PM History Lessons: Gettysburg

Paul Bruno, PgMP, PMP has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of project management and information technology. He holds bachelor's degrees in management and computer software, as well as master's degrees in business administration and history.

  Leadership   ProjectsAtWork  

In the summer of 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee invaded the North in an attempt to provoke a climactic confrontation in the Civil War. Lee’s invasion failed when he lost at The Battle of Gettysburg. This historic battle offers a number of practical lessons for present-day project leaders.

Many historical events and milestones meet the definition of a project as a “temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end that is undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, which will typically bring about beneficial change or added value.” The goal of the PM Lessons from History series is to provide practical knowledge applicable to today’s projects while exploring some history along the way.  

The Battle of Gettysburg took place July 1-3, 1863 outside a small town in the state of Pennsylvania. The United States Civil War had gone badly for the North in the eastern U.S. for the first two years of the war. Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, part of the armies of the Confederacy, was fresh off a stunning victory over the Army of the Potomac, part of the armies of the Union, at Chancellorsville, Virginia. In May 1863 Lee’s army invaded the north in a gamble to achieve an overwhelming victory and win the war for the South. Lee’s army was at its greatest strength, well-led, and supremely …

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