Leadership of General George S. Patton essays

Leadership of General George S. Patton essays Bearing, courage, decisiveness, dependability, endurance, enthusiasm, initiative, integrity, judgment, justice, knowledge, loyalty, tact, unselfishness; the fourteen written leadership traits. This is what every JROTC cadet is taught during his or her enrollment in the program. We learn how to lead, when to lead, and the little things we should know about being a leader and better citizen. We are given tasks to complete in a certain time and a team to complete the task with. Small things, maybe big things but it all has a purpose, to train us to be better leaders. Sometimes you have to learn things not by doing but by watching and assimilating. While I was researching military history a while back when I was in about 5th grade one person stood out, General George S. Patton Jr. Patton was a strong man, straight forward, and knew how to get the job done. Sure some might say that he was a little overpowering, but he still was one of the greatest leaders. He always stayed true to his word and men and never left their side. Even though he called them cowards, maggots, and just about every insulting thing that you could tell a soldier, they still followed him. He motivated these men, gave them confidence, and boosted their morale. An example of this leadership was Pattons actions during World War II. After the disastrous American defeat at the Kasserine Pass, Gen. Eisenhower knew that a hard driver was needed to recoup American morale and to force back the Germans. Eisenhower promoted Patton to lieutenant general and put him in charge of the 2nd Corps, which had suffered the defeat. Patton's first job was to restore the morale and discipline of the dispirited troops of his new command. He set about this mission with a vengeance. He began at the bottom by mandating strict enforcement of military rules governing hygiene and attire. He wanted his men to wear their ties into battle. Also, officers in the 2nd Corps were...