Nineteen Stars : A Military Character And Leadership

The movie “Twelve O’ Clock High” is a case study in the application of leadership theory during World War Two. Gregory Peck portrays Brigadier General Savage, a United States Army Air Force officer thrust into a situation that requires a maximum effort both on the ground and in the air as he attempts to re-invigorate an undisciplined, anxiety ridden, and ineffective combat unit. Throughout the movie we observe Peck’s character employing a variety of leadership methods, but ultimately discovering that true combat effectiveness and cohesion is accomplished through a

Leadership involves providing purpose, direction and motivation to subordinates to accomplish the mission. It is evident with the years of battle that General Robert E. Lee’s engaged in that he possessed the ability to motivate and inspire troops. In the black powder era of warfare, command remained very much personalized. The generalship of Robert E. Lee, an excellent Confederate general during the American Civil War, is arguably the greatest single factor in keeping the Confederacy alive during the years of the Civil War (Lee, Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia). On the contrary, General George Brinton McClellan participated in only one battle for its entirety, The Battle of Antietam. Therefore, this battle must serve as measurement of his leadership capabilities. Throughout this paper, I will compare and contrast the leadership of both of these Generals as it pertains to the

I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to all people in leadership positions or anyone who aspires to be a leader. It is a well-rounded book that explores General Grant’s personality and leadership skills and has lessons that managers and leaders can apply in their organizations and become effective leaders. Each lesson is short, clear, and direct to the point and this makes it easier for leaders to understand and implement the lessons. General Grant’s life is interesting and inspiring, he did not want to pursue a career in the army and when he was a junior officer, he resigned because he had no meaningful work, but he ended up being an outstanding and successful leader who was detail oriented and often preferred to see for himself what was happening in the units under his command.

The United States has produced numerous military leaders throughout its history. The plethora of military conflicts and wars that this country has participated in, particularly as an emerging world power, has made these individuals historic figures whose names are often remembered and synonymous with military greatness. The purpose of this paper is to share three of them with you. You will learn what traits make them great leaders and what sets them apart from each other. You will also learn what strategies they used that display the American way of war. While these men may not have been the most traditional Christian role models, you will see principled men putting forth a firm fighting hand to represent their nation, its people, faith, and

Generals during World War II faced daily innumerable difficult and grave decisions. Critical decisions made during WWII did not have the depth and speed of today’s modern communications infrastructure. Eisenhower quoted, “Making decisions is of the essence in leadership.”1

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 focus will not only center on how General Patton’s visionary leadership and unethical behaviors not only effected his career and the lives of his men, but how ultimately his traits influenced the outcome of World War II. This paper will also

This paper intends to provide the qualities, including examples that contribute to Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North displaying the skills and traits that contribute to his perception as a great leader. The first part of the paper will define what leadership is and how each researcher interprets the term differently. The second section will present Oliver North as a great leader. This portion of the paper will also describe the qualities that make him a great leader and what impact his leadership had on the rest of the Marine Corps.

The leader defined in this paper is Major Richard “Dick” Winters, (January 21, 1918 – January 2, 2011). Major Winters was an officer in the United States Army and a decorated war veteran. He is best known for commanding Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, during World War II, eventually being promoted to the rank of Major in command of the entire 2nd Battalion. As first lieutenant, Major Winters parachuted into Normandy in the early hours of D-Day, June 6th, 1944, and fought across France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and eventually Germany. (Major Richard "Dick" Winters)

An overview of the Army’s commissioning sources aids in understanding the structure of the officer development program. The Army’s commissioning sources include the Reserve Officer Training Corps, United States Military Academy, Officer Candidate School, and Direct Commissioning. Due to the variety of commissioning sources, the new officers vary greatly in terms of experience. Major Adam Wojack explains, “each commissioning source maintains its own regulatory guideline which governs admissions, training, and other administrative matters.”3 However, with all commissioned officers coming from varying programs, the commissioning end-product of all programs must meet a common goal. That goal is “. . . each graduate possess the character, leadership, integrity, and other attributes essential to a career of exemplary service to the nation.”4

Out of the several million definitions of leadership we have to guide us, author and veteran Anton Myrer’s definition is one that is highly esteemed by many. In his memorable war novel, “Once an Eagle”, Myrer is not preachy, but instead uses two characters of vastly different leadership styles to allow the reader interpret and apply leadership principles on their own. Even now with the novel set in the early 1900’s to the 1960’s, Sam Damon and Courteney Massengale, its fictional leaders, are useful examples for aspiring leaders in the Army such as myself to follow. My interpretation after reading “Once an Eagle” has confirmed what I know about being in a leadership position, what it requires of me, and where I must grow.

Every day that the cadets are a part of the program, they are given specific guidelines on what is needed from them to accomplish their goal of commissioning. It is our responsibility as leaders to guide them and make sure that we are supporting them and motivating them to succeed. The way we chose to lead these young men and women can have a huge impact on whether or not they make it through the program and commission. They can pick up on whether our styles are genuine and know whether or not we value their goals and want to put forth the effort to help them succeed. Our style is very much achievement oriented, for the cadets following though with our guidelines they get the ultimate satisfaction of earning their commission. In addition to many other benefits while attending the program. “Contingency theory, leadership effectiveness depends on the fit between the leaders, the environments and situation, followers and the success factors for the organization to succeed (Weiss, 2015).”

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, “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,

The Man with a Corncob Pipe: A Leadership Analysis on General Douglas MacArthur “The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself” Successful leaders clutched onto this idea that they personally steer the wheel of fate. For General Douglas MacArthur, he put his faith into the concept and firmly grasped the reins. So much that, General Douglas MacArthur demonstrated remarkable confidence, great communication skills, and the ability to get results throughout his life. This analysis explores the three aforementioned traits and why General Douglas MacArthur serves as a great example of a modern leader. Many attribute Douglas MacArthur’s confidence to a variety of sources.

This essay addresses leadership challenges and ways for improving leadership skills for positive changes for all Noncommissioned officers (NCO’s) of the California Army National Guard (CAARNG). Improving the current leadership practices by providing continuous training that uses standardized approaches and practices for all CAARNG NCO’s. This will assist in preserving the utmost level of attention on the CAARNG NCO structure that can in turn affect the development newly inducted NCO’s and the retention of highly experienced NCO’s.

When people think about Dwight D. Eisenhower, they immediately point to his command over the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), give him accolades for winning the war in Germany, and place special emphasis on his contributions to Operation Overlord. However most individuals never think beyond this point. How was a Colonel with no combat experience promoted to General and tasked to lead over the other notable combat commanders in Europe? This essay will explain why General Eisenhower was a visionary and ethical leader whose attributes fused the Allies into one integrated unit that enhanced their combat effectiveness in the European Theater of Operations. It will put his visionary leadership on display by discussing how Eisenhower believed diversity is a military necessity when he incorporating Generals from multiple allied nations into his senior staff. Then explain how he set an example for all subordinates to follow through idealized influence. Next, it will discuss how Eisenhower displayed healthy skepticism and avoided the ethical trap of loyalty syndrome by aggregating and investigating information during the Battle of the Bulge and removing resources from a field commander who failed to maneuver before the enemy. Additionally, personal relevance will be incorporated as I discus how I used the visionary leadership characteristics of diversity is a military necessity and idealized influence to effectively select personnel for our