Patton on Leadership (Alan Axelrod)

Love him or hate him, few will deny that General George Patton was an excellent leader.  Responsible for amazing victories in North Africa and Europe in WWII, he had a lot to say on leading men in all situations- especially in hostile environments.  In Patton on Leadership, Alan Axelrod selects 183 lessons or concepts from Patton directly or from the men who served under him, categorizes them, and expounds upon them.  As you'd expect with so many, there's overlap- and valuable concepts can be repeated.  But, that's never bad, and this book gives a lot of helpful advice on what it means to lead.  With so many lessons, it's choppy at times- good for reading a bit at a time, bad for overall cohesiveness- but it's valuable nevertheless.  Note that this is not a biography on Patton- each lesson presented puts Patton in a good light, and this may irk his detractors, who are quick to point out his very public flaws.  So, don't read it for history- read it for leadership lessons.

The leadership points presented here that resonated the most with me are presented below.  I took several similar lessons or quotations and put them together in a category.  I want to start doing this with every leadership book I read.  I won't expound on things below- they're just summaries to jog my memory.

Information
Get the facts.  "No decision is difficult to make if you get all of the facts."  Learn from the facts.  Face facts and be honest.  Firsthand information is always best.  Know, and don't neglect, the details.  Hit the books (of history- there's nothing new under the sun).  Demand difference of opinion.  Consider the source. 

Communication
Share Information.  "No man can do anything without knowing what he is doing . . . Generals and staff officers don't win wars!  Soldiers win wars!  The soldier must know what he is doing at all times.  He must know the objective."  Communication is key!

An Example
Always lead from the front.  Be an example.  Don't treat yourself better than your men.  Managers should not be invisible.  Loyalty must be mutual.  People are your business.  Everyone is expendable- train your replacement. 

Decisiveness
"A leader is a man who can adapt principles to circumstances."  Fit plans to circumstances.  Know the letter of the objective- but lead based on the spirit, or intent, of the objective.  And, whatever you do, decide.  "When a decision has do be made, make it.  There is no totally right time for anything."  Wars are not won by defensive tactics.  Accent execution, not ideas.  "Victory in the next war will depend on execution not plans."  Always follow through.


Rating: A