I have chosen to do my paper on General George S. Patton. Patton was a famous General for the American Army during World War II. He was a hard-nosed, no nonsense leader. Patton was hard on his troops. With this being said, his troops respected him, and were willing to follow him to hell and back. Patton never asked his troops to do something that he would not do himself. His ability to be demanding of his troops and command their respect at the same time are a few reason why I respect Patton. I will go into leadership traits that Patton himself believed a leader should possess.
Patton's fourteen written leadership traits are Bearing, courage, decisiveness, dependability, endurance, enthusiasm, initiative, integrity, judgment, justice, knowledge, loyalty, tact, and unselfishness. Patton always stayed true to his word, and never left his troops' side. These traits are actually taught in the Marine Corps today. They can also be used in the business world.
Always maintain your bearing. You are always being watched by your employees. Never lose your temper. It’s important to always act as if you are in control. If you lose control, you just showed that you couldn’t keep your mind and emotions in check. If you cannot do that during regular times, what will happen when you’re faced with extreme stress or fear?
Moral courage is important in the business world. Leaders should have the moral courage to step in and say when something is wrong, when it’s an unpopular thing to do. A leader should have the courage to challenge a supervisor when you know they are wrong.
Patton said “Better a decent plan executed now than a perfect plan executed tomorrow.” Decisions need to be made, and waiting to make a decision carries the threat of making a situation worse.
Leaders need to be dependable. Employees have to depend on their leader's good judgment. They need to