English 2370: Week 4 Analysis and Application Handout on Leadership

This assignment analyzes Henry Lee's eulogy on George Washington, exploring the thesis that Washington rescued America from crisis through his superior leadership. The analysis identifies key points such as Washington's military prowess, leadership qualities, and role as a national leader, supported by textual evidence. The assignment further examines three key sentences from the eulogy, analyzing their significance in portraying Washington's fearlessness, transition from battlefield to administrative roles, and the perception of his leadership. Additionally, the application handout identifies five leadership characteristics—duty-bound responsibility, optimism, fearlessness, humility, and empathy—and contemplates their applications in academic, civic, social media, professional, and personal contexts, drawing from the eulogy to illustrate these traits. This student paper offers a comprehensive overview of leadership principles exemplified by George Washington, as presented in Henry Lee's eulogy, and can be found on Desklib.

Running head: ENGLISH COLLEGE WRITING
ENGLISH COLLEGE WRITING
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Analysis Handout Template.
1. The speech, or more precisely the eulogy on George Washington, by Henry Lee, upholds the
life and virtues of George Washington and establishes him as the leader who pulled America out
of a state of major crisis. Through the speech, Lee identifies George Washington as the person
who conquered the domains of both war and peace with utmost superiority and in both his
private and public life individually, Washington has been depicted as a man of discipline,
command, piousness and virtue and as an exemplary figure for all his people (Lee 49).
2. They key points that can be identified from the text primarily highlight the status of George
Washington as he was perceived by Henry Lee. The first aspect that Lee highlights is the
dominance and display of commanding prowess that is the characteristic of Washington in war.
As a hero and as a commander, the responsibilities that Washington was bestowed with, he
upheld them with utmost duty – bound conviction and carried out the job as he was expected to
do (Lee 43). Washington did not look at America as an oppressed nation in need of saving, rather
as his own land and his own people under oppression, and took the responsibility of ensuring
their liberation (Lee 43, 44). Lee, in his eulogy on President Washington, takes the people back
to the scenes of Long Island, York Island and New Jersey, displaying and upholding the
gallantry so characteristic of Washington on a battlefield (Lee 43). One of the key pictures that
Lee paints so vibrantly is that of the Delaware River, with its furious waters and floating ice that
made it impossible for men to pass. Washington, caring little for the dangers to his life and aided
by a strong and believing fleet, looked only at his ultimate goal, his country’s liberation, and
faced all hostilities on his path only to land on the shore, fight and ultimately come out victorious
(Lee 43).

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Another key point that can be identified from the text provided in decent detail is the role
that Washington played as a leader. His gallant war attitude and defiant behavioural attributes
contribute to him being a force to be reckoned with on a battlefield, however that is not all that
Washington possesses. As a leader too, as Lee identifies, Washington always looked at what the
general people would benefit from (Lee 46). Based on that, he would act, always putting the
happiness of the people in context, before everyone else (Lee 46). Lee states, while describing
Washington in a context out of war, “heaven had not infused into his mind such an uncommon
share of its aethereal spirit to remain unemployed, nor bestowed on him his genius
unaccompanied with the corresponding duty of devoting it to the common good.” (Lee 46). This
statement made by Lee is a significant one in the text, as it captures not only Lee’s love and
admiration for George Washington, but also shows how Washington’s subordinates viewed him
as a leader.
Lastly, the text also highlights the role that Washington played as a leader of the nation.
Lee states, “Pursuing steadfastly his course, he held safe the public happiness, preventing
foreign war, and quelling internal discord, till the revolving period of a third election
approached, when he executed his interrupted but inextinguishable desire of returning to the
humble walks of his private life” (Lee 48). This statement finds its importance in the fact that it
explores how, despite his actions and commitments, George Washington was still a human being
with the basic desires and choices of living a normal everyday life.
3. Dreadful was the night; it was about this time of the winter – The storm raged – the Delaware
rolling furiously with the floating ice forbad the approach of man. (Lee 43).

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This line perfectly captures the aspect of fearlessness that Washington displays during the
battle. Lee highlights how Washington, in the face of the challenge of the winter, braved the icy
waters of the Delaware River to lead his fleet to victory over the troops of the German Colonel
Johann Rall. His leading of the Continental Army against the Hessian forces is a clear example
of strategy and planning, and not simply an act of chivalrous display of wartime gallantry. The
enemy forces would not have imagined someone to be able to cross the fierce waters of the
Delaware on a winter night, particularly with ice floating on the water. This provided
Washington with the added benefit of surprise, using which he was able to attack the enemy
troops and eventually claim victory.
This line is significant not only because it highlights the background context in which
Washington crossed the river, but also serves as a metaphorical reminder of the type of person
that Washington was in his real life. As a fierce man with a well devised battle plan, this line is
an encompassment of Washington’s daring nerve and chivalry as well as the strategic planning
mind.
To the horrid din of battle sweet peace succeeded, and our virtuous chief, mindful only of
the common good … … that to be truly great, you must be truly good. (Lee 44, 45)
This is a line that captures the transition of the character of George Washington from one
that is so fierce and courageous on a battlefield to one that is settling into a more administrative
role in his life. In that context, the line captures how Washington brings his mental processes
from the battlefield to the desk and modifies them so that the general good of the people can be
met. The last section of this sentence that states ‘… to be truly great, you must be truly good’,
captures the mental process neatly, identifying Washington as a character of morale and ethics.

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Lee also gives an analogy of transforming the sword into a ploughshare, the latter being a
symbolic representation for the common people. Just like Washington’s used his sword during
the war to come out victorious, he will be using the ploughshare to ensure victorious results in
the lives of the common people as well. Lee had established Washington as a person who always
put the problems of other above his own. Therefore, this sentence is an effective encapsulation of
the fact that as a leader of a nation, it is important for Washington to look after the wellbeing of
his people at first, and ensure that they are well settled, well fed and live a life free from conflict.
Such a nation aught to be happy, such a chief must be forever revered. (Lee 47)
The implication of this line can be better understood by the line before this sentence
which acts as the context for this statement. In the previous line, Lee had explained that in the
election for president where Washington stood as a candidate, saw him winning by the
unanimous vote of the nation. Lee expresses his delight and awe at the fact that the people of the
nation had displayed such excellent judgement in choosing their leader and therefore he makes
the statement given above. This line is also important in highlighting the perception of
Washington in the minds of his people which has been instrumental in correctly representing the
kind of person Washington has been in his life, both as a soldier, as a commander as well as in
his outreach to the people. Not only does this imply his position in the minds and perception of
the people in general, but also in the nation as a leader. This is why Lee makes the statement,
claiming that a country with a leader like Washington should be happy and a leader like him
should forever be respected and honoured.
Application Handout Template.

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1. Five characteristics of Leadership, both explicit and implied can be identified as follows:
Firstly, as a leader, it is important to be duty – bound and responsible. It means that a leader
should be able to identify a particular problem, visualise solutions and be able to solve the
problem in a systematic manner dealing as less damage to his own team as possible. This is an
explicit trait. Looking back at Henry Lee’s speech, this kind of awareness and decisiveness is a
specific trait that made George Washington such a prominent figure when it comes to wartime
engagements (Lee). He had a clear vision of the objective and looked at the problem as an
obstacle which allowed him to find appropriate solutions for it.
A second characteristic of effective leadership is optimism. It is an implied trait. As a
leader, it is important to be optimistic about one’s engagements, objectives as well the problems.
Optimism results in a clearer mindset and allows people to work towards the specific objectives
with the notion of success in mind. Furthermore, a leader is also a role model for as well as a
commander of a team. It is therefore important for the leaders to be optimistic as the team
members would then also follow the lead of the person and produce effective results.
Thirdly, a leader should be fearless. This is an explicit trait. It means that the leader
should not be discouraged by the obstacles that lie on his path. He should not be afraid to take
risks if taking the risk has the potential of leading to fruitful results. In Lee’s eulogy, he describes
several instances of fearlessness that Washington displayed, ranging from crossing the fierce
Delaware on a cold winter, to eventually bringing America out of an oppressive situation (43, 44,
45). Fearlessness is a characteristic that should be innate to every leader as they are the axis
around which the functioning of a team depends.
Fourthly, it is also important that a leader is humble. Humility is a trait that can be both
explicit and implicit depending upon a specific context. The humble nature of a leader restricts

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him from misusing the power that is given to him. It also identifies a leader as a human with
humane attributes, choices and will. Lee, in his eulogy, explains that at the end of his formal
responsibilities towards the nation, Washington expressed the desire to retreat to the comfort of
his home (48). This indicates that despite the potential for acquiring and misusing the power and
respect of his team, Washington chose not to do so, simply because as a man he was humble in
nature.
Lastly, a final trait that leaders should identify themselves with is empathy. Empathy
refers to understanding the problems and feelings of a person from the perspective of the person.
It allows for the development of a shared conscience wherein the leader can effectively address
the problems of the people under him by not contradicting the wellbeing of that person.
2. a. In academic life, the leadership traits that can be perfectly applied are fearlessness,
responsibility, optimism and humility. These four traits, in an academic context can allow people
to face all odds with a clear and strong mindset and eventually come out with positive results. An
academic life does not only include students, but teachers and professors as well, who are
responsible to lead the students by being an effective role model. These traits therefore play key
roles in helping the leader identify his position amongst the people.
b. In Civic Life, all the traits of leadership become crucial for the leader. They allow the
leader to look at the people (public) in context not as subordinates but as people who are seeking
his support and are ready and willing to reciprocate the support as well. Taking example from the
eulogy, Lee stated that Washington worked with the sole objective of the betterment of the
general people in mind (46). It shows that the leaders should understand the problems and issues

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of the people first and try to solve them, keeping his personal problems aside, so that the general
good can be ensured prior to addressing his specific personal problems.
c. In present day context, managing a social media life has become a common
characteristic for almost all people. With personal and professional limitations making it difficult
for the people to focus on their actual social lives, social media has made it possible to not only
connect with people, but also to conduct several professional activities as well. This is also a
domain where the leaders are not only expressing their traits of leadership but reflectively
learning as well. Social media makes it possible for leaders from around the world to connect
and share their views without discrimination and associated pride. Therefore the ability to
explore newer concepts and learn new ideas of effective leadership makes it an important domain
to consider.
d. Professional life is the domain where the traits of leadership are the most significantly
visible. A leader in a professional context is able to apply his skills of leadership practically. He
can manage a team, understand the problems, analyse the solutions and deal with the issue as
well as produce positive outcomes once the specified characteristics are in place. The Eulogy
highlighted several attributes that Lee described Washington to possess. As a commander of a
fleet, he was tasked with certain responsibilities concerning the war which he effectively dealt
with, leading to understanding that the traits of leadership that he displayed are appropriate for a
situation like this.
e. Despite all leaders being professionally inclined towards certain specific characteristics
and traits, their personal life is something that is often overlooked. A person’s personal life can
also have a wide range of issues that need to be effectively dealt with. The leadership attributes
that make for an effective leader are particularly useful in helping the person out of those

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situations as well. One trait that stands out in this context is that of empathy and humility, which
effectively helps to strengthen interpersonal bonds.

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Works Cited.
Lee, Henry. ‘Eulogy on President Washington 1799’. Widmer, Edward L. and Ted
Widmer. American Speeches: Political Oratory from the Revolution to the Civil War. Library of
America, 2006.