Leadership Style and Characteristics of Made Gen George S Patton, Jr - Research Paper Example

Leadership Style And Characteristics That Made Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. A Highly Effective Leader Introduction Leadership is one of the distinct attributes infused within the domain of complex human cognition, playing a predominant role in shaping today’s jet paced modern world. The leaders from the prehistoric periods till date impart significant impact in our daily lives in the sense that their inherited characteristics and their application in every sphere of life induce the spirit of triumph within us. This sense of triumph paves us a way towards the achievement of optimal societal development cutting down all constraints. Within the archives of great leaders of the world, the name of George, S, Patton Jr., American general in the Army of the United States of America during World War II, pioneers the list whose unparalleled leadership traits inculcated with rock solid spirit of a sportsman, chivalrous warrior, a sailor, a horseman and that of a commander are indispensible and finds its synthesis with application of successful leadership exhibiting unmatched chivalry and valor. To begin with George Patton’s formidable leadership, success and gallantry can be reflected from his own words, “Success in war lurks invisible in that vitalizing spark, intangible, yet as evident as the lightning; the warrior soul” (Nye, 2002, p.79). The paper will focus on critical analyses of the leadership traits of the George, S, Patton Jr. and will seek to evaluate the practical applicability of his leadership. 1. Personal characteristics In the history of the greatest soldiers, George S, Patton Jr. can be symbolized essentially as a warrior who exemplified the fighting soldiers in the World War II. A very general characteristic of Patton which can be compared to leadership is that of the will for success in the battle and a warrior instinct. Management techniques are said to be immensely incorporated within Patton with the application of scientific accuracy in the employment of the armed forces in the warfare which was elevated from the level of blitzkrieg (lightening war). The soldiers of the war were hardened in their mental state and they were fully prepared for success. They also believed that if anyone who could save them then it is Patton only. Patton stated that, “leadership is the thing that wins battles” (Bass &  Riggio, 2005, p.186). However brutality and tremendous agony can be also said to be a predominant trait in his characteristics. His ingrain belief was that war signified to fighting which ultimately meant killings. His brutality can be reflected from his words, “No one ever won a war by dying for your country; you win wars by making some other son-of-a-bitch die for his country!” (Mirll, 2002, p.131). Among the other characteristics, Patton wanted the outright support of his men and for that purpose he devoted his obedience to them. His dressing sense was very careful and he always flaunted an attire of a well groomed officer from the days in West Point as a cadet which dispersed the aura of hardcore discipline within his commanders (Rice, 2003, p.30). There are many other traits in his personal characteristics but the scope of discussion is limited here. But the above mentioned characteristics robustly relate to the leadership qualities and directs towards justification. 2. Leadership style The dimension of leadership may not be well articulated by Patton theoretically but he can be regarded as an ardent exponent in the real life application of leadership. His intelligence, military warfare tactics and his vision were really unique. After his small tenure of service in the Virginia Military he was transferred to Military academy of United States of America. During that time the cavalry was on horses and the tank system was not introduced then. In 1916, Patton first made his experience in order to find the leaders of Mexican army. Without finding the leaders he shot instantly one of the personal body guards of the leaders which reflects his style of “lead from front” (Brown, 2001, pp.418-419). To be a successful leader of the army, treatment with the soldiers is an indispensible part. General Patton followed a policy of equal treatment with all his soldiers. It did not at all matter to him whether any soldiers were black or white and he gave equal respect even to the soldiers who listed in the lowest job category. The fostering of the ethnic climate was a unique dimension of his leadership charisma at a juncture when the phenomenon of racism was highly robust. Frantic monitoring was another important quality of George Patton. He strictly monitored his forces surveying in the battlefield and he made frequent visits and checked their needs from time to time. This induced him to track the actual coordinates of his army and their proper functioning. Leaders will always have to be highly vigilant about their follower’s activities so that they can move on the right track. He was highly equipped with profound expertise in the tank techniques which can be regarded as an important element in bringing success and adds to his technical expertise (Bowery, 2004, pp.500- 504). He also possessed immense knowledge in air and ground warfare tactics which injected him the spree to take instantaneous decision as that of an air strike in neutralizing the German army. Autocratic aspects were highly molded within the leadership style of George Patton. His autocratic behavior is indeed an important tool in fetching success but on occasions his decisions became harsh on the soldiers. As for example Patton usually followed the incentive method where the soldiers were bound to meet certain targets fulfilling which they would receive incentives. But if they failed in doing so, they also received harsh punishment from him. It can be stated that although hardcore discipline channelized the process of success in warfare but an antagonist feeling developed among his followers which can be viewed as a negative dimension in his leadership paradigm (Barnett & Jeffery, 1998, Pg. 17). 3. Challenges faced A controversy took place when Patton had an ugly incident in Sicily where he slapped two soldiers in field hospitals suffering from fatigue. There was another incident where Patton carried forward a disastrous campaign to free his son-in-law from a P.O.W camp (Bowery, 2004, pg. 501 & Neumann, 2009, Pg. 998). George Patton was an extremely ambitious person and at the same times a very egoistic one too. He always aimed to overcome his enemies and if required even his superiors and subordinates to achieve his goal on or off the battlefield. These actions often disrupted his relation with his seniors and created challenges and acted as obstacles on his path (Lauer, 2011, Pg. 61). 4. Contribution to the army George Patton was an ardent commander who devoted his life in military and his tremendous passion and involvement in martial activities led to the development of various rational expositions in the warfare front. Patton followed the spree of seeking ways which would generate proper and better mobility in operations. Being heavily equipped with the ground and air practices he became a proponent of amphibious landings. Patton was the first one to analyze the significance of employing light airplane for communications and connection. In cases he used to surprise listeners when they asked in what ways he could be so much sure about the exact location of the ancient battlegrounds. Patton closely followed the events in Europe before the Second World War and showed his interests in the development of the Germans in the arena of armored warfare tactics which reflects his capabilities of extracting the creative essence from the rivals. He also employed his time in designing plans to make new vehicles which would help to recover tanks which were hit in the battlefields (Gitlin & Province, 2010, Pg. 70). 5. Legacy George, S, Patton bears the legacy of combat leadership and incorporates tremendous influence in enhancing the leadership attributes within the military arena which can be applied to the day to day life also. His spree for success was vehement. He was a dominant orator always speaking with excessive formidability for winning with the right tactics. He always carried the spirit of discipline and developed the soldiers in overcoming every level of difficulties. His legacy can be reflected from his own words, “Ever since I was a child I never wanted to be anything else but a soldier” (Sobel, 1997, p.12). Conclusion The paper leads to the conclusion that George Patton demonstrated a genius for leadership. The study of the paper also reveals the fact that his methods were sometimes in line with negative traits of leadership like excessive dominance and brutality but overall study reveals that Patton demonstrated the principles of leadership which are in the real world recognized as effective leadership. He made every effort in establishing that success is omnipotent and leadership with firm boldness is the key to it. References 1. Bass, B,M &  Riggio, R,E, (2005), Transformational Leadership, Routledge 2. Barnett & Jeffery, (1998), Great soldiers on airpower, Vol. 12 Issue 4, 3. Bowery Jr., Charles, (2004), General Patton: A Soldier's Life (Book), Armed Forces & Society, Vol. 30 Issue 3, pp.499-502. 4. Brown, J, E, (2001), Historical Dictionary of the U.S. Army, Greenwood Publishing Group 5. Gitlin, M & Province, C, M, (2010), George S. Patton: World War II General & Military Innovator, ABDO Publishing Company 6. Nye, R, H, (2007), The Challenge of Command: Reading for Military Excellence, Penguin 7. Lauer, G. S, (2011) A Review 'Patton, Montgomery, Rommel: Masters of War', History: Reviews of New Books, Vol. 39 Issue 2, pp. 61-62 8. Mirll, T, (2002), Children and Fools: A Twisted Tale of the Vienna Woods, Elderberry Press 9. Neumann, B, F, (2009), Patton: Legendary World War II Commander, Journal of Military History, Vol. 73 Issue 3, pp. 998-999 10. Sobel, B, (1997), The Fighting Pattons, Greenwood Publishing Group, Read More