George Patton Leadership Style Analysis

Synthesis Essay – George S. Patton MSgt Shawn R. Hyler
Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy

George S. Patton
Have you ever thought about what you would say to a group of men and women in the face of insurmountable odds or immanent death? Would you be able to motivate them to a point where they are willing to give their lives for their country? Would you be able to find the words to move them to action, give them courage, or ease their nervous? General George S. Patton was a visionary and ethical leader who used key leadership concepts like open-mindedness, team dynamics, sound ethical behavior, and inspirational motivation to inspire a nation, overcome unsurmountable odds, and ultimately guide the Third Army to victory during WWII. General Patton’s ethical and visionary leadership styles showed when he utilized his open-mindedness and team dynamic role of “creator” to incorporate an aerial assault into his operational strategies and avoided the ethical trap of uncertainty when he combined the two tactics without any pre-established policy. General Patton also displayed visionary leadership by his use of inspirational motivation, constant presence on the battle field,

6) is a “dilemma stemmed from not having clearly established policies, procedures, or rules for handling the situation.” Another way of explaining uncertainty is simply not doing something based on the “complete lack of data”, according to David Wilkinson’s article the difference between ambiguity and uncertainty (2015, para. 5). General Patton’s courage to incorporate aerial attacks into his operational maneuvers showed his ability to avoid the ethical trap of uncertainty and set the precedence for utilizing aircraft during combat for tactical