[September 12, 2015] We often learn quickly that establishing a good social network is beneficial in many ways. Although difficult to measure the specific effectiveness of networks, senior leaders throughout time have taken great care to manage their network contacts. Such it was with General George Washington who became close friends with Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette during the American Revolutionary War.
Social networks are most often thought of as being associated with the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness, and thus those networks are of great value when employed skillfully. When de Lafayette heard about the American Revolution he was inspired and decided quickly to go help where he could.1 Fortunately for Washington, de Lafayette was to become one of the fledgling America’s greatest wartime leaders.2
He showed great courage in a number of major battles. For example, in his first battle at Brandywine he organized a retreat when the British was about to crush American forces. Wounded, he refused treatment until his forces were safe. Later he was recommended for promotion by Washington and he continued to show initiative in following orders and being responsible in battles. He was considered by Washington one of the most noble and loyal soldiers.
Later, de Lafayette was to be part of the French Revolution and a hero to both Americans and Frenchmen alike. It is no surprise that de Lafayette is formally referred to as the “Hero of Two Worlds.”3 He risked his life, family, and his fortune for a country not even his own. Without Marquis de Lafayette, the United States may not have become the country it is now.
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- http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/americanrevolutio1/p/lafayette.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_du_Motier,_Marquis_de_Lafayette
- http://www.biography.com/people/marquis-de-lafayette-21271783