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And Now for Something Completely the Same

"And now for something completely different," the Monty Python gang used to promise. (I went to Spamalot this past weekend.) Forget that, I want to honor this Thanksgiving with something "completely the same."

Dwight David Eisenhower, or Ike, is certainly one of the ten greatest Americans of the 20th century—and surely ranks in the top 50 for the world as a whole. As president from 1953–1960, he got us out of Korea more or less with honor, kept the Cold War from getting entirely out of hand, had the perfect demeanor for overseeing our post-war wound-licking and rejuvenation, was an unsung civil rights hero, and this great general ended his second term by warning us of the financial and political costs of a "military-industrial complex" with too much power—talk about prescience. And all this, of course, was preceded by D-Day and the campaign that ended World War II in Europe, in which Ike, make no mistake, was the prime mover.

I'm fascinated anew by DDE, and it all stemmed from a single and simple quote from General Eisenhower, which appeared in the May 2008 issue of Armchair General, a magazine I almost inadvertently grabbed at Logan Airport: "Allied commands depend on mutual confidence [and this confidence] is gained, above all through the development of friendships." The magazine's writer reinforced Ike's self-assertion by adding, "Perhaps his most outstanding ability [at West Point] was the ease with which he made friends and earned the trust of fellow cadets who came from widely varied backgrounds; it was a quality that would pay great dividends during his future coalition command."

The quotes above are borne out in Michael Korda's extraordinary, new-ish 800-page prize-winning biography in which I am currently immersed, Ike: An American Hero. I selected a more or less random couple of chapters, covering DDE's arrival in England in 1942 and his subsequent and surprising assignment to command of Torch, the Allies first offensive action of the war and the biggest and most ungainly offensive of its kind in history to that point. (The North African landing took place on my day of birth—07 November 1942.) In the space of just 43 pages (pp. 268–311) we find these phrases describing Eisenhower:

"infectious grin and great charm" ... "nice face" ... "grin that was to become so famous" ... "got along famously" ... "goodwill was spontaneous and easily recognizable" ... "good impression that Ike had made in six weeks" [newcomer junior general to Supreme Commander, Torch, agreed upon by Roosevelt and Churchill—in, yes, just six weeks] ... "least rank-conscious of generals" ... "Men were happy to serve under Ike, even British admirals and generals who might easily have raised objections; his sincerity and lack of ceremony made it difficult, even impossible, to refuse him, and enabled him very rapidly to pull a team together." ... "Ike was gregarious, rarely had anything bad to say about anyone, and, on the surface at least, was relaxed and good natured." ... "Whereas Ike's good humor was genuine, unaffected, and affectionate, Monty's [Field Marshall Sir Bernard Montgomery] was cruel and mocking and always carried a sting."

Following successes in North Africa and Italy, Eisenhower, still a rather "fresh face" and less than two years past arriving in London as a Lieutenant Colonel, was selected as Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force Europe, tasked to invade the European continent and procure Germany's unconditional surrender. Korda explains the somewhat surprising decision:

"The Allies had generals with, perhaps, a sharper strategic vision than Ike. ... There were also generals who were more experienced at 'fighting a battle' ... But there was nobody who had anything like Ike's record of leading an alliance—always the most difficult feat in warfare. ... What is more, Ike somehow inspired people: civilians and ordinary soldiers of both nations, even cynical political figures and the always troublesome French. Something about his big grin; his long-limbed, loose American way of walking (the Kansas farm boy grown to a man); his easy, familiar way of speaking to everybody from King George VI down to privates in both armies; his lack of pretension; his evident sincerity ... They were willing to be led by him. They were willing to have him command their sons and husbands in battle. They trusted him. They were willing to die for him. ..."

(NB: Precisely these same things could be said about the two military figures I have studied most assiduously, Lord Horatio Nelson and General Ulysses S. Grant.)

(NB: When DDE subsequently ran for President of the United States in 1952, his campaign slogan was the simple "I like Ike.")

So?

So: Why must we constantly pursue "breakthrough thinking," why must we leap "out of the box," when the secrets to success and, conversely, the causes of failure—in the sense of persuading or failing to persuade groups of all sizes to pursue and achieve excellence in any and all endeavors—are almost wholly dependent upon character traits and personal characteristics that are, in fact, more or less eternal and which unequivocally transcend cultures of every flavor?

Benjamin Franklin's Parisian charm offensive of 1776–77 gained France as an American ally and changed the course of history in our Revolutionary War against England.

Nelson Mandela's extraordinary smile disarmed one and all. ("One of the greatest charm offensives in history" was one biographer's description of Mandela's amazing feat of disarming enemies and allies alike and transforming South Africa without civil war.)

Eisenhower's grin ("something about his big grin," "grin that was to become so famous") united fractious Allies and insured the effective conclusion of World War II in the European theater.

We are confronted at the moment with an economic crisis of epic proportion. There is no better time to heed the eternal lessons of Eisenhower (Franklin, Mandela, etc). Make no mistake, the keys to surviving and thriving, as individuals and organizations, will not primarily be the "out of the box" cleverness of our "strategic response," but instead individual and organizational character as expressed by the depth and breadth of relationships throughout our individual or organizational networks. Current case in point, Mr Pandit of Citigroup is as smart as they come and then some, but, unlike Ike, when he said, "Follow me"—nobody moved, except to cut and run.

American Thanksgiving is our quintessential "family holiday." Giftgiving—for once!—is not the norm, except as it is reflected in exchanges of pumpkin pies and 7-generation-old recipes for turkey stuffing. It is a day in which we even put the likes of sibling sniping on hold and simply rejoice in each other's presence. It is a day, one hopes, when we also reflect on those, numbering in the hundreds of millions, or even billions, who go to bed on less than a full stomach.

The economic crisis? Not much fun. And less fun to come. But this, too, will pass, especially if we can assiduously translate the good will around the Thanksgiving Table and the character lessons of Eisenhower and Franklin and Mandela into our minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day affairs.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Tom Peters posted this on 11/26/08.

Comments

Another most excellent post. For this too I say thank you for that.

Posted by Judith Ellis at November 26, 2008 6:48 PM

Tom ...

This is the time to be mindful that our kids and our extended families are the most important assets in our lives...... I trust you will have a great Thanksgiving with your loved ones Tom!

In my humble opinion... What is needed in America today is a mixture of new young and old mature talent in leadership positions all over the nation and especially in Washington.

This mix will be good so long as they are pursuing "new thinking" and are looking for "outside the box solutions" for what ails the nation and the world right now.

Ike the General was an "outside the box thinker on D day" from what I have read about him - he actually "out foxed the fox Rommel". Rommel was the great General of WWII but he was limited by Hitler's inept strategies and tactics in France on D day. This is all from my understanding of what historians write about history. These are stories and not necessarily the truth.

Again from what I have heard and read Mandella always thought a new South Africa was possible based on his cautious and deliberate "new thinking" and his "outside the box" solutions for his nation and the world...

As always you state the obvious so well that sometimes it seems new and vibrant... Good for you, Tom! The obvious you state here (all over again) is that great leaders are individuals of integrity, character, compassion, passion and resilience. I concur once again.... Looking back there are many good examples to talk about...

I would rather look forward not back.

Looking forward I note that President Elect Barack Obama is setting up a healthy looking economic White House and Cabinet team to lead the US out of the wilderness beginning in 2009.

Here is today's report on what we can expect. - the following is a direct quote from my hometown rag "THE AGE" this day 27th November 2008....

President-elect Barack Obama named former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker to head a new White House economic board that will propose ways to revive growth as the US grapples with an ``economic crisis of historic proportions.''

``At this defining moment for our nation, the old ways of thinking and acting just won't do,'' Obama said at a news conference in Chicago, his third in as many days.

Richard.

Posted by Richard Lipscombe at November 26, 2008 7:42 PM

This post and the one before resonate very loud and clear with the issues at hand. At what well may be the biggest issue at hand . . . trust.

Are we at a point where no one trusts anyone? Has it become so cynical and we so harsh that we don't even believe those who attest that they are absolutely telling the truth.

I think it has, due greatly to those in the spotlight who say, "Honestly, I did not do that", only to find out in a short time that they, in fact, did do that.

Smiles and honesty are things that we need much more of. And team work.

Thanks Tom, and Richard. You are trusted. Keep smiling.

Mike

Posted by Mike at November 26, 2008 8:14 PM

happy thanksgiving.

Posted by jens at November 27, 2008 8:09 AM

Nice post Tom. I remember clearly the "I Like Ike" bumper sticker on my Dad's Ford. My Dad was a laborer, union activist, and ran for elected office always as a Democrat. And also a decorated WWII veteran. Although I was very young, I remember thinking it odd that my Dad would be enthusiastic about a Republican. I think you summed up the lesson well here...what Ike was as a man transcended the labels of politics. Character counts.

Happy Thanksgiving all

Posted by mike Neiss at November 27, 2008 8:10 AM

Richard, Volcker is 81.

(I am an avowed Obama fan, though all of his genius economic team proudly acknowledges having been mentorted by Robert Rubin as was pointed out by the Monday New York Times. The day before the same New York Times had singled out Rubin's recklessness as the primary cause of Citicorp's detour from sanity-to-busted; Rubin outscored my favorite bete noir, Citi CEO Pandit, on the miscreant list.)

Posted by tom peters at November 27, 2008 8:39 AM

Here's a great D-Day tale from Tommy Flowers. My interpretation of this is that it's only intelligence if you act on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Flowers

Flowers later described a crucial meeting between Dwight D. Eisenhower and his staff on 5 June, during which a courier entered and handed Eisenhower a note summarizing a Colossus decript. This confirmed that Hitler wanted no additional troops moved to Normandy, as he was still convinced that the preparations for the Normandy Landings were a diversionary feint. Handing back the decript, Eisenhower announced to his staff, "We go tomorrow."

Posted by Michael Saunby at November 27, 2008 8:45 AM

Michael, and determing which parts of intteligence are intelligent is the real trick. In the case in point, the British codebreakers were unparalleled in allowing us access to the bad guys' every sniffle. But in general the decision to act successfully on intelligence or not is a matter of intelligence, experience, wisdom, prejudices (which we all carry) and dumb luck. (Right?)

Posted by tom peters at November 27, 2008 9:06 AM

As the publisher of Armchair General magazine I am very gratified to read this post and know that one of our great thinkers on leadership and business was inspired by an article in my magazine.
Tom if you ever are interested in developing what you have written above into a feature article (4,000 words) I would love to publish it. Something like "What Ike, Grant, and Nelson Teach Us About Lesdership."

Posted by Eric Weider at November 27, 2008 10:19 AM

Happy Thanksgiving to TP, Cathy, Erik and the community. May this day be filled with all that is good. Today I am especially thankful for the wisdom here and the work that Cathy and Erik do daily to make this site what it is. I thank you.

Richard - You have written some most beautiful words here and for this I am thankful.

Mike Neiss - Thank you too for your story. There is soundness and blessed memories here.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Posted by Judith Ellis at November 27, 2008 11:31 AM

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it"...Dwight D. Eisenhower

It always seems to be about change. It always seems to be about new. It always seems to be about style, never about substance. Change for the sake of change accomplishes what? Change that doesn't address the root causes of the problems but is done for the sake of expediancy changes nothing. Deming knew it. Drucker knew it. Peters and Waterman knew it and Peters continues to articulate the "secrets" to success and excellence in a clearer, simpler, and more articulate manner than anyone else..."PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH PEOPLE"!

The "newest" solutions might well be rooted in learning the lessons of the past that we jut kinda ignored or skipped over because they were hard to do. How many good ideas or "models" get abandoned or discarded not because they were conceptually flawed, but because of the "leaders" horrendous cluelessness in how to execute complicated by the failure to hold them accountable for their failures? How many new models and their "authors" and advocates excel at telling you what needs to be done but supply scant details at how to do it? The reason? Maybe they didn't learn or don't know the leadership lessons of the past that have enabled many to achieve and excel.

"Productivity through People"...the soundest and best business advice you could have. The "top down" leadership models don't work folks...and Peters has been saying it for decades and giving real world and tangible examples of how to do it the right way. If you don't believe Peters...think about Ike's words. "An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows" I laugh when I read Tom get critized for not being "new enough" or out of touch. Some people can't handle simplicity.,,it makes them feel to ordinary or not special enough. Leadership isn't easy...which is why folks are always looking for newer and easier ways to do things. But at some point, stuff has to get done. The difference in success or failure is leadership. For thise who learned the fundamentals...it's easy. Getting folks to do what you want done because they want to do it...simple and a performance multiplier. Another lesson from the past that some learned, other didn't.

I will proudly wear the label "Old School". It beats the alternative of being thought of as a "New Fool"...

Posted by Dave Wheeler at November 27, 2008 11:33 AM

Somewhere I read that Mr. Summers was considered to be a Rubinite. What was lacking in this assessment is that both of his parents were University of Pennsylvania economists. He is also the nephew of two Nobel Laureates in economics. He was probably hewned from them and not particularly Mr. Rubin.

Posted by Judith Ellis at November 27, 2008 11:55 AM

Montgomery was a great man and a great general but this story shows the difference between Ike and Monty.

I'm worried that he is after my job," Churchill confided to George VI during General Montgomery's post-Alamein victory tour of Britain. "Thank goodness," the King replied. "I thought he was after mine."

My son ia attached to the US Army in the States. This is his first Thanksgiving. We British don't really understand it fully but from what you've said Tom I envy him.

Posted by Stuart Jones at November 27, 2008 12:18 PM

Tom - Happy Thanksgiving and thanks so much for bringing back fond memories of classic Python. My two favourites:

1 John Cleese as a civil servant from ‘The Ministry of Silly Walks’

2 The unforgettable sketch Parrot sketch - “This parrot is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its maker. This is a late parrot. It's a stiff. Bereft of life, it rests in peace.”

Oh how we laughed.

Good to have a laugh in these pretty humourless days

Posted by Trevor Gay at November 27, 2008 7:46 PM

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As true for corporations as for individuals. If, at the end of all this, we leave behind the dark age of tactics and cleverness and replace it with principles and accountability, it will all have been worth it. Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.

Posted by Bruce Philp at November 28, 2008 3:21 PM prescription free viagra

Thanks, Tom, for a marvelous post about Eisenhower, Thanksgiving et al. My only quibble is that I'd add Arthur Wellesley to the list of leaders to study.

You ask why we pursue "breakthrough thinking" because it's a form of magical thinking. We believe that there is A strategy or AN idea that will, if we can only find it, make all things easy and profits rain down like waters. We exalt strategy over execution, top leadership over front line workers, and charisma over system because that way we don't have to get down to the hard work of making it work.

Posted by Wally Bock at November 30, 2008 8:05 PM

I also am an Ike fan and agree Korda's book is magnificent, but Peters got the ranks wrong in his blog: Ike in fact went to England as a Major General not a Lieutenant Colonel on June 25 1942. He won his 4th star (rank of General)on Feb 11 1943. He did make it from Lieutenant Colonel to General in 23 months, not too shabby.

The D day decision was almost totally weather-driven.

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Of interest to some Ike fans and leadership pundits may be an article I wrote on Ike's personal leadership developoment as he was growing up in Kansas, West Point and the Army. It is "The Making of a Leader: DwightD. Eisenhower" in the current edition of Military Review.

Posted by Bob Carroll at February 13, 2009 4:51 PM