Leadership has had a great impact on the History of the United States of America. Individual people who have risen to the occasion of leadership have played key roles on that great stage called life. In this new look at leaders and leadership during the War of 1812, the historical profiles of 43 personalities have been carefully selected based on the various roles they played in that dramatic conflict and the modern lessons in leadership that can be gleaned from reviewing each as a "case study." The spotlight has been placed on the lessons learned from these very personal stories which teach practical principles of leadership for today's leaders. There is nothing quite like learning vicariously from the revealing experiences of others. These individual stories cover a wide spectrum of events, from the first shots fired in the war, to the signing of the Treaty of Ghent by President Madison at the very end of that international conflict. Each vignette holds a valuable piece of the puzzle as to what makes a great leader during times of existential crisis. The authors maintain that good leadership principles can be learned, and that the powerful lessons presented here are quite relevant - and totally applicable - to leadership today! There are many different kinds of leaders presented in this book, as well as lessons regarding the varied ways to develop future leaders. Here, one will get a taste of a wide-spectrum look at the phenomenon of leadership depicted in these studies. It is hoped that the reader will savor this captivating approach to learning leadership lessons through the authentic, and sometimes surprising, examples of real people, in real situations, and particularly through the examination of how they reacted as they faced real pressures and the extremes of wartime conditions. In this book, the reader will also meet American, British, Canadian, and Indian leaders, who affected the outcome of the War of 1812. Almost anyone can show some leadership ability in easy times - when everything is going to plan - almost anyone can be somewhat inspirational, innovative and strong. The real question, however, is "how does one do when everything's falling apart?" That is the ultimate test of exceptional leadership. As seen here, real leadership is not so much about titles, rank, or raw "power," as it is about character, preparation, and courage. Prepare for a journey of discovery from the lessons in leadership from the War of 1812!