Leading Like the Swamp Fox: The Leadership Lessons of Francis Marion

by Kevin Dougherty, Steven D. Smith

A riveting and applicable study of how Francis Marion delivered the leadership and strategy to defeat the British in the South Carolina lowcountry campaigns.

Francis Marion is certainly the stuff of which legends are made. His nickname “The Swamp Fox,” bestowed upon him by one of his fiercest enemies, captures his wily approach to battle. The embellishment of his exploits in Parson Weems’ early biography make separation of fact from fiction difficult, but certainly represents the awe, loyalty, and attraction he produced in those around him. His legacy is enshrined in the fact that more places in the United States have been named after him than any other soldier of the American Revolution, with the sole exception of George Washington. Even today’s U.S. Army Rangers include Marion as one of their formative heroes. Surely much about leadership can be learned from such an intriguing personality.

Leading like the Swamp The Leadership Lessons of Francis Marion unlocks those lessons. Divided into three parts, the book first presents the historical background and context necessary to appreciate Marion’s situation. The main body of the book then examines Marion’s leadership across eight categories, with a number of vignettes demonstrating Marion’s competency. The summary then captures some conclusions about how leadership impacted the American Revolution in the South Carolina Lowcountry. An appendix provides some information about how the reader might explore those physical reminders of Marion and his exploits that exist today. Readers interested in history or leadership, or both, will all find something for them in Leading like the Swamp Fox .

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction

Part Understanding Francis Marion’s Revolutionary War

Part Leadership Lessons and Vignettes
Francis Marion and a Leader’s Frame of Reference
Francis Marion and the Responsibility of Leadership
Francis Marion and the Interpersonal Component of Leadership
Francis Marion and Communicating as a Leader
Francis Marion and a Leader’s Need to Solve Problems

Part Summary

Conclusions about Leadership During the Lowcountry Campaign
Some Reminders of the Lowcountry Campaign
Bibliography

256 pages, Hardcover

Published June 7, 2022

About the author

Kevin Dougherty is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. Formerly a faculty member in the History Department at the University of Southern Mississippi, he is currently a Tactical Officer at Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.