Accomplishing the Impossible: Leadership That Launched Revolutionary Change

By William E. Rapp and General Joe Dunford USMC Ret.

Accomplishing the Impossible draws contemporary leadership lessons from the events and people that were central to the beginning of the American Revolution. Retired general, scholar, and educator William E. Rapp, cuts through the popular mythology around the Boston Campaign and applies the historical lessons to challenges faced by today’s business and public sector leaders. By doing so, he inspires today’s leaders to view contemporary leadership and change management through a fresh lens.

“At a time when our nation is emerging from multiple crises, one often hears cries for better leadership. But what virtues must our leaders possess and how do we develop those qualities in ourselves and others? Major General Bill Rapp (ret.) tells us in Accomplishing the Impossible: Leadership That Launched Revolutionary Change. In this well-researched and elegantly written book about the unsung heroes who helped win our nation’s independence, an accomplished warrior-scholar tells compelling stories that teach us not only how to spot and grow effective and principled leaders, but also how to become better leaders ourselves.” —H.R. McMaster, author of Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World
“An outstanding primer on leadership all the more exceptional for breathing life into events that occurred nearly 250 years ago. Bill Rapp teases out lessons in leadership that are as germane to business as they are to the military and are as applicable today as they were in the first years of the American Revolution. A unique resource for leaders looking to maximize the potential of their organizations.” —Peter R. Mansoor, Mason Chair of Military History, Ohio State University, Author, Surge: My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War

• Language: English
• Publisher: Permuted
• Release date: Sep 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781642938739

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Advance Praise for Accomplishing the Impossible

"At a time when our nation is emerging from multiple crises, one often hears cries for better leadership. But what virtues must our leaders possess and how do we develop those qualities in ourselves and others? Major General Bill Rapp (Ret.) tells us in Accomplishing the Impossible: Leadership That Launched Revolutionary Change. In this well-researched and elegantly written book about the unsung heroes who helped win our nation’s independence, an accomplished warrior-scholar tells compelling stories that teach us not only how to spot and grow effective and principled leaders, but also how to become better leaders ourselves."

—H.R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty and Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World

An outstanding primer on leadership all the more exceptional for breathing life into events that occurred nearly 250 years ago. Bill Rapp teases out lessons in leadership that are as germane to business as they are to the military and are as applicable today as they were in the first years of the American Revolution. A unique resource for leaders looking to maximize the potential of their organizations.

—Peter R. Mansoor, Mason Chair of Military History, Ohio State University, Author, Surge: My Journey with General David

Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War

"Accomplishing the Impossible is a truly great book on leadership by a truly great leader! Major General (Ret.) Bill Rapp is a brilliant soldier-scholar, and in this exceptional study of leadership during the Revolutionary War he combines a passion for history, his own experiences in combat, and decades of practice in developing leaders to distill timeless insights for contemporary business executives. Over the years, Bill Rapp has inspired and guided West Point cadets, thousands of combat engineers, Army War College students, innumerable general officers (including me, during the Surge in Iraq), and C-suite executives. This literary staff ride will inspire all who read it, as well—reminding us how much there is to learn by skillful retracing of the footsteps of giants."

—General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, and former Director of the CIA

"Battlefield staff rides have always been a valuable tool in teaching and training military leaders. Accomplishing the Impossible: Leadership That Launched Revolutionary Change now makes it possible for leaders in every sector to share the same experience and learn the hard-won lessons from the most critical period in our nation’s history. A relevant and pertinent read for today’s political, economic, and security environment."

—General (Ret.) Joe Votel, former Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command

"In his insightful new book, Accomplishing the Impossible: Leadership That Launched Revolutionary Change, Major General (Ret.) Bill Rapp has expertly captured the essence of the often elusive concept of leadership. Using the backdrop of the early dark, tenuous, and even desperate days of the American Revolution and the creation of the 18th century ‘startup’ called the Continental Army, Rapp explores the complex elements of leadership through the eyes and experiences of key personalities on both sides of the Revolutionary War. The timeless lessons of leadership spread throughout this important book come alive with direct application for leaders and organizations facing the uncertainties of today’s world. A must-read for experienced as well as emerging leaders."

—Lieutenant General Guy C. Swan III, U.S. Army Retired, former commanding general of U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) and Vice President at the Association of the United States Army

"Through his presentation of Accomplishing the Impossible, U.S. Army Major General Bill Rapp (Ret.) has brought to life the legendary names of Revere, Adams, Warren, Pitcairn, and Gage while reminding us of important places like Lexington, Concord, Breed’s Hill, Bunker Hill, and Boston. As organizations and leaders work continuously to adapt to our challenging times, Rapp’s writing and analysis links our past as the backdrop for relevant lessons on strategic communications, supply chain continuity, information gathering, overcoming bias, and creating unity of purpose. Accomplishing the Impossible provides an excellent and useful resource for emerging and experienced leaders."

—Greg Sankey, Commissioner, Southeastern Conference

"A living, learning, and leading ‘staff ride in prose’! ‘The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.’ —Winston Churchill. Accomplishing the Impossible: Leadership That Launched Revolutionary Change fuses a careful history with important, contemporary leadership lessons for business and public leaders."

—Dana H. Born, Ph.D. (Brig Gen, USAF Ret.), Harvard University

"I am Harvard-trained. I believe in the case study method. Staff rides are the ultimate in participant-centered learning; they are case studies on steroids. Vividly connecting our past with the present and concepts with practice, Accomplishing the Impossible captures timeless lessons in a way that truly makes them ‘stick.’ Masterfully rendered by one of the country’s brightest warrior-scholars, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to experience what it takes to lead in turbulent times."

—Scott A. Snook, Senior Lecturer of Business

Administration, Harvard Business School

Both me and my company have benefited from Bill Rapp’s gift for translating history into practical leadership applications. From this work on the Boston Campaign, we learned how to know ourselves as leaders, how to lead toward shared goals, the importance of organizational adaptation and change management, how to encourage innovation, and the vital importance of leaders communicating vision and intent. We are grateful for Bill’s work and passion to render history into relevant leadership lessons. His wisdom, humility, strong historical knowledge, and ability to help all leaders learn to be better are game-changing!

—Larry Smith, Chairman of the Board, Tokyo Electron America

"The American Revolution has been a source for scholarly study for over 200 years, but now it can inform the business world as well. Bill Rapp’s new book, Accomplishing the Impossible: The Leadership That Launched Revolutionary Change, provides important leadership lessons derived from this pivotal time of American history. General Rapp insightfully highlights how decisive leadership from the colonials in Boston mobilized a country and transformed rag tag militias into an organization that defeated the greatest military of the day. Accomplishing the Impossible shows how leaders of any organization today can benefit from lessons of these remarkable leaders. The same leadership qualities are equally essential in business today. Leaders must act quickly to rally their teams to shrug off entrenched business dogma and take advantage of discovered innovation to stay ahead of competition. The lessons in this book are as applicable and important to today’s business leaders as they were to the success of the founding of America 250 years ago."

—John Heller, President and CEO of PAE

"Staff rides are an elemental component in teaching about leadership in professional military education at all levels, from noncommissioned officers through generals. In Accomplishing the Impossible: Leadership That Launched Revolutionary Change, Maj. Gen. William Rapp, US Army (Ret.), uses the battles for Boston in the opening years of the American War for Independence as a classroom for teaching and learning about leadership. Using history, the locales surrounding Boston, and his decades of experience in leading soldiers, Bill Rapp delivers a ‘how-to’ guide for aspiring business leaders, from interns through CEOs. Rapp demonstrates in this engaging book that people are led, resources are managed, and knowing the difference and how to accomplish both can determine success or failure on the battlefield or boardroom."

—Ricardo Herrera, School of Advanced Military Studies, US Army Command and General Staff College, author of For Liberty and the Republic: The American Citizen as Soldier, 1775-1861

A KNOX PRESS BOOK

An imprint of Permuted Press

ISBN: 978-1-64293-874-6

ISBN (eBook): 978-1-64293-873-9

Accomplishing the Impossible:

Leadership That Launched Revolutionary Change

© 2021 by William E. Rapp

All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publisher.

Permuted Press, LLC

New York • Nashville

permutedpress.com

Published in the United States of America

This book is dedicated to Debbie, Anna, David, and Robby—my inspiration and my hope for the future.

Contents

Maps 

Foreword 

Introduction 

Chapter 1 The Long Road to War 

Chapter 2 The Shots Heard Round the World 

Chapter 3 A World Turned Upside Down 

Chapter 4 The Gates of Hell 

Chapter 5 Washington Builds an Army 

Chapter 6 Accomplishing the Impossible 

Conclusion 

Appendix 1: The British and Colonial Combatants 

Appendix 2: Key Documents 

Appendix 3: Consolidated Leadership Lessons 

Bibliography 

Notes 

Acknowledgments 

MAPS

The Seat of War in New England. Drawn by an American volunteer and published by Robert Sayer and John Bennett, 1775. Massachusetts, which included much of current day Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island were the hotbed of early resistance to the Crown. Courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library.

A Plan for the Town of Boston and its environs, with the lines, batteries, and encampments of the British and American armies. Drawn by Lieutenant Thomas Hyde Page, Royal Engineers, 1776. Courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library.

A Plan of the Town of Boston, with the Intrenchments &c. of His Majestys Forces in 1775. Drawn by Lieutenant Thomas Hyde Page and published by William Faden, 1778. Courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library.

A Plan of the Town and Harbor of Boston. Drawn by J. De Costa, 1775. This map shows the movements and various engagements during the raid on Concord in April 1775. Courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library.

A Plan of the Action at Bunkers Hill, on the 17th of June, 1775. Drawn by Lieutenant Thomas Hyde Page with surveys by Captain John Montresor, Royal Engineers, 1778. Page served as General Howe’s aide-de-camp during that battle. Courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library.

Gen. Washington’s Revolutionary Campaign War Map: after a survey ordered by him showing the position of his army in defence of Boston, 1776. Also the fortifications and gun batteries extending from Charlestown around to Dorchester Heights. Drawn by A.O. Crane, ca 1875. This map clearly shows how the fortifications on the heights south of Boston put the Royal Navy’s anchorage at risk. Courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center at the Boston Public Library.

FOREWORD

In the early afternoon of Saturday, June 17, 1775, John Stark, colonel of the First New Hampshire Regiment, marched his men over the crest of Bunker Hill and nearly saved the day for the colonial militia against the vaunted British Army. Cresting the hill at the head of his men, Stark took in the situation in a long glance toward Boston. He saw the British regulars forming up in long lines of red and glistening steel. Regulars, combined with the smoke of the burning houses in a deserted Charlestown, told Stark in an instant that the young, untested militia would need firm leadership that day. And Stark immediately saw that the position of Colonel William Prescott of the Massachusetts militia on Breed’s Hill was badly exposed to a British attack on its left and that the colonial fortifications would be quickly surrounded and destroyed. Without coordination with Prescott nor having any specific orders to act, Stark moved the First and Third New Hampshire Regiments to the far left of the colonial line just in time to receive the main attack of the British. Within minutes, Stark’s men repulsed company after company of the elite light infantry as the British tried to flank Prescott’s position on Breed’s Hill. Stark’s long service with Rogers’s Rangers in the French and Indian War gave him the experience, confidence, and courage that he needed to immediately see the weak point in the colonial defenses and act on his own initiative to plug the gap. Three times the British regulars attacked Stark and Prescott, succeeding in overwhelming the latter’s fortification only when the colonials ran out of ammunition. Stark and his men covered Prescott’s retreat and safely extricated the militia from the Charlestown Peninsula.

Popular history teaches us about the Battle of Bunker Hill (though no fighting occurred on Bunker Hill) and how the brave William Prescott ordered his men to wait until they saw the whites of their eyes before firing their last rounds at the charging British (though he never said that). But leaders like John Stark rarely make the highlight reel, despite all that they could teach us about leadership. There are many great men and women who unfortunately have been largely forgotten or relegated to a footnote in the historical record. But far more insulting to their memory is that they are ignored as having nothing to teach us today.

During more than four decades in uniform, reading history served as the cornerstone of my professional development and was instrumental in executing my responsibility to assist others in developing as leaders. When I was confronted with difficult challenges, history provided perspective, inspiration, and insight. The people and the circumstances might be unique to a day in 1775, 1863, 1917, 1944, or 1950, but the lessons we can draw from history are timeless. When I read about John Stark, I see the value of experience and self-discipline. More importantly, however, I note his incredible sense of initiative, his courage to do the right thing in the absence of direction, and his grit in the face of adversity. Those faced with difficult decisions in the twenty-first century will find the experience and performance of John Stark relevant and instructive.

I vividly remember taking a group of ninety young officers and noncommissioned officers on a visit to Pusan, South Korea, and the surrounding area in the spring of 1998. As we walked the ground in an area that was known as the Naktong Bulge in 1950, we reflected on the events that took place at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. We were struck by what the Soldiers and Marines of the Eighth Army and First Provisional Marine Brigade accomplished during a period that has been described by Bill Sloan as The Darkest Summer. The visit prompted rich discussions about readiness, courage, combined arms, operational art, and combat leadership. I developed a deep appreciation for the leadership of Lieutenant General Walton Walker, who overcame truly extraordinary challenges to hold off a North Korean People’s Army attack long enough for General Douglas MacArthur to conduct his amphibious turning movement at Inchon.

Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines call such a purposeful visit to a battlefield or other historical site a staff ride. I have done many in my career and know that to get the most out of the experience, the visit must involve far more than passive tourism. Before we visited Pusan, we spent weeks preparing by reading about and discussing the Korean War. During our visit specific leaders were assigned to lead purposeful discussions that would highlight key points from the battles that took place along the Naktong River. Most importantly, we prepared to discuss what insights could be gained, internalized, and applied as we confronted our own leadership challenges. You can learn a great deal about the history of a place from a park ranger, but to understand and explore the leadership lessons requires a bit more work. Those willing to do the work will find that the rewards are great. I reflected on that single visit to Pusan for the remainder of my career, and the lessons I drew from the Korean War informed how I approached my responsibilities as the Commandant of the Marine Corps and later as the Chairman.

Accomplishing the Impossible provides the reader with a staff ride experience. The history in these pages is first-rate, but the real value is in the application of that history to contemporary leadership challenges. Most corporations have some form of leader development and succession planning. Most rely on experience and gradually expanded scope and scale of responsibilities to develop leaders. But in my view, truly successful leaders also take responsibility for their own professional development with a lifelong self-study and professional reading program. This book will be a valuable resource to any leader embarking on that journey. From the early days of not quite war in 1774 to the triumphal but forgotten forts built on the heights of Dorchester in March 1776 that forced the British out of Boston, this book brilliantly offers you a journey of leadership that will aid you in your own contemporary leadership and management challenges.

The author, Bill Rapp, is uniquely qualified to lead the reader on such a historical leadership staff ride. I have been honored to get to know him along my journey and to watch him in action. He is an accomplished warrior and scholar—in addition to having combat leadership experience in command positions in three wars and a career characterized by a passion for his profession and leadership development, Bill Rapp was First Captain of his class at West Point, won all three major awards at US Army Ranger School, earned a doctorate in political science from Stanford, and was Commandant at both West Point and the Army War College.

As you read this book, I hope that you immerse yourself in the context of the day and the challenges faced by the various leaders. More importantly, I hope that you take the experiences of Stark and others with you on your own journey of leadership.

Joseph F. Dunford Jr.

General, United States Marine Corps (Retired)

19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

INTRODUCTION

History never repeats itself, but the kaleidoscopic combinations of the pictured present often seem to be constructed out of the broken fragments of antique legends.¹

Mark Twain

Lexington Green, Old North Bridge, and Bunker Hill—all three conjure up images of outnumbered militiamen in buckskins fighting against British regulars in scarlet jackets and tall bearskin hats. Those children still fortunate enough to have history in their school curriculum often see only the romanticized history of the early American Revolution, while for most adults these events are of passing interest and rarely seen as having contemporary learning value. On the contrary, history has great power as a vehicle for learning not only about a common heritage but, more importantly, learning about how to lead in contemporary contexts. The purpose of this book is to plumb a lesser-known and myth-filled era in American history to uncover what contemporary business and public leaders can and should know about some of the timeless secrets of leading people and organizations. Through the events and personalities of the early American Revolution, we can discover a treasure trove of lessons that can make us more effective as leaders today—whether we find ourselves in a boardroom, in a factory, or in the halls of a legislature.

The goal of this book is not to provide a definitive history of the Boston Campaign of 1774 to 1776. Many parts of that history remain in contention to this day and may never be fully known, and those that are known are extensively covered in historical texts. Rather, the purpose is to look at the campaign through the lens of contemporary leadership challenges and to identify the lessons that can be learned by leaders today. This is not a book for military historians, but rather one that hopefully can have wider resonance with business and public-sector leaders, including those in uniform. This book encourages the reader to connect history to today’s leadership challenges. It also encourages readers to connect written history to actual, physical places and to put themselves in the shoes of imperfect leaders who were forced to make extraordinarily difficult decisions in environments marked by inadequate information and great confusion. Although it is grounded in history, the book is ultimately about helping today’s leaders learn how to be more effective and successful.

The early years of the American Revolution are astoundingly rich in lessons that can inform today’s leaders. Personalities such as Samuel Adams, Joseph Warren, Artemas Ward, and Thomas Gage are not as well known as George Washington, but they were no less important in shaping the events and organizations that gave life to a new nation. From their dilemmas, trials, and resulting actions come a myriad of lessons applicable to leaders today. Leadership is about people, organizations, and processes. It is about influencing audiences, managing logistics, and creating and achieving goals (large and small). But it is also about overcoming basic human frailties to inspire others in uncertain times.

Hopefully, through the chapters of this book, the leadership lessons from these well- and lesser-known figures will become sticky in our minds—creating images and memories to aid recall—and help to guide us when confronted with our own challenges. These lessons will teach us more about ourselves, how we think about and process information, how we should think about self-development, and how to best maintain a moral compass. They will teach us about leading organizations in times of uncertainty through managing talent, empowering initiative, and building and inspiring resilient teams. They will teach us about leading up and out of organizations