The Strengths and Weaknesses of General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis

Leaders must be competent in their abilities to train others. Keep in mind, the ability to train someone does not require an individual to be in a leadership position. For example, a junior enlisted Soldier who is a Combat Medic may be able to train a junior NCO on Combat Lifesaver tasks because they are competent in that aspect. This is also one example of leadership being demonstrated on another spectrum thus, proving that everyone has leadership traits in them.

An Army Leader is able and willing to act decisively, within the intent and purpose of his superior leaders, and in the best interest of the organization. Army leaders recognize that organizations built on mutual trust and confidence, successfully accomplish peacetime and wartime missions.” (2006, P. Viii). Balance molds a leader and in turn, an effective leader is a proactive person who works a whole lot smarter. President George Bush (1997) states, “Leadership to me means duty, honor, and country; It means character and it means listening from time to time.” (Adrain, p. 35).

My leadership philosophy revolves entirely around the Army Values. In every action I take as a leader, I assess whether or not it lines up with the Army Values and the potential impacts. I have had a variety of leadership assignments during my career, all requiring a different leadership approach, spanning from team leader through platoon sergeant. My conflict resolution skills have greatly evolved through my twelve years in the Army, from rudimentary conversations to in depth problem solving. My professional development has had a profound effect on my leadership abilities, from NCOPD’s to mentorship from senior non-commissioned officers (NCO’s).

Leadership can be viewed in many different ways and possess many different qualities. There are courageous leaders, respectful leaders, terrible leaders, and seemingly insignificant leaders but leaders nonetheless. But what is it that differentiates between a strong leader and a weak leader, or a powerful leader and an insignificant one? Is it the qualities in the leader or the decisions they make in key situations that define good leadership qualities? Some would define a good leader by their ability to do the right thing even if it is not the easiest choice. Others might define a good leader as one that possesses great integrity and leads by example. The military possesses many great leaders through a process of development and molding individuals to meet expected leadership qualities like honor, courage, commitment and integrity to accomplish any mission or goal. However, this process doesn’t always create the desired effect. So, let’s examine some good and bad examples of leadership qualities and break down what and how we can emulate them.

“You cannot allow any of your people to avoid the brutal facts. If they start living in a dream world, it’s going to be bad.”- General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis. General James Mattis is a retired United States Marine Corps general. General Mattis is known for his multiple forms of wartime experience as well as his brutally honest quotes about both fighting and the Marines. Even though some may seem General Mattis as an individual solely focused on violence, he is really a man of strong morals. However as times change the generations of people which live through the decades begin to conform to the ever changing environment. Once you begin to compare generals during early American wars to generals of present wars one can begin to see the effects

In fact, James Mattis has a history and a reputation of being thought of as more of a loose cannon than that of a beacon of peace and order. The title of “Mad Dog Mattis” is not a term used lightly, and the origins of it are not unfounded in the least; James Mattis earned himself that name which could undermine his whole reputation to be Secretary of Defense. That same behavior which caused “Mad Dog Mattis” to come into reality could potentially disrupt the entire military, and it is that same mindset so many are fearful of as when he spoke in 2005: “Actually it’s quite fun to fight them, you know. It’s a…hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people. I’ll be right up there with you. I like brawling. You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn’t wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain’t got no manhood left anyway. So it’s a…lot of fun to shoot them”. While this is something which may rally troops or help to convince of the emotional justification of fighting a war in a foreign country, in the position as one of the members of Trump’s cabinet Mattis, instead of working to raise an army, needs to be a man of not only that loyalty that he has shown through his actions as general, but additionally needs to develop something of an integrity firm enough to resist his instinct to obey Trump’s

Through his guidance, mentorship, and active leadership MSG (Ret.) Keith McKinney molded me into the Solider and military intelligence professional that I am today. His strong character lent credibility to the fatherly role he filled for so many in his charge. Those in his charge were not only subordinates, but also his peers and superiors would find his presence reassuring as it invited them to seek his counsel. Keen intellect and natural leadership abilities grounded MSG McKinney’s wise counsel. He used his abilities to develop those within his sphere to achieve results as military professionals and individuals who could contribute to society. During his time in the Army, MSG McKinney had a profound impact on the Soldiers he encountered and the organizations he supported.

"The president-elect is smart to think about putting someone as respected as Jim Mattis in this role," a former senior Pentagon official was quoted as saying by The Washington Post. "He's a warrior, scholar and straight shooter - literally and figuratively. He speaks truth to everyone and would certainly speak truth to this new commander in

General Petraeus was a career military officer whom graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point. He was always very competitive and would always strive for the best. According to a news feed, Petraeus always told his soldiers “Life is a competitive endeavor” (Bowmen, 2010). General Petraeus held many commands, but gained most of his knowledge when selected as the deputy commander of a counter-terrorism joint task force. His position taught him the crucial importance how excellent intelligence was to effective military operations and learned the mechanics of multinational operations. In 2002, Major General Petraeus assumed command for the US ARMY’s 101st Airborne Division. In 2003, tasked with the mission to stage the division in Kuwait, Petraeus was to occupy the Nineveh province, a sector of Iraq stretching over 75,000 square kilometers. In the direct center and having the best tactical advantage, the capital city of Mosul was where he would occupy first. Soon after the occupation of the city of Mosul, Major General Petraeus was successful during the occupation of Mosul, Iraq because he was able to direct his key leaders, lead his troops, and assess situations to accomplish the mission.

Before Mattis replaced General Petraeus on August 11, 2010, he commanded the United States Joint Forces Command from November, 2007 to August 2010 and served as NATO 's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from November 9, 2007 to September 8, 2009. Before that, he was in command of the first Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Forces Central Command, and the 1st Marine Division. Also on December 1, 2016, he was nominated to serve as the US Secretary of Defense by the new President, Donald Trump.

Leadership is something that people are born with. It is an inherent charm and it doesn’t hide even if you want to hide it. There is a leader amongst us and he or she is the one that leads other people to great things by inspiring and motivating people to do good deeds. Leadership has been described as “a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”. This way a leader can decide what work goes in and goes out. Good leaders in history have left a mark in walks of life. But great leaders, they’re different. Great leaders have the ability to make each and every individual re-think their life decisions and choices by

Before Mattis replaced General Petraeus on August 11, 2010, he commanded the United States Joint Forces Command from November, 2007 to August 2010 and served as NATO 's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from November 9, 2007 to September 8, 2009. Prior to that, he commanded the first Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Forces Central Command, and the 1st Marine Division. Also on December 1, 2016 he was nominated to serve as the US Secretary of Defense by the new President, Donald Trump.

Leadership is defined as the ability to accomplish a set goal(s) due to the act of inspiring and motivating a group of your peers. Former United States president Dwight D. Eisenhower made famous a quote that stated, “Leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates credit for everything that goes well.” (Notable-quotes.com). One of the most important aspects of the work area is leadership. Without leadership, there will be no guidance to for teamwork and the percentage of successful goal will be slim to none. Becoming a great leader is no easy feat however. An exceptional leader must lock in on specific attributes such as intellect, moral character, and human

My idea of leadership is being able to inspire others, motivate, set a vision, communicate, respect others, and of course, lead by example. A leader must have an honest understanding of who they are, what they know, and what they are capable of. To be a successful leader, you have to be able to convince your followers, not just yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed. In my opinion, this can build confidence in their followers to have faith in you, in order to be able to lead. I strongly believe that good leaders are made rather, and not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders are developed through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and

Leadership is something that we are all born with because we are all born. Therefore, who is a leader and who is not depends on who really wants to be a leader and who does not. Leadership is a skill and so it can be learned. As anything that is learned it demands practice and practice to be the best. It would not be something that will happen in a matter of a day. There are multiple elements that make a leader. Collaboration is a key element for successful teamwork. Therefore, a leader must always be in the look for ways to foster collaboration. Creating trust within the team, support face-to-face collaboration, transfer responsibilities when making decisions, and ultimately teach other how to be leaders. All of this is not done if it is not done from the bottom of your own heart.