Dwight D. Eisenhower When people think about Dwight D. Eisenhower, they immediately point to his command over the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), give him accolades for winning the war in Germany, and place special emphasis on his contributions to Operation Overlord. However most individuals never think beyond this point. How was a Colonel with no combat experience promoted to General and tasked to lead over the other notable combat commanders in Europe? This essay will explain why General Eisenhower was a visionary and ethical leader whose attributes fused the Allies into one integrated unit that enhanced their combat effectiveness in the European Theater of Operations. It will put his visionary leadership on display by discussing how Eisenhower believed diversity is a military necessity when he incorporating Generals from multiple allied nations into his senior staff. Then explain how he set an example for all subordinates to follow through idealized influence. Next, it will discuss how Eisenhower displayed healthy skepticism and avoided the ethical trap of loyalty syndrome by aggregating and investigating information during the Battle of the Bulge and removing resources from a field commander who failed to maneuver before the enemy. Additionally, personal relevance will be incorporated as I discus how I used the visionary leadership characteristics of diversity is a military necessity and idealized influence to effectively select personnel for our
The movie “Twelve O’ Clock High” is a case study in the application of leadership theory during World War Two. Gregory Peck portrays Brigadier General Savage, a United States Army Air Force officer thrust into a situation that requires a maximum effort both on the ground and in the air as he attempts to re-invigorate an undisciplined, anxiety ridden, and ineffective combat unit. Throughout the movie we observe Peck’s character employing a variety of leadership methods, but ultimately discovering that true combat effectiveness and cohesion is accomplished through a
Leadership involves providing purpose, direction and motivation to subordinates to accomplish the mission. It is evident with the years of battle that General Robert E. Lee’s engaged in that he possessed the ability to motivate and inspire troops. In the black powder era of warfare, command remained very much personalized. The generalship of Robert E. Lee, an excellent Confederate general during the American Civil War, is arguably the greatest single factor in keeping the Confederacy alive during the years of the Civil War (Lee, Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia). On the contrary, General George Brinton McClellan participated in only one battle for its entirety, The Battle of Antietam. Therefore, this battle must serve as measurement of his leadership capabilities. Throughout this paper, I will compare and contrast the leadership of both of these Generals as it pertains to the
General Douglas Macarthur was one of the most well known military figures in the history of the United States. He gave his farewell speech to congress on 19th April 1951 and went into retirement after 52 years of service in the United States army. He was given the chance to address his final message to the US government. This analysis carefully examines his ethics, goals, strategies, strengths and weaknesses. The speech is very famous and highly popular among the American audience. Therefore, we will take into account all factors to critically evaluate the speech and find out what makes it important.
The purpose of this paper is to address how I, SSG Schumacher, have identified Major Robert Rogers as a legacy leader and a leader of influence in my military career as a non-commissioned officer and member of the military intelligence community. This paper will cover three main topics in which I will first discuss a brief history of the life of Major Rogers. Then, his impact on the evolution of warfare and leadership attributes on the United States Army. Finally, I will discuss how his leadership attributes led to him making an impact on the military today and Soldiers such as myself.
It can be argued that General Henry “Hap” Arnold is the father of the United States Air Force. His experiences, wisdom, and foresight are what made him, in every way, a visionary leader. Due to his efforts developing air mindedness during the first part of the 20th century, he shaped what is today the greatest Air Force on the planet. I will begin by explaining his effective use of transformational leadership and the impact it has on the development of airpower. Then I will explain how his acceptance of diversity impacted the war effort during WWII and the future of the United States Air Force. First, we must know what shaped him into the leader he eventually became.
President Eisenhower was the greatest president in United States history because he instilled firsthand his experiences from times of war and times of peace, to increase the government’s power during his presidential term and years to follow. He was a well-established military general during many United States campaigns, before he took office as president of the United States. The most notable campaign he took part in was World War II, where he was the Supreme Allied Commander of European Forces and held the highest rank a United States officer can obtain, 5-Star General. He was one of nine generals to ever hold the rank of 5-Star General, which greatly gave him an advantage when he later ran for president. But he also used the side of
The topic of my paper are the behaviors, decisions and characteristics that made Retired Lieutenant General Russel L. Honore the man he is today. Some people call him a savior while others call him a gift from God. Mr. Honore has lived through a rough life and has witnessed many events that has affected the United States to what it is today. “United States Army Lieutenant General (Retired) Russel L. Honore was born in 1947 to Udell and Lloyd Honore in Lakeland, Louisiana. Honore was the eight of twelve children. Raised on a subsistence farm in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, Honore was taught to value hard work.” The word hard work should come to no surprise to Mr. Honore wherever he travel to and from here on out. There are many skills and attributes that many people are not born with or do not possess the natural gift of being a selfless leader. Mr. Honore is a good example of one and continues to spread his words of wisdom and knowledge to young leaders of America to include myself. He was a big advocate of never forgetting where you came from and was constantly reminded of tragic events that effected the Gulf Coast suffered throughout the years.
This paper will briefly analyze the case study— Rebecca S. Halstead: Steadfast Leadership, and examine General Rebecca Halstead 's career history and how through her personal attributes, skills, experiences and challenges she developed into a successful leader and commander in the U.S. Army. Although General Halstead faced a number of challenges during her career, this paper will focus primarily on her leadership style and philosophy specifically with leading teams and dealing with difficult bosses.
Throughout military history, there have been many leaders that can be considered either visionary or ethical. This paper will discuss how BG Robin Olds was a visionary leader, but not a very ethical leader. From the beginning of his career, he was a visionary in aerial combat tactics and a true believer of leading from the front. His vision of aerial combat was beyond his years, but often fell upon deaf ears due to his flamboyant nature. He never hesitated to say exactly what was on his mind, which is why his actions could be considered unethical. But, his men loved him, and would follow him to hell and back. First, this paper will discuss BG Olds’ visionary leadership abilities he displayed the Viet Nam
There are a number of significant difficulties for today’s military - the Global War on Terrorism or what has recently been termed the “Long War;” weapon system acquisitions and personnel draw downs. The focus of this paper is on one strategic component of the military quest—Leadership. More specifically, it will center on servant leadership and its impact on the military’s vision.
Born November 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California, General George Smith Patton, Jr. was one of the most complicated, yet greatest leaders in military history. On June 11, 1909, he attended the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) for a year and then to the United States Military Academy at West Point where he commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 15th cavalry Regiment. Growing up, Patton’s ultimate life goal was to become a hero and a successful leader. In Robert B. Williamson’s book, “General Patton’s Principles for Life & Leadership”, the author takes a personal account of Patton’s principles which he lived and fought for. These main principles consisted of the following: Leadership,
In the 2004 movie, Ike: Countdown to D-Day, a profile of the leadership style of General Dwight D. Eisenhower is presented as planning and preparation for the single greatest invasion in the history of the world is engaged. This paper examines the leadership style and qualities of the Supreme Allied Commander as presented in the movie and in other literary references.
Lt. Audie L. Murphy’s name stands as one of the most prominent in American military history. He was a figurehead of leadership and the epitome of the seven Army Values (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage). He was a model for every soldier to follow, one that overcame every odd that was ever against him and rose to conquer every challenge. In his personal memoir “To Hell and Back”, he expressed a very personal view of what it takes to embody these characteristics which would eventually encourage anyone who reads it. In the next few paragraphs I will expound on his leadership and analyze what it really takes
In this book titled “It Doesn’t Take a Hero” (H. Norman Schwarzkopf), General H. Norman Schwarzkopf reveals his remarkable life and career. He begins his autobiography by describing his childhood and how he eventually became a leader in the U.S. Army. This type of autobiography demonstrates how a leader is developed and what is needed in order to succeed in a career as well as how to lead a life by following a motto instated by his past leaders and followers. The autobiography goes through some background and detailed first hand experiences that makes a leader think twice of why he in the situation he is in. With the prestige of having good traits, comes triumph and success. There are sacrifices that come with the
At Durham Tech’s Student Awards banquet recently I was asked to speak on the topic of leadership. So when I found myself standing in front of a group of student leaders (mostly millennials) my first thought was to say, on behalf of my generation: Sorry. We baby-boomers are leaving you all with a plateful of hot mess. If you believe most climate scientists, downtown Durham is going to be oceanfront property any day now because of carbon emissions from all the fossil fuels we’ve burned. Our market-based system that over-rewards short-term profit over long term investment led to income inequality that makes social mobility virtually impossible, and has essentially strangled the American Dream in its sleep. In