In December 1945, America lost one of the most successful combat leaders of World War II—George S. Patton. By the end of WW II, Patton rose to the rank of General in the US Army and was the commander of 15th Army in occupied Germany. However, just five years prior at the start of his strategic leadership phase, then Brigadier General Patton began as Commander, 2nd Armored Division in Ft. Benning, Georgia. Several factors undoubtedly contributed to his swift rise from 1-star to 4-star in just five years. Key among those factors was leadership. His leadership style was unique even for his time. He believed “a man who would qualify as a leader must lead—lead not by the cold incandescence of his super-refined intellect but by the fiery passion …show more content…
Today, there are many descriptions of the strategic environment; however, Dr. Browning, in “Leading at the Strategic Level,” identified four criteria which best characterize the strategic environment—volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity …show more content…
Patton was one of the most iconic military leaders of the 20th Century. His rapid ascension through the general officer ranks, vast increase in responsibilities, and battlefield successes attest to his strong leadership and relevancy at the strategic level. He was effective and efficient, responsive/agile, and stable/resilient militarily. However, he was marginally effective, not efficient, and unresponsive/non-agile in the politically. His inability to understand and effectively operate in the political component of the strategic environment diminished his overall relevancy in the strategic level. However, because he was leading during a time of crisis, his outstanding military leadership acumen overshadowed his political frailty. Despite Patton’s political frailty, Chief of Staff Marshall, Secretary Stimson and Eisenhower understood the qualities a military commander simply had to have to be successful militarily. “Patton had those qualities and you had to hold on to a person with these qualities, especially in a time of war.” Today, perhaps, General Patton would be a successful, relevant leader, however from during WW II he was, most certainly,
General Patton as born in Virginia in the late 1860s and was raised by both his parents with his sister. He had a good relationship with his family, not many fights or arguments. He was brought up in the South and was taught to be a real gentlemen. This is why he is considered not only one of the United States greatest generals, but also a great person himself. He was in the Olympic games in Stockholm and served in West Point military school. During the first World War he served in the 304th tank brigade and lead his platoon to many quality wins in Europe. In World War II, he was leader of the 504th platoon in Morocco and then moved over to the European front and lead his troops to victory and one of the biggest battles at the Battle of the Bulge.
Sanderson, Jefferey. "GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON, JR.” Last modified may 22, 1997. Accessed January 4, 2014. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a331356.pdf&ei=tYbHUtv3HcGs2gX2u4HAAQ&usg=AFQjCNFU5EzdWjKlt81w8gh_Bj2UEttaZw&sig2=aAz3jIZg7U6peDzL_i8w9w.
George S. Patton as a young child had always admired his ancestors ("George Patton Biography"). He heard the numerous stories of his own relatives taking part in the Civil war and the American Revolution ("George Patton Biography"). In addition, Patton wanted to follow in the same footsteps. Accomplishing his childhood dream, George S. Patton is remembered as one of the most successful combat generals in U.S history ("George Patton Biography"). He took part in WWI and WWII ("George Patton Biography"). Having to be quick in battle and come up with ideas. This leads us to his quote, “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.”
Military Leadership is always an important factor in wars. Good commanders will accomplish the goals of their side while inferior generals will only hinder performance and fail their leader. However, not all great generals are victorious. Victories depend heavily on the availability of resources. Leadership does not relate to the supplies one has to draw from, but instead the personal traits of the man himself. General Robert E. Lee is a prime example of an excellent general whose brilliance was impeded by the Confederate’s lack of resources. General Ulysses S. Grant’s genius is rebuffed when compared to that of Lee’s.
The Web. The Web. A&E Television Networks, LLC, 1996-2013, (14 March 2014) (2-2-2014) Stroupe, Frank, “Articles/Biographies/Military Leaders/Patton/George S.” freeinfosociety.com, Web. 14 March 2014 (2-6-2014)
In order to provide a baseline to build a Leader Profile for Lieutenant General James (Jim) Gavin I would like to first provide some insight into his child hood and how he became a leader in the United States Army. Utilizing Hickman?s work on the Leaders of World War II (2015) here is a brief synopsis of Jumping Jim Gavin?s early years. James Maurice Gavin was born in 1907 as James M. Ryan, two years after his birth he was placed in an orphanage. After a short stay in the orphanage he found
Being one of the most controversial generals of World War II and in American history, General George S. Patton is today regarded as a folk hero due to the eponymously named 1970 film, Patton. Well known for his aggressive battle strategies, charismatic personality, profane language, and contentious public comments, Patton often brought forth an amalgam of frustration and admiration among his colleagues and soldiers. His posthumous biographical film which details a section of his life is, for the most part, historically accurate in both its telling of World War II battles and of Patton’s personality, ambitions, and beliefs. However, where the film suffers primarily is the slight oversimplification of Patton’s disposition
Introduction “Leaders have always been generalists”. Tomorrow’s leaders will, very likely, have begun life as specialists, but to mature as leaders they must sooner or later climb out of the trenches of specialization and rise above the boundaries that separate the various segments of society.” (Gardner, 1990, pg. 159). The. In a recent verbal bout with my History of the Military Art professor, I contended that the true might of a nation may be inversely proportional to the size of its military during peacetime.
General George S. Patton Jr.’s military life, career and achievements will forever be known as an incredible legacy in American history. Patton was known as the most flamboyant Allied leader of World War II. Patton was very skilled with tank warfare. He was known for carrying around pistols with ivory handles, and is said to be one of the most successful commanders of all time. He continually trained his troops to the highest standard of excellence while giving speeches to motivate them to fight. His contributions to military technology and the outcomes of both World Wars have brought us to the world we know today.
First of all, George Patton is a very respectable man, and that is the reason why he rose through the ranks so quickly. When George Patton joined the military, he joined in the beginning of WWI. After WWI, he enlisted into the military once again in WWII. He was then promoted so many times that he became a Four Star General. He commanded many people on the battlefield, and he gave very inspiring speeches. In one of his speeches, George Patton said, "No person ever won a war by dying for his country. You won it by making the other poor dumb person die for his country." I believe that one
Successful leadership on a battlefield can be measured in different ways. It is possible for a good, successful leader to lose a battle. Conversely, it is possible for an ineffective leader to win a battle, given the right circumstances. What distinguishes a successful leader from an unsuccessful one is his/her ability to oversee an operation using effective mission command. In ADP 6-0, mission command as a philosophy is defined as “as the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders in the conduct of unified land operations” (ADP, 1). William Henry Harrison, Governor of the Indiana Territory, executed good mission command in the Battle of Tippecanoe because of his ability to effectively utilize the doctrinal tasks of “understand, visualize, describe, direct, and lead” operations.
Fast Company,(139), 69-70,73,16. Retrieved from Research Library. Document ID: 1870795761. Wheelen, Thomas L. & Hunger, J. David, (2010). Strategic management and business policy.
Dynamic strategic management encompasses the approaches, tools and activities organizations utilize to determine direction, increasing the likelihood of organizational goal attainment. It is an approach that suggests organizations operating in uncertain environments require a flexible plan to minimize risk and take advantage of opportunity As a tool developed to analyze a firm’s position within its operating environment, a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis provides insight into how internal and external factors are inhibiting or facilitating advancement toward reaching organizational objectives within a dynamic environment. This paper aims to understand how a SWOT analysis assisted the Calgary International Airport Authority create a competitive business plan for their future in an uncertain environment.
Pearce, J. A., & Robinson, R. B. (2013). Strategic management: planning for domestic & global competition (13th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Hitt, M., Ireland, and Hoskisson, R. (2009).Strategic management: Competitive and Globalization, Concepts and Cases. In M.Staudt & Stranz (Ed).