General George Smith Patton Jr. is one of many historical figures that I consider to have been a great leader. After reading about leadership theories and styles I would say that George Patton used several leadership styles that enabled him to become a well rounded and admired leader in history. George Patton had styles and traits that touched on trait, behavioral, contingency, and contemporary theories. Although Patton was unorthodox, he was brilliant, audacious, and inspiring. He led his troops to victory in North Africa, Sicily, and on the Western Front. He was admired by his followers and feared by his enemies. This lead him to become one of the most memorable and historical leaders in American history (The New York Times, 2010).
George Patton had several traits that aided in his success as a leader; he had ambition, poise, self confidence, and orderly thinking. These types of traits can be found in other successful leaders throughout history. He had a democratic leadership style that allowed for his troops to seek victory by their own internal drives to win for their country and their leader. Patton used different approaches to motivate and successfully lead his troops depending on the situation. He had to be authoritative when needed, yet he was able to relate to his men by working with them as a team. Although he valued team work and leading by example, he used directive leadership in battle to prepare his men and ensure that they followed his commands. George Patton used many conventional leadership theories that made his role as a general and leader successful, but he also displayed charismatic leadership and transformational leadership qualities (Sullivan, E. J., & Decker, P. J., 2009).
The Essay on Leadership Theories Trait and Contingency Leadership
This paper discusses two leadership theories and how they can help managers relate to subordinates.IIntroductionOrganizational leadership is important for many reasons. A company must have someone who takes the ultimate responsibility for the organization's actions. A company may seem monolithic and unapproachable unless it wears a human “face,” and a leader can supply that. (Think of Ben and ...
General Patton was a controversial figure because of his brazen personality that made him both a winner and a target for ridicule. He was quoted about leadership stating, “We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.” (George Patton BrainyQuote, 2013).
His men found his blunt and honest personality inspiring and refreshing. To those who followed him he was charismatic because he showed the self confidence, strong conviction, and extraordinary ideas that resonated with his troops. Patton’s troops fought for him and their country, but also for a higher purpose and set of values that drove them to a common goal. Patton used transformational leadership to foster a common set of ideals to bring his troops together to fight for those beliefs (Sullivan, E. J., & Decker, P. J., 2009).
I admire Patton and other great leaders because of their amazing abilities to inspire and drive people to success. I took the Leadership and Self-Management Assessment and I was surprised that I did so well. I have not been in a leadership role on very many occasions; however it is a role that I would like to take on in the future. Following many different leaders and managers throughout my life has taught me what type of leader I would like to be. I believe that I did well on the assessment because I have the mindset to be a great leader and manager, but I lack the confidence that Patton portrayed. Being a manager in a professional setting requires some differing styles and traits then needed to lead troops to battle, but many traits and styles of great leaders are similar regardless of the situation. Another skill I think I would lack as a leader would be to be authoritative, yet down to earth and relatable. I know these are important aspects of a manager, but it seems like a fine line to walk.
The Essay on Leadership Manager Organization Employees
When in a leadership role I don't like to consider myself as a boss, but a mentor. I don't want my employees to see me as a boss but as a guide for further learning and success. Today's managers are not leaders, they are people in charge and nothing more. They don't necessarily have the skills to lead, don't get me wrong they may be a very good manager. However, they are only managing and not ...
I would have a hard time building strong relationships and still being authoritative when needed. Although I will probably never amount to a quarter of the leader Patton was, I do take pride in my ability to stay professional and would hopefully not be as controversial as he was. However, in his situation it served him well. Reviewing Patton’s abilities, leadership styles, and traits allowed me to see that some of the best leaders have several different styles that allow them to be diverse and successful on various levels. I do not believe that a great leader or manager can be as successful using only one style or possessing a minimum amount of leadership traits. The followers that look up to their leaders are individuals who have different motivations and expectations. A leader must know how to be consistent and lead a group as well as lead each individual, meeting their specific needs. I hope one day to be such a leader and manager. Learning more about leadership and what it takes has taught me what aspects of my personality that I need to work on in order to get there.
References
BrainyQuote. (2013).
George S. Patton Quotes. Retrieved from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_s_patton.html Sullivan, E. J., & Decker, P. J. (2009).
Effective leadership and management in
nursing (7th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. The New York Times. (2010).
On This Day. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1111.html
