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Effective Leaders
By Bernie Gouck

     Contemplating what it takes to become an effective leader, a person has to consider many aspects of that leadership. Compassion, honesty, integrity, humility, valor and magnanimity are some of the qualities that an effective leader should possess. Two leaders who possessed these characteristics are William Shakespeare’s King Henry V from Henry IV, Part 1, and President       
Ulysses S. Grant of the United States of America. In many ways, Shakespeare’s character, based on the English King, resembles this US President.
     Ulysses S. Grant was an effective leader in many ways. He came from a very modest beginning; through his own abilities and with help from his family, he obtained the highest office of the land. Grant was a fine example of how people should conduct themselves in regards to using proper language. He was devoted to his family. He often had his family accompany him to observe battles as often as he could. Although Grant surrounded himself with dishonest people, he was an honest person himself. Compassion, integrity, humility and valor are many qualities that made him an effective leader.
     According to Elizabeth Burrus’s article “Henry V as a Model for a King, Citizen, and Common Man,” effective leaders should be people who are respected, revered, and inspirational for the future generations. For Shakespeare to present Henry V realistically, he required a large quantity of in-depth research into English history. According to Burrus, no other character had more research put into his development than Henry V. Thanks to Shakespeare's effort, we can see first hand what an effective leader resembles. Henry’s morals are what we should use to model our lives (Burrus, par. 1).
     When an individual is placed into a position of leadership, he or she could reflect on the way Henry V acted. Proving to be a superior military leader as well as politically ingenious were two actions that allowed him to become a role model for the future monarchs of England (Burrus, par. 3). By showing compassion to the people within one’s reach, a person can develop a rapport with them and give them a sense of respect, so that when there is a time of crisis, the people will come willingly to service. Henry V used this compassion towards Lord Douglas in the play Henry IV, Part 1. He tells his brother John:
     Go to the Douglas, and deliver
     Up to his pleasure, ransomless and free:
     His valor shown upon our crests today. (Shakespeare 5.5, 27-30)
Henry knows that the family of Douglas will still be angry over the loss of so many of their kinsman, and that maybe the release of their Douglas will ease the pain. 
     Henry’s compassion can be compared to that of Grant when General George Pickett visited him. Grant responded to the apparent need of a fellow General by saying, “Pickett, it seems funny doesn’t it, that I should have money to offer, but how much do you need?” (Pickett, 89-93). Although showing compassion to all mankind is a good quality, having a little extra when there is a conflict or crisis happening can be a window through which to shine one’s effectiveness.
     Henry shows this kind of compassion also while dealing with the up-coming battle with Hotspur and his family by sending a message to Hotspur, pleading for the stop of senseless blood shed and loss of life:

          In both your armies there is many a soul shall pay full dearly for this
          encounter, if once they join in trial. (Shakespeare 5.1, 83-84)

     This concern for the opponent’s potential losses proves that Henry did not want the unnecessary deaths of so many people on either side of the battlefield. Once again effectiveness is shown through Henry’s concern for his future subjects. The purpose for this concern could be that he wants to try and mend the anger between the two houses. 
     In the same fashion as Henry V, Grant showed compassion on the confederate officers and men. When the wife of an imprisoned officer asked him to free her husband, Grant stated, “If it were in my power, Mrs. Clay, I would release every prisoner.… Your husband’s manly surrender entitles him to all that you ask. I admire and honor him for it, and anything that I can say or do to assist you shall be done” (Clay-Clopton 230-232). Grant went to the negotiating table heavy with grief but hoping for peace. He wanted everyone on both sides of the table to leave as friends and not as fighting enemies. This show of compassion helped Grant achieve the title of effective leader. Both Henry V and Grant were experienced military men who knew that courage and valor would carry them through the conflicts which they faced.
     Effective leaders often wrestle with inner conflict when making difficult decisions. In his article on Henry IV, Part 1, Justin Shaltz states that the portrayal of Hal is that of a future leader whose conscience leads him to restore the honor which he has lost due to the recklessness of his youth. This restoration is shown in act 2, scene 4 when a messenger comes in and interrupts a friendly conversation Hal is engaged in with his tavern companions in East Cheap, and Hal removes himself from the noise to attend to the matter. When he realizes the seriousness of the situation related to him by the messenger, he changes his expression from that of a man having a good time with friends to that of a man deep in thought at the news that his father wants him to disassociate himself with Falstaff (Shaltz, par.8). When facing difficult situations, an effective leader will often consult with older people whose opinions are highly regarded. Hal does this when he realizes that his father is getting tired of his acting like a common person and not behaving like the future king. 
     Despite appearances to the contrary, valor is important to even the young Henry. This was exhibited when he came to his father’s rescue while fighting with Hotspur and his family. Henry speaks to his opponents by telling them that “[I]t is the Prince of Wales that threatens thee; Who promiseth but means to pay” (Shakespeare 5.4, 42-43). Henry, seeing that his father is outnumbered, comes to his rescue and fends off three men. Henry does this act, not thinking of his own safety but that of his father. He is willing to give his life for his father’s defense. When writing about Henry V, John Julius Norwich writes, “Much of Henry V’s posthumous reputation he owes to Shakespeare, but the fact remains that while still under thirty, he twice raised the largest and best-equipped expeditionary force that the country had ever seen, [and] transported it to France...in one of the most celebrated battles in English history” (173). He was able to rally his troops and defeat a much superior foe, thus proving to his countrymen that he was an effective leader.
     Grant also was a man of valor so remained humble. John F. Darby recalls Grant’s beginnings by saying, “Many a time could the man of then humble pretensions be seen driving his two-horse, bran-fed, switch-tailed, rawboned team up Fourth Street, in the city of St. Louis...” (Darby, 448-450).
     Like Henry V, Grant’s first priority was his family. In fact, he did not want public accolades but was content with providing for his family. Grant reaffirmed his humility when stopping to visit a personal friend in the middle of a family gathering. Mr. and Mrs. Collis, who were not expecting him, were found on the floor having a picnic dinner. Grant responded to their apologizes by stating that “[t]hey were just as well off as the Grants were” (Collis, 42-44). Even though Grant was a famous president, he would rather spend time with his family and keep out of the public eye. 
     A final characteristic that these effective leaders possessed is a national pride and loyalty that can be emulated by many, as well as personal morals and beliefs. Henry's deep conviction towards God gave the common English people a sense that he deserved to be praised (Burrus, par.5). Henry exhibits such pride and loyalty while discussing the conspiracy of the Percys that he vows to “redeem all this on Percy's head ... And I will die a thousand deaths/ Ere break the smallest parcel of this vow” (qtd. in Burrus, par. 4). Having both of these qualities made Henry and Grant exemplary leaders. 
     Leaders that are labeled effective often are individuals who have a direct purpose in life. Even though as a young man Henry mingles with the common people to a point where he neglects his royal responsibilities, he is always thinking about how knowing the life style of his future subjects can make him an effective leader. In a soliloquy, he discloses the motives behind his prodigal behavior. He notes that his rightful place on the throne is going to be better served by his childish behavior. He reveals his plan when he says, “So when this loose behavior I throw off/ And pay the debt I never promised,/ By how much better than my word I am..../ Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes/ Than that which no foil to set it off” (Shakespeare 1.2, 213-220).
     Compassion, honesty, valor, integrity, and humility are the qualities that we look for in effective leadership. Two men who achieved the title of being effective leaders are Henry V of England, especially as portrayed by Shakespeare, and U. S. Grant, President of the United States of America. These men used their own unique qualities in developing their leadership styles. They will both be remembered with respect. Their leadership qualities will also be taught as being the rule and not the exception. They each had the goal of peace in their respective countries. Henry V deals with unrest between England and France, and Grant wanted to ease tension between the North and South. Henry V and Grant both had a purpose in life.

Works Cited

Burrus, Elizabeth. Henry V as a Model for a King, Citizen, and Common Man. 29
March 1996: 6 pars. <www.cwrl.utexas.edu.> 11 November 2000.

Clay-Clopton, Virginia. A Belle of the Fifties: Memoirs of Mrs. Clay, of Alabama, 
Covering Social and Political Life in Washington and the South 1853-66. New York: Doubleday, Page and Company, 1905.

Collis, Septima Maria Levy. A Woman's War Record, 1861-1865. New York: G. P.
Putnam's Sons, 1889.

Norwich, John Julius. Shakespeare's Kings: The Great Plays and History of
England in the Middle Ages 1337-1485. New York: Scribner, 1999.

Pickett, George Edward. Heart of a Soldier, As revealed in the Intimate Letters
of General George E. Pickett: l825-1875. New York: S. Moyle, 1913. Shakespeare, 

William, King Henry IV, Part 1. Foster City: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 
2000.

Shaltz, Justin. “I Henry IV.” Shakespeare Bulletin. Fall 1994. <www.arts.ilstv.edu> 27
November 2000.

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