadership (11:50) The Dynamics of Followership (17:36) Emergent Leadership in Military Units (19:51) Heroism and Doctrine in the Military (26:28) The Dangers of False Heroism (28:16) The Disconnect Between Leadership and Followership (29:58) Understanding Loyalty and Patriotism in the Ranks (33:58) Custer's Image and Historical Perspectives (36:07) Command vs. Leadership: Custer's Failures (39:23) Systemic Failures in Military Leadership (41:04) The Mindset of Omnipotence and Its Dangers (43:05) The Immigrant Experience and Personal Destiny (47:03) Courageous Followership: A Call to Action Stay connected with us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/ShapellManuscriptFoundation], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shapellmanuscriptfoundation/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/shapell-manuscript-foundation/] and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History. [https://www.shapell.org/historical-perspectives/human-side-of-history/] Production by docyourstory Music by Adam Weingrod The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org [http://www.shapell.org]

The Other Seat of Power: The Presidency in a Divided Congress | Episode 10

Journalist and scholar E.J. Dionne joins host Gil Troy to examine the power struggles between the president and Congress - struggles that have intensified in today’s hyper-partisan era. From George Washington’s reluctant service and the founders’ vision of checks and balances, to today’s entrenched partisan battlegrounds, they explore how political polarization has reshaped the balance of power in American government. Dionne and Troy consider key historical moments, from Watergate to the Clinton impeachment, and ask whether bipartisan cooperation is still possible or simply a relic of a vanished political culture and era. They also consider moments when presidents bridged divides - or failed to - and debate whether the symbolic power of the office can still unify a fractured nation; is unity a lost ideal, or a goal worth reclaiming? To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit:  George Washington’s Dread of Becoming the President, 1789 [https://www.shapell.org/manuscript/george-washington-letter-presidency-death-sentence/] James K. Polk Declares the Presidency Too Important an Office to be Sought or Declined, 1844 [https://www.shapell.org/manuscript/dark-horse-compromis-candidate-james-polk-reveres-presidency/] Warren Harding on American Statesmanship and Lincoln, 1923 [https://www.shapell.org/manuscript/president-harding-declares-abraham-lincoln-pinnacle-of-golden-age-american-statesmans/#transcripts] Chapters (00:00) Opening (00:31) Introduction: The Presidency in a Divided Congress (03:26) George Washington’s Integrity and the Birth of Presidential Power (06:25) Hamilton as “Prime Minister”? Early Partisanship and Coalition Government (08:03) The Constitution’s Blind Spot: Ignoring Political Parties (11:21) The Civil War as America’s Second Founding and a New Constitution (14:22) Presidents as Historians, Reformers, and Problem-Solvers (16:41) Golden Ages in Politics? Nostalgia and Presidential Leadership (20:26) Great Presidents and Great Crises: Do Moments Make the Leader? (22:30) Warren G. Harding, Normalcy, and the Limits of Presidential Power (25:51) Expanding Presidential Power: Theodore Roosevelt to FDR (28:37) Congress vs. the Presidency: Henry Clay, LBJ, and Eisenhower (31:34) Nixon’s Domestic Legacy: EPA, Social Policy, and Congress (34:09) The Cold War, Bipartisanship, and America’s Two-Party System (38:25) Political Polarization, Trump, and the Decline of Cross-Party Friendships (42:00) Unlikely Alliances: Ted Kennedy, Orrin Hatch, and Health Care Reform (43:44) Clinton, Bush, Obama: Unified vs. Divided Government in Action (49:05) Symbolic Power of the Presidency: Oklahoma City to 9/11 (53:09) Ronald Reagan’s “Time for Choosing” and Presidential Rhetoric (56:04) Presidential Evolution: JFK, Civil Rights, and Changing Leadership (56:55) Summary Stay connected with us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/ShapellManuscriptFoundation], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shapellmanuscriptfoundation/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/shapell-manuscript-foundation/] and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History. [https://www.shapell.org/historical-perspectives/human-side-of-history/] Production by docyourstory Music by Adam Weingrod The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org [http://www.shapell.org]

Empire by Another Name: The Presidency and the Rise of Federal Power | Episode 9

Acclaimed historian Patricia Limerick joins host Gil Troy to explore how presidential power was reshaped by the relentless march of America’s westward expansion. Beneath the lofty rhetoric of Manifest Destiny, they uncover the practical realities of conquest, dispossession, and the explosive growth of federal authority needed to drive it forward. Tracing how frontier dreams gave rise to federal sprawl - and how Jeffersonian ideals collided with the machinery of land offices, standing armies, and Interior departments - Limerick brings wit and nuance to a story too often flattened into myth.This is the expansion of power - executive, federal, and destined to reshape the world. To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit:  President James Monroe on Purchase of Florida, 1821 [https://www.shapell.org/manuscript/president-james-monroe-to-john-calhoun-on-transfer-of-florida-and-john-adams/] Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal Reclamation Act in Relation to Westward Expansion [https://www.shapell.org/manuscript/theodore-roosevelt-square-deal-reclamation-act-and-manifest-destiny-west-expansionism/] John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier Speech, 1960 [https://www.shapell.org/manuscript/jfk-1960-new-frontier-speech/] Chapters (0:00) Opening (0:04) How America Became an Accidental Empire (0:38) Introducing Patricia Limerick: Historian of the American West (1:54) Presidential Humor and the Power of the Fool in History (4:11) Reagan, Roosevelt, and the Role of Humor in Leadership (6:40) Manifest Destiny Debunked: Land, Myth, and Migration (10:17) The Real Cost of Westward Expansion for Settlers (11:02) Conquest and Consequences: Native Displacement and Injustice (18:06) Nostalgia vs. Reality: Rewriting the Myth of the West (20:19) How 19th-Century Presidents Shaped Land Expansion (23:55) Land, Power, and the Birth of American Empire (26:51) Bureaucracy and the Federal Government’s Rise in the West (27:26) Debunking the Myth of Small Government in U.S. History (30:21) Civil War Aftermath: Army Growth and Federal Authority (31:20) American Individualism vs. Government Support in the West (33:22) Closing the Frontier: National Identity After Expansion (35:13) Roosevelt’s Reclamation Act and Federal Land Policy (39:44) JFK’s New Frontier and the Legacy of Manifest Destiny (43:35) Historians as Fixers: Cleaning Up the Narrative of the West (47:00) Harvesting Hope: What the American West Can Still Teach Us (49:54) Summary and Credits Stay connected with us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/ShapellManuscriptFoundation], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shapellmanuscriptfoundation/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/shapell-manuscript-foundation/] and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History. [https://www.shapell.org/historical-perspectives/human-side-of-history/] Production by docyourstory Music by Adam Weingrod The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org [http://www.shapell.org]

Opponent or Enemy? Losing the Presidency: Inside the Presidential Transfer of Power | Episode 8

In this episode, Professor Gil Troy speaks with Dr. Tevi Troy about the high-stakes moment when one presidency ends and another begins, and why transitions matter far beyond inauguration day. They explore how civility, partisanship, and preparation shape the handoff of power.  Drawing on history and firsthand experience, Dr. Troy reflects on the difference between opponents and enemies, and how the tone of a transition can influence the tone of a nation and its faith in democracy itself. What does it take to lose power and pass it on - with dignity? And what can we learn from past transitions to navigate today's political divides? To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit:  JFK Letter Thanking Eisenhower For a Smooth Transfer of Power, January 1, 1961 [https://www.shapell.org/manuscript/presidential-transfer-of-power-etiquette-jfk-eisenhower/] https://www.shapell.org/manuscript/presidential-transfer-of-power-etiquette-jfk-eisenhower/Chapters (0:00) Opening (0:34) Introduction: Presidential Transfer of Power (2:18) Setting the Tone with 1952 and 1960 Transitions (4:45) Honesty and Resentment in Presidential Handovers (7:26) The Club of Presidents and Symbolic Civility (8:08) Modeling Behavior and Respect in Office (10:00) Shifting Party Lines and “Barely a Democrat” (14:01) The Worst Transitions in History (16:29) Formalizing Transitions: Policy and Preparation (18:44) Transition vs. Brand Differentiation (21:25) Governing with 4,000 Appointees (21:49) The Gold Standard Transition: Bush to Obama (26:36) The Bittersweet End of a Presidency (28:24) Life After the White House (29:57) How History Judges Presidential Decisions (31:09) Divisive Presidents: Nixon and Wilson (38:47) Unifying Presidents and Leadership Skills (43:39) Character, Patriotism, and Presidential Legacy (45:15) Closing and Credits Stay connected with us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/ShapellManuscriptFoundation], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shapellmanuscriptfoundation/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/shapell-manuscript-foundation/] and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History. [https://www.shapell.org/historical-perspectives/human-side-of-history/] Production by docyourstory Music by Adam Weingrod The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org [http://www.shapell.org]

Power Without Borders: U.S. Global Power & Presidential Character | Episode 7

What kind of character does it take to lead the free world? In an age of global tension, where American presidents weigh alliances and warfare with the power to shape history, we explore how presidential character turned the U.S. from an isolated republic into a global superpower Gil Troy is joined by bestselling author and political commentator John Avlon [https://johnavlon.com/] to trace the foreign policy legacy of the American presidency - from George Washington’s warning against foreign entanglements to Ronald Reagan’s moral stand against the Soviet Union. Focusing on pivotal moments like World War I, FDR’s leadership before Pearl Harbor, and the Cold War consensus, they explore how values, vision, and presidential courage helped America project strength - and when it failed to live up to its ideals. To read the texts and learn more about the manuscripts discussed in this episode, visit:  Ronald Reagan at the Berlin Wall, Demanding Gorbachev “Tear Down This Wall” [https://www.shapell.org/manuscript/president-ronald-reagan-pictured-at-the-berlin-wall-during-tear-down-this-wall-speech/] Chapters (00:00) Opening (00:21) Introduction: Power Without Borders (02:20) Washington’s Farewell: Isolationism vs. Independence (07:23) Idealism and the Founders’ Foreign Policy Vision (09:51) Rethinking the Monroe Doctrine (15:27) Lincoln, Character, and Foreign Policy Foundations (20:51) Lincoln’s Legacy: Winning the Peace (23:58) U.S. Grant at Appomattox: Moral Leadership in Action (24:37) World War I and the Failure to Win the Peace (29:29) Roosevelt, Lend-Lease, and Pre-WWII Strategy (33:07) American Psyche in the Interwar Period (36:18) Democracy vs. Authoritarianism in the Great Depression (38:57) FDR’s Leadership: Guiding a Divided Nation (43:48) Roosevelt’s Letter to Harry Woodring & Leadership Nuance (44:58) Bipartisanship and the Cold War Consensus (48:19) The Greatest Generation and Their Legacy (51:06) Reagan’s “Evil Empire” and Moral Clarity (55:02) Moynihan, Reagan, and Confidence in Democracy (56:50) Summary Stay connected with us on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/ShapellManuscriptFoundation], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shapellmanuscriptfoundation/], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/shapell-manuscript-foundation/] and by signing up for our newsletter at shapell.org/contact. For more information about this podcast, visit The Human Side of History. [https://www.shapell.org/historical-perspectives/human-side-of-history/] Production by docyourstory Music by Adam Weingrod The show is produced by The Shapell Manuscript Foundation. To learn more about the foundation and discover the manuscript collection visit: www.shapell.org [http://www.shapell.org]