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Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton
Make Every Step Count on Your Leadership Journey
How did American Military leaders in the brutal POW camps of North Vietnam inspire their followers for six, seven, or eight years to remain committed to the mission, resist a cruel enemy, and return home with honor? What leadership principles engendered such extreme devotion, perseverance, and teamwork?
In this powerful and practical book, Lee Ellis, a former Air Force pilot, candidly talks about his five and a half years of captivity and the fourteen key leadership principles behind this amazing story. As a successful executive coach and corporate consultant, he helps leaders of Fortune 500 companies, healthcare executives, small business owners, and entrepreneurs utilize these same pressure-tested principles to increase their personal and organizational success.
In Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, you will learn:
- Courageous lessons from POW leaders facing torture in the crucible of captivity.
- How successful teams are applying these same lessons and principles.
- How to implement these lessons using the Coaching sessions provided in each chapter.
In the book’s Foreword, Senator John McCain states, “In Leading with Honor, Lee draws from the POW experience, including some of his own personal story, to illustrate the crucial impact of leadership on the success of any organization. He highlights lessons and principles that can be applied to every leadership situation.”
This book is ideal for individual or group study as a personal development, coaching, human resource development, or executive training resource.
How did American Military leaders in the brutal POW camps of North Vietnam inspire their followers for six, seven, or eight years to remain committed to the mission, resist a cruel enemy, and return home with honor? What leadership principles engendered such extreme devotion, perseverance, and teamwork?
In this powerful and practical book, Lee Ellis, a former Air Force pilot, candidly talks about his five and a half years of captivity and the fourteen key leadership principles behind this amazing story. As a successful executive coach and corporate consultant, he helps leaders of Fortune 500 companies, healthcare executives, small business owners, and entrepreneurs utilize these same pressure-tested principles to increase their personal and organizational success.
In Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, you will learn:
- Courageous lessons from POW leaders facing torture in the crucible of captivity.
- How successful teams are applying these same lessons and principles.
- How to implement these lessons using the Coaching sessions provided in each chapter.
In the book’s Foreword, Senator John McCain states, “In Leading with Honor, Lee draws from the POW experience, including some of his own personal story, to illustrate the crucial impact of leadership on the success of any organization. He highlights lessons and principles that can be applied to every leadership situation.”
This book is ideal for individual or group study as a personal development, coaching, human resource development, or executive training resource.
233 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2012
54 people are currently reading
490 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 5, 2016
Leadership, one of the most important yet, unfortunately, looked over personality traits. This trait is one that proved important for Lee Ellis when he was shot down and taken prisoner in Vietnam. The main character is Lee Ellis himself. This book not only shows his struggles in the prisoner camp, but it shows how those experiences can help benefit everyone in their everyday lives. Some of the Struggles he has is the torture. The Vietnamese would torture prisoners in order to get information from them. Another struggle Ellis went through was the lack of communication with other prisoners. They would have to tap codes in a wall or find another way to communicate. You will have to read the book to find out how Ellis overcame all these events. Lee Ellis learned that sometimes in life the circumstances are not what you want but you have to be strong, help others, and make the best of it.
I wanted to read this book because I wanted to be a stronger leader. Through boy scouts I have been in leadership positions and try to stand out from the crowd. I felt like this book helped me become a better leader in my community and school. I can relate to the Ellis because he is diligent and tries to keep everyone hopes up in bad situations. This book defiantly lived up to the promise. I this that it has, indeed, helped me become a better leader.
The intended audience of this book is young adult and up. It is easy to read. You should read this book because it teaches life lessons that will help in the future. This would be a good book for high school students preparing to go to college because it teaches you to stand up for what you believe in and not to give in at the first sign of trouble. It reads like a motivational speech because it tells Lees stories and then goes on to tell how to use his advice in your life. Because of the format this might not be a good book for someone that likes non-stop action, and would be more for people interested in bettering themselves.
I wanted to read this book because I wanted to be a stronger leader. Through boy scouts I have been in leadership positions and try to stand out from the crowd. I felt like this book helped me become a better leader in my community and school. I can relate to the Ellis because he is diligent and tries to keep everyone hopes up in bad situations. This book defiantly lived up to the promise. I this that it has, indeed, helped me become a better leader.
The intended audience of this book is young adult and up. It is easy to read. You should read this book because it teaches life lessons that will help in the future. This would be a good book for high school students preparing to go to college because it teaches you to stand up for what you believe in and not to give in at the first sign of trouble. It reads like a motivational speech because it tells Lees stories and then goes on to tell how to use his advice in your life. Because of the format this might not be a good book for someone that likes non-stop action, and would be more for people interested in bettering themselves.
January 6, 2025
excellent! I dont normally enjoy leadership books as they are usually lectures and drone on and on. Not this one, amazing story of survival, resiliency and triumph mixed with thought provoking lessons. Highly recommend.
May 16, 2018
The commentary on leadership struggled to hold my attention, but the stories from the POW camps in Vietnam made this a four star book.
January 27, 2025
I listened to this book as it is assigned reading for a Corps of Cadets leadership class I'm teaching. I'm very glad I did. I have always counseled my Cadets and other commands I've led on the importance of resilience--remaining positive and not only surviving but thriving in the face of adversity. This book demonstrates these concepts better than any other I've ever read. I was fascinated by the sections that described how the POWs were able to concentrate and remember obscure facts--the names of everyone in their 8th grade class; full passages, verses, and chapters from the Bible; the names of hundreds of POWs; lines from movies; languages; complex math, etc. They could do this because their minds were freed up from the normal hubbub of daily life. In today's society, we are constantly attempting to multitask, and we are close to overwhelmed by the amount of information swirling around us at any second. It's no wonder we need devices in our pockets to remember anything, or we just ask Siri. While I never want to go through an experience similar to what Lee Ellis experienced in the prison camps of Vietnam, I'm greatly reassured that large amounts of data I've learned through my life are still in my brain, only waiting for serious concentration to bring them back to the surface. The stories about how the POW camp survivors went on to fame and fortune (U.S. Senators, CEOs, judges, doctors, etc.), is another powerful example of the human capacity to thrive in the face of the most extreme adversity. These are wonderful examples of post-traumatic growth, and they provide hope to those who suffer from its opposite--post-traumatic stress. These concepts dovetail very well for the other course I'm teaching, which has a focus on "positive psychology." All in all, I found this book enjoyable and well worth the time.
July 27, 2017
A wonderful book by a true patriot and hero.
In his book Ellis uses vignettes from his civilian consulting experiences and his military leadership roles to illustrate his views on effective and honorable leadership.
He shares stories and his experiences as a prisoner of war during Vietnam for more than five years highlighting his first hand accounts of leadership in times that could break men's minds, bodies and souls. In these stories the reader can see that effective leadership can bolster spirits and very literally save lives - both in the moment and years later.
Chapters are closed with effective summaries and action steps for the readers to follow to place the observations into practice.
A book that should be read and that effectively imparts Ellis's hard earned lessons and provides tips for improving the practice of leadership with character.
In his book Ellis uses vignettes from his civilian consulting experiences and his military leadership roles to illustrate his views on effective and honorable leadership.
He shares stories and his experiences as a prisoner of war during Vietnam for more than five years highlighting his first hand accounts of leadership in times that could break men's minds, bodies and souls. In these stories the reader can see that effective leadership can bolster spirits and very literally save lives - both in the moment and years later.
Chapters are closed with effective summaries and action steps for the readers to follow to place the observations into practice.
A book that should be read and that effectively imparts Ellis's hard earned lessons and provides tips for improving the practice of leadership with character.
June 27, 2025
Lee Ellis was a prison of war in Vietnam for over five years, finished a career in the Air Force, then became a leadership coach. This books communicates what he has learned over a lifetime of suffering and learning to help others sharpen their own leadership.
It is organized into two major sections: leading yourself and leading others, with Ellis’ fourteen lessons on leadership illustrated by his experience as a POW in Hanoi, then applied to the world of business in which he now works.
The fourteen lessons will be very familiar to anyone well-read in the literature of leadership, but the strength of the book is Ellis’ stories of how the lessons were lived out in the real and awful world of being long-held prisoners of an evil regime. Seeing familiar principles actually lived out in a brutal and imperfect world is a compelling and good reason for picking it up.
It is organized into two major sections: leading yourself and leading others, with Ellis’ fourteen lessons on leadership illustrated by his experience as a POW in Hanoi, then applied to the world of business in which he now works.
The fourteen lessons will be very familiar to anyone well-read in the literature of leadership, but the strength of the book is Ellis’ stories of how the lessons were lived out in the real and awful world of being long-held prisoners of an evil regime. Seeing familiar principles actually lived out in a brutal and imperfect world is a compelling and good reason for picking it up.
July 2, 2020
Lee Ellis does an amazing job of storytelling. One of the classes I had earlier in my career was on how effective leaders take a situation and say this reminds me of and tell a story of how one can overcome the bad things happening and move forward. It was art I saw with Rich Fairbanks at Capital One.
What makes this work so powerful is that Ellis was a POW in Vietnam. He shares the experience of what happened in Vietnam as a POW and relates the lessons that can be used be leaders today. Reading it really puts life in perspective. If a collection of military officers can overcome the torture, adversity, and separation from friends and family, what can we do to solve the problems we face in an office environment?
What makes this work so powerful is that Ellis was a POW in Vietnam. He shares the experience of what happened in Vietnam as a POW and relates the lessons that can be used be leaders today. Reading it really puts life in perspective. If a collection of military officers can overcome the torture, adversity, and separation from friends and family, what can we do to solve the problems we face in an office environment?
April 22, 2025
“Like it or not, we tend to learn the most about ourselves in our struggles. Such self-awareness is the prerequisite for all personal development. I’m not suggesting that we need to enjoy trials, but as individuals and leaders we do need to value them.”
What a remarkable book! This is of value to any and all of us; it is unfortunate how honorable leaders are seemingly hard to find on the proverbial “stage.” I will look amongst the common everyday heroes, and seek to be one myself. This true account of what being a POW without bitterness and seeking to learn honor and leadership can do to transform all of us. Recommend this book!
What a remarkable book! This is of value to any and all of us; it is unfortunate how honorable leaders are seemingly hard to find on the proverbial “stage.” I will look amongst the common everyday heroes, and seek to be one myself. This true account of what being a POW without bitterness and seeking to learn honor and leadership can do to transform all of us. Recommend this book!
November 18, 2019
He writes as a humble, straightforward, honest leader that I would follow.
p.55 "When you see a problem, you have to engage it. It usually doesn't get better over time; it gets worse."
p.70 "Drive is a helpful quality, but like most other leadership traits, it can be powered by inappropriate motivations." ---> p71 "Are your drive and ambition focused on helping the team succeed? Do you tend to 'beat people down' or 'lift them up'? How can you learn about how you influence the motivations and confidence of others?"
p.55 "When you see a problem, you have to engage it. It usually doesn't get better over time; it gets worse."
p.70 "Drive is a helpful quality, but like most other leadership traits, it can be powered by inappropriate motivations." ---> p71 "Are your drive and ambition focused on helping the team succeed? Do you tend to 'beat people down' or 'lift them up'? How can you learn about how you influence the motivations and confidence of others?"
January 27, 2022
4/5
Through Lee Ellis’ incredible story of perseverance as a Vietnam War POW, he turns it into a collection of important leadership lessons to learn from. I think a leader in any level (military or civilian) can take something valuable from this book to apply to their leadership style.
I think it makes sense how Lee wrote the book -breaking up each chapter with a specific story/hardship and then talking present day about lessons learned and the leadership trait to take away from it. Overall I think it detracts a little from the story to be told though, and the “self help”-y aspect doesn’t seem to fit the horrific, brutal stories you read just one page before.
Through Lee Ellis’ incredible story of perseverance as a Vietnam War POW, he turns it into a collection of important leadership lessons to learn from. I think a leader in any level (military or civilian) can take something valuable from this book to apply to their leadership style.
I think it makes sense how Lee wrote the book -breaking up each chapter with a specific story/hardship and then talking present day about lessons learned and the leadership trait to take away from it. Overall I think it detracts a little from the story to be told though, and the “self help”-y aspect doesn’t seem to fit the horrific, brutal stories you read just one page before.
March 21, 2019
Leadership lessons are presented through the qualities that POWs held captive in Vietnam exhibited in order to survive. Lee Ellis, a former POW, describes 14 leadership principles in a format that keeps the reader engaged. The real-life application in a POW environment becomes an inspiration to utilize those principles in our civilian organizations.
December 5, 2021
This would have been much better as a memoir about the author’s experiences as POW, rather than as a book on leadership. I found Ellis’ stories about life as a Vietnam POW fascinating, but the leadership lessons that came with each chapter were only loosely related to his POW experiences and the leadership lessons themselves were overly broad.
January 27, 2025
A phenomenal book that describes the trials and tribulations of Lee Ellis, who was shot down in 1967.
Overall, his story and the ability to recount his 5 year ordeal as a Prisoner of War is captivating. His leadership tenants that are described show there is still something to learn. That said, the only critique is the dated business stories; however the leadership tenants still apply.
Overall, his story and the ability to recount his 5 year ordeal as a Prisoner of War is captivating. His leadership tenants that are described show there is still something to learn. That said, the only critique is the dated business stories; however the leadership tenants still apply.
February 18, 2019
This book offers very good insight into the techniques of good leadership. Lee links the leadership he experienced as a POW to the leadership he teaches across the nation. Every leader, military or corporate, would benefit from reading this book.
December 28, 2017
Great principles that become immediately evident in any sort of leadership or managerial role. The real world examples provided excellent illustrations of the principles in action.
May 23, 2018
Great stories of POW life at the Hanoi Hilton interspersed with how to apply it to an authentic leadership style.
June 11, 2020
Solid leadership book. Simple, easy to understand, and strongly supported by the author's experience as a POW in Vietnam. Very good pick for LPDs or leadership seminars in any organization.
March 14, 2022
Inspiring.
May 1, 2022
En este caso, no califico el libro señalado aquí, sino que califico la dramaturgia de Ángel Hernández titulada Hanói Hilton: Estudio para Bastardo con explosivos, que es todo lo contrario a esto.
July 19, 2022
Good stories.
September 9, 2024
Great leadership book from a the perspective of a Vietnam POW - looking at leadership during adversity and under extreme pressure. Impactful stories and great quotes!
December 30, 2020
Good book. Very inspiring.
August 26, 2018
Col.Lee Ellis, is truly an amazing example for us all. He hits the nail on the head with his leadership lessons as he relates them to his 5+ years as a POW during Viet Nam war.
His story...Lee Ellis, a 24 year old USAF F-4 fighter pilot, flew 53 combat missions over North Viet Nam. In 1967, his plane was shot down over enemy territory and held captive in Hanoi and other nearby POW camps for over 5 years. Ejected his plane, was injured, captured, tortured and held captive in various POW camps including the famous Hanoi Hilton. At one point there were close to 500 POWs thrown into various camps.
His POW story is about their communication, teaming, mission and relationships, code of conduct, culture and people development. (Yes, they educated each other and held classes and church.) He relates these principles succinctly and effectively to leadership. It really is an amazing story.
This is Lee's story and his parallel messages about leadership, leadership with honor. Honor being the significant word. Without question, Lee and the other POWs displayed an exceptional level of unwavering character to adhere to the Code of Conduct and the duty to defend the United States of America. Their perseverance, resilience and dedication to the other POWs and their country made them heroes, heroes that returned to their lives and families to live with a greater sense of purpose and character.
Lessons
Clarify and Build Your Culture
Over-Communicate the Message
Develop Your People
Balance Mission and People
Exploit Creativity
Treasure Your Trials and Celebrate Your Successes
Free the Captives
Side Note: Lee shares a bit about John McCain, also a POW at the Hanoi Hilton. Broken arms and leg after he ejected. With other injuries from torture and blows to the head by his captors, he was in very bad shape. Eventually POWs were released in the order they were captured. John was to be released early due to his injuries however he opted to wait to be released with the others and not be bumped forward and released early.
His story...Lee Ellis, a 24 year old USAF F-4 fighter pilot, flew 53 combat missions over North Viet Nam. In 1967, his plane was shot down over enemy territory and held captive in Hanoi and other nearby POW camps for over 5 years. Ejected his plane, was injured, captured, tortured and held captive in various POW camps including the famous Hanoi Hilton. At one point there were close to 500 POWs thrown into various camps.
His POW story is about their communication, teaming, mission and relationships, code of conduct, culture and people development. (Yes, they educated each other and held classes and church.) He relates these principles succinctly and effectively to leadership. It really is an amazing story.
This is Lee's story and his parallel messages about leadership, leadership with honor. Honor being the significant word. Without question, Lee and the other POWs displayed an exceptional level of unwavering character to adhere to the Code of Conduct and the duty to defend the United States of America. Their perseverance, resilience and dedication to the other POWs and their country made them heroes, heroes that returned to their lives and families to live with a greater sense of purpose and character.
Lessons
Clarify and Build Your Culture
Over-Communicate the Message
Develop Your People
Balance Mission and People
Exploit Creativity
Treasure Your Trials and Celebrate Your Successes
Free the Captives
Side Note: Lee shares a bit about John McCain, also a POW at the Hanoi Hilton. Broken arms and leg after he ejected. With other injuries from torture and blows to the head by his captors, he was in very bad shape. Eventually POWs were released in the order they were captured. John was to be released early due to his injuries however he opted to wait to be released with the others and not be bumped forward and released early.
June 15, 2015
There are many books on leadership and personal growth out there. Many of them suffer from being what worked for one person or in one situation now made into a formula that is supposed to work for every personality and in every situation. This book mostly avoids that and has some practical advice along with the author's story of suffering at the hands of the Vietnamese as a POW. He uses his experience and the experience of his fellow POWs to illustrate how to lead starting with how to lead yourself and make good decisions.
If leadership lessons and advice on how to make good decisions is the sort of thing that you think might be beneficial, this book is a solid pick up.
This book was selected for the Chief of Staff of the Air Force reading list. After reading it I recognize some of the emphasis areas he talks about being used in the Air Force. Now I know where they come from and why. If you are in the Air Force you may get more out of this than the average person for this reason.
If leadership lessons and advice on how to make good decisions is the sort of thing that you think might be beneficial, this book is a solid pick up.
This book was selected for the Chief of Staff of the Air Force reading list. After reading it I recognize some of the emphasis areas he talks about being used in the Air Force. Now I know where they come from and why. If you are in the Air Force you may get more out of this than the average person for this reason.
November 29, 2016
After hearing Lee speak at a Leadership Meeting, I could not wait to read his book. There are not words to describe how I felt while reading what he and other soldiers were made to endure. They took leadership to the extreme! I admire how Lee took their story and shared it in a way that others could learn, take from it and port tactics into their leadership practices. Job Well Done! End of chapter questions lend themselves well for a self-guided study and creation of a leadership plan aligned with your passion, purpose and personality!
Instead of “doing so you can be”, focus on “being so you can do”. Love this!
Fearful leaders hang back; courageous leaders develop a game plan and engage the issues. Weak leaders procrastinate, sidestep and avoid; strong leaders confront.
Instead of “doing so you can be”, focus on “being so you can do”. Love this!
Fearful leaders hang back; courageous leaders develop a game plan and engage the issues. Weak leaders procrastinate, sidestep and avoid; strong leaders confront.
August 2, 2015
Amazing how Col Ellis was able to put together a narrative of his POW experience, from beginning to end, and weave his own leadership insights throughout the book. His lessons on leadership, from within the POW camps to the world of businesses and other hierarchical organizations may prove useful for many, and should cause some to pause for reflection, asking if they're truly acting with integrity, being true to their own core beliefs and doing what's right, not what's easy.
May 12, 2016
Reframing 5 and a half years as a POW into a study in leadership is an incredible accomplishment. Lee Ellis describes the horrific treatment of prisoners through the lens of leadership qualities and what can be learned from the leadership among those same prisoners. It makes us examine our own leadership behaviors through far less threatening scenarios. I highly recommend this book to aspiring leaders and reflective leaders throughout the leadership journey.
July 1, 2012
Wonderful book on leadership with examples of Vietnam Pows, including John McCain. Incredible stories of courage and bravery that I never knew. Generally, the returnees weren't treated well. But many, many did remarkable things that honored them and our country.
May 4, 2013
Good book, the author used his Vietnam POW experiences to highlight several good leadership techniques. Each chapter has a self-evaluation section at the end to look at your own experiences and see how you are doing in different areas of leadership.
November 4, 2013
What a leader he was at such a young age after being shot down--this book teaches so many leadership lessons. I really enjoyed the out come of the book, his insight at business and military life and how the two grew as one. I
Highly recommend this book.
Highly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews