The best leaders are great simplifiers. Often, they are outspoken, politically incorrect and offensive; they don’t worry much about hurt feelings. They focus on goals and action.
George S. Patton lead armies in Africa and Europe in WWII, covering more ground, engaging more of the enemy and suffering fewer casualties and losses than any other commander. Here are some of his thoughts on people and management:
On Success
“By perseverance, and study, and eternal desire, any man can become great.”
“Never stop being ambitious. You have but one life, live it to the fullest of glory and be willing to pay any price.”
“No sacrifice is too great if by it you can attain your goals. Let people talk and be damned. You do what leads to your ambition and when you get the power, remember those who laughed.”
“You are not beaten until you admit it.”
“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” “I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but by how high he bounces when he hits bottom.”
“The man who finds twenty dollars on the street or wins it at the slot machine thinks lightly of it, and before long it is as lightly spent. The same man who works and sweats for half a week for that same amount respects it and grudgingly parts with it when he has won it.”
“You must be single minded. Drive for the one thing on which you have decided. You will find that you will make some people miserable; those you love and very often yourself. And, if it looks like you are getting there, all kinds of people, including some whom you thought were loyal friends, will suddenly show up doing their…hypocritical best to trip you up, blacken you, and break your spirit.”
On Supervising and Quality
“Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.”
“Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.”
“We can never get anything across unless we talk the language of the people we are trying to instruct. Perhaps that is why I curse.”
“Officers must assert themselves by example and by voice.”
“Like all commanders, I am constantly faced with the problem of malingering. If it is not checked, it spreads like a prairie fire.”
“Always do everything you ask of those you command.”
“Leadership is the thing that wins battles. I have it, but I’ll be damned if I can define it. It probably consists of knowing what you want to do, and then doing it and getting mad as hell if anyone tries to get in your way. Self confidence and leadership are twin brothers.”
“Bradley called up to ask me how soon I could go on the defensive. I told him that I was the oldest leader in age and in combat experience in the United States Army in Europe and that if I had to go on the defensive, I would ask to be relieved. I further suggested that it would be a good thing if some his staff visited the front to see how the other half lived.”
“The more senior the officer, the more time he has to go to the front.”
“The following pun always elicited great applause in the Great War; “If the staff of life is bread, what is the life of the staff? One long loaf!”
“It is really amazing what the determination on the part of one man can do too many thousands.”
“There is a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top. Loyalty from the top down is even more necessary and is much less prevalent. One of the most frequently noted characteristics of great men who have remained great is loyalty to their subordinates.”
On Taking Action
“A good plan violently executed right now is far better than a perfect plan executed next week.”
“Throughout history wars have been lost because of armies not crossing rivers.”
“I don’t want to get any messages saying that, “We are holding out position.” We’re not holding anything…We are advancing constantly and we’re not interested in holding on to anything except the enemy…We’re going to hold on to him by the nose and we’re going to kick him…”
“We must keep moving. Do not sit down. Do not say, “I have done enough.” Always see what else you can do to raise hell with the enemy. You must have a desperate determination to continually go forward.”
On Winning the War
“Peace is going to be a hell of a letdown.”
Which of these quotes can you use this week to move your organization forward?
Nice reminder on leadership
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