General Patton’s Principles of Life and Leadership

General Patton’s Principles of Life and Leadership 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, â€Å"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,†¦show more content†¦My landings are poor, but my recoveries are good† (Williamson, 115). Looking at his next principle of decisions, Patton made the decision to speak out against the war. He broke all the current rules at the time and said that the only reason why the war came about was because no one spoke out against Hitler. He made a decision to speak of his belief even if it meant things would be done against him. He was relieved from his command in 1945 because he was too rash when he said that Germany be built up as a bulwark against Russia. It is this kind of decision-making quality that will help me become a future leader in the military. In terms of success and life and death, Patton believed that success only came from being positive and not negative. In other words, as Patton pointed out, a man in the hospital lost his will to fight, and after building his own coffin, he died. Success in life and death was fighting to stay alive. Patton’s beliefs have and will continue to echo through eternity. It is with these sets of beliefs that men and women who serve everywhere will grow to be the leaders they can be. Speaking out based on your own belief, leadership and pride are just a few of the principles that we continue to live by to this day. What we do in life echoes in eternity and I hope to become as good an officer as Patton was and do honor to the men who was ahead of his time and widely respected byShow MoreRelatedEverything Rises And Falls On Leadership1003 Words   |  5 PagesEverything rises and falls on leadership. I have always been interested in General George S. Patton. Some credit his work with winning World War II. Obviously, it was a great team effort that got it done but studying. General Patton and his role as a leader is good for any inspiring leader. Why is this important to me? Leadership is needed today more than ever. The generations after World War II lived in good times. The coming storm of the debt crisis, terrorism and the world economy implodingRead MoreLeadership And Me : A Holistic Approach1782 Words   |  8 PagesLeadership and Me: A Holistic Approach Introduction The purpose of this paper is to reflect and make an analysis of the general strengths and weaknesses of a leader, provide recommendations, thoughts of overall performance to improve on this person’s leadership style in which practices and theories were utilized most effectively. Upon such, draw conclusions and provide an integration of this leadership practice into my own leadership practice. The accomplishment of this will be achieved by identifyingRead MoreSynthesis Essay : General George S. Patton Jr.1866 Words   |  8 Pages Synthesis Essay – General George S. Patton Jr. MSgt Christopher J. Francis Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy General George S. Patton Jr. Student, loyal, arrogant, passionate General George S. Patton was known as many things but above all he was known for his ability to inspire action by leading from the front. While his vision and operational leadership was never in doubt some of his character traits opened him up to controversy. This paper’s