Book Summary: General Patton E’s Timeless Leadership Principles – By Richard J. Stillman PhD
Everything goes up and down in leadership. I’ve always been interested in George S. Patton. Some credit their work with winning World War II. Obviously it was a great team effort that did it, but studying General Patton and his role as a leader is good for any inspiring leader.
Why is this important to me?
I always want to ask you this question as if I was sitting in your shoes. I don’t want to waste your time. Leadership is needed today more than ever. Generations after World War II have seen good times. The looming storm of debt crisis, terrorism and the implosion of the world economy can lead to very difficult times that will require determination and leadership.
The times hardened George Patton to become an excellent leader. He was born in 1885 and died in 1945. This means that he lived through World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. Unfortunately, today, if kids have to turn off the Xbox, they pout because parents aren’t fair. This is a real problem and why you have to study leadership.
The Timeless Leadership Principles are divided into three separate sections. Section one describes all of Patton’s accomplishments during World War II. I recommend that you study Patton’s history, but simply put, he covered more ground with the Third Army and was instrumental in winning the war. For the sake of time, I’ll cover 5 main points from section two of the book. Note: Richard Stillman observed Patton for over a year when Patton commanded the Third Army, so he had first-hand knowledge of Patton’s leadership style.
1. Be in good physical shape; Be mentally positive; Be financially secure: The Third Army consisted of more than 400,000 soldiers. To lead an organization like that, your house must be in order. If you are unhealthy, in debt or have a bad attitude, no one will follow you. In war, leaders know that their direction and decisions are life-threatening and they need to focus on the tasks and goals at hand. The last things you need to consume yourself with are the three basics of everyday worry regarding physical, mental, and financial health. A quote from Patton sums this up: “Good physical condition is vital to victory, fatigue makes us all cowards. Fit men don’t get tired.
2. Lead by example; Go for the jugular; Be bold: Patton delegated authority better than anyone. He understood that to win the war he needed to be close to the troops and focus on the most important tasks at hand. This included being in the field and walking with the men in combat zones. He was not an ivory tower steward, but an effective leader. Going for the jugular and never paying twice for the same property won us the war. With Patton, there was no defense. He attacked all the time and never stopped. This is an excellent leadership quality because you are growing or dying, there is no steady state. These three principles require discipline. According to Patton: “Discipline is based on pride in the profession of arms, meticulous attention to detail, and mutual respect and trust. Discipline must be such an ingrained habit that it is stronger than the emotion of battle or fear of death.. “
3. Gain experience in your profession; Know your competition; Publicize Your Achievements: Patton was an excellent military war student. He studied history and understood why countries win and lose wars. He was also a student of his competition: the German commander Rommel. He read Rommel’s writings and knew how he did things. One of the greatest feats of WWII was the decoy of the Normandy invasion. The Germans respected Patton and were betting that he would lead any major offensive. Eisenhower knew this and used Patton as a decoy as the Americans stormed the Normandy beach. These are the benefits of publicizing your achievements. If you are a smart leader, you can use your accomplishments to the benefit of your team.
4. Patton’s Fatal Failure – Know Your Achilles Heel – Patton made a few political mistakes throughout his WWII career. He was the subject of media scrutiny after he slapped a battle-fatigued soldier in Italy. Patton was tough and didn’t want wounded men in battle to be disgraced. After this incident, he mistakenly insulted the Russians (not his intention) and spread like wildfire that cost him his command. According to Patton – “Stupid comment from GD – I know better.” Do you know your Achilles heel? If not, learn it and otherwise it will affect you as a leader.
5. Be an effective writer and speaker: Most people don’t know, but George S. Patton was dyslexic. Learning for him was a challenge, but he did it anyway. To be an effective leader, you must be a lifelong learner. Imagine controlling 400,000 lives in the greatest war history has ever known. This requires dedication of oneself to the cause. This is much bigger and more difficult than simply running a business.
General Patton’s Principles of Timeless Leadership is a good book and should be read by all aspiring leaders. Great leaders are not fired in today’s world and if they do, it is by incompetent people. By committing to continuous improvement toward a leadership goal, you can secure your future. The world is in short supply of great leaders.
I hope this short summary has been helpful to you. The key to any new idea is to incorporate it into your daily routine until it becomes a habit. Habits are formed in just 21 days. One thing you can take away from this book is discipline. Make discipline a daily goal around your true purpose in life. If you know what that purpose is, establish the discipline and create the habits necessary to achieve your life’s ambitions.