Many years ago, I read 19 Stars: Study in Military Character & Leadership (1971) in which Edgar F. Puryear rigorously examines four U.S. Army Generals: Eisenhower, Bradley, Marshall, and Patton. The title refers to the total of their stars, with only Patton having been awarded four at the time of his death.
I often wished there were a companion volume that focuses on their counterparts during World War Two, on four Five Star Admirals in the U.S. Navy: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King. I have always had an interest in military history and a keen interest in learning more about the preparation and deployment of those whose leadership can be the difference between life or death, victory or defeat, when battles are waged. Therefore I am deeply grateful to Walter R. Borneman for what I have learned from his book, The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King, The Five-Star Admirals That Won the War at Sea. It should be noted that I am unqualified to address any historical validation issues that others may have.
When examining Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King, Borneman focuses on issues such as these:
o Early indications of what they could — and did — achieve during their military career
o Greatest influences on their personal growth
o Greatest influences on their professional development
o Defining characteristics of their leadership style
o Most significant personal strengths and weaknesses
o Specific contributions to the Allied victory
As is also true of CEOs in the business world, general officers in the military come in all shapes and sizes. That is certainly true of the four admirals whom Borneman discusses in his book. However, there are also resemblances such as those shared by Halsey and Patton, for example, and by Army General George Marshall and Leahy.
Yes, their command-and-control style of leadership has since been significantly modified and in some instances repudiated. That said, I still think there are several important business lessons that CEOs can learn from them. Here are five:
1. First learn to be a loyal and effective follower in order to become an effective leader.
2. No pun intended, be admirable throughout your career: worthy of being admired.
3. When making a decision, insist on basing it on the best information available…and then act upon it.
4. Establish a commanding presence with the power of integrity in combination with competence.
5. Do everything humanly possible to create situations in which you are “lucky.”
If you are interested in a one-volume history of the war in which they served, I highly recommend Anthony Beevor’s recently published The Second World War (2012) and John Keegan’s earlier classic, The Second World War (2005).