Most Americans probably assume our greatest WWII general was General George Patton. In a recent conversation, however, Jim DeFelice, author of “Omar Bradley: General at War,” told me that this might not be totally fair.
According to DeFelice, 5-star general Omar Bradleyi s in many ways the unsung hero of the American war effort. Not only was he instrumental in the army’s victory in North Africa, he also commanded the troops during the invasion of Normandy.
A mid-western boy at heart, General Bradley was known as a “GI general,” a reputation solidified by his habit of giving his coats away to freezing soldiers and, on occasion, using his personal rifle to fire at enemy planes.
But what kind of leader was General Bradley? Although he shunned the public spotlight, DeFelice told me General Bradley was by no means shy. In fact, his leadership style was one based on “give and take;” General Bradley would “let his subordinates take credit when credit was due,” and also “listened to them, genuinely wanted their opinion.”
This is not to say that he was a lenient boss. If you were an officer under General Bradley, you were expected to deliver.
Given General Bradley’s success, are there any lessons that modern leaders can take away from his story?
While DeFelice acknowledges that it’s important for generals these days to pay attention to the political climate and public opinion, DeFelice thinks that Bradley’s willingness to collaborate is an important takeaway:
“The most important thing to understand about Bradley is that he would listen to his subordinates, and take advice and their opinions and kind of reshape them into his own ideas, and new ideas, and implement those on the battlefield”