Free Essay

Richard Winters' Leadership Analysis

In: People

Submitted By handle
Words 1036
Pages 5
Dick Winters Leadership Analysis
Richard “Dick” Winters was a well-known and decorated United States Army Officer, serving in a command capacity during World War II. During this war, he rather quickly gained command of Company E, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, and not too very long after gained command of the entire 2nd Battalion. (Ambrose,154). With the 506th PIR being an experimental Regiment at the time, Winters was an excellent example of the type of leadership that the US Army, and especially the airborne division, could create. Omar Bradley wrote an excellent essay on the qualities of effective leadership, many of which can be seen in Steven Ambrose’s portrayal (in his book, Band of Brothers) of Dick Winters’ throughout his European campaign between June of 1944 and July of 1945. This is especially true of Winters’ character. While I am certainly not qualified to rate him as a military leader from a military point of view, I do believe that Winters was an excellent leader of men.
According to Bradley, good leaders must identify and train other leaders, and realize that he cannot always lead alone (Bradley, 8). Easy Company’s success throughout the war cannot only be attributed to Winters. Critical in their operations was the efficiency and integrity of their non-commissioned officers, the men who led the soldiers much of the time. The best and most beloved of these “non-coms” were all men who had been taught under Winters all throughout their training. Winters played an obvious role in their development. "We couldn't believe that people like Winters, Matheson, Nixon, and the others existed…These were first-class people, and to think these men would care and share their time and efforts with us seemed a miracle. They taught us to trust." Winters turned our lives around” (Ambrose, 22). While Winters could not have been solely responsible for the excellence of those other leaders within Easy Company, his leadership style and performance clearly was a great motivator for their own ways of leadership. “He was an officer who got the men to perform because he expected nothing but the best, and you liked him so much you just hated to let him down” (Ambrose, 23). Bradley states that good leaders must understand the human limits of those they lead, and that people should be treated as people, not like machines (Bradley, 10). Winters always looked after the well being of his men. This was already evident around the end of 1942, before they had even left the states, when at one point on a 100 mile march, Pvt. Malarkey could not even stand up from a laying position. Winters saw his condition and told him to ride in an ambulance the rest of they way. Malarkey, not wanting to let his platoon leader (Winters) or his comrades down, decided he could finish the walk. This was the kind of resolve inspired by Winters. A more questionable instance of his commitment to his men was illustrated nearer the end of the war, in February of 1945. Everyone could feel the end nearing, and resolved to take as few risks as possible (Ambrose, 245). Winters was ordered to send out a patrol on a perfectly clear night across frozen, and therefore loud, terrain. He felt this was unnecessary and overly dangerous, and disobeyed direct orders. He told his men not to go on patrol, and just report that it was unsuccessful (Ambrose, 234-35). This action was extremely out of character for Winters, and only his devotion to his men could have led him to do that. Possibly two of Bradley’s most important qualities for a good leader is for that leader to have self-confidence and not be shaky in their resolve (Bradley, 11), as well as to lead by example and instill confidence in his followers. Winters would have agreed with these even before deployment into the war. He had always felt that "Officers go first," (Ambrose, 38). He clearly showed his commitment to this principle as well as his self-confidence in Easy’s first few operations during 1944. Having been in charge of a platoon since training (Ambrose, 29), Winter’s (unknowingly) took over command of Easy Company during the invasion of Normandy, as the previous commander was considered missing in action (Ambrose, 92). With E Company’s first couple of operations going extremely well, in part thanks to Winters’ leadership, they had been given orders to move into Carentan (Ambrose, 94). While moving up a straight-shot road to the town, a machine gun opened fire on his platoon, pinning them down in ditches on either side of the road. With his men frozen by fear and exposed, Winters knew he had to get them moving, so he ran out into the road, ignoring the machine gun firing at him. He kicked his men and yelled at them to get moving. As none of those men had ever heard him shout before, and they all saw him standing exposed in the road, they finally got moving (Ambrose, 95-96). One of his men later wrote to Winters of that moment, saying, "I'll never forget seeing you in the middle of that road. You were my total inspiration. All my boys felt the same way" (Ambrose, 96). While Bradley lists several more qualities of good leadership, there is not room to discuss them here, and the above listed ones are some of those that, I at least, found to be vital. The effect that Dick Winters’s character had on the men of Easy Company, as well as others, is evident throughout Ambrose’s book. While every man involved contributed to their overall success, it can safely be said the Winters made up a good part of the backbone of Easy Company. He took the skills that he had learned while watching Easy grow and commanding them in combat, and applied them to his battalion leadership. To reference Bradley one last time, “The greatness of a leader is measured by the achievements of the led” (Bradley, 7). The achievements of the men under the command of Richard Winters, therefor, must speak volumes to his effectiveness as a successful leader.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Biblography

...BIBLOGRAPHY Aiken, Michael; Hage, Jerald. December 1968. Organizational Interdependence and Intra- Organizational Structure. American Sociological Review. Vol. 33 Issue 6, p912-930. Bhargava, Shivganesh; Sinha, Beena. April 1992. Prediction of Organizational Effectiveness as a Function of Type Of Organizational Structure. Journal of Social Psychology. Vol. 132 Issue 2, p223-231. Brossard, Michel; Maurice, Marc. Spring 1976. Is there a Universal Model of Organizational Structure? International Journal of Sociology. Vol. 6, Issue 1 p41-75. Chegini, Mehrdad Goudarzvand. (2010). The Relationship between Organizational Culture and Staff Productivity Public Organizations. Journal of Social Sciences. Vol 6 Issue 1, p127-129. Clegg, Stewart; Kornberger, Martin; Rhodes, Carl. May 2007. Organizational ethics, decision making, undecidabilty. Sociological Review. Vol 55, Issue 2, pg393-409. Causon, J. (2008). The diversity advantage. Engineering and Technology. Vol 3 Issue 18, p78- 81. Dani, S; Burns, N; Backhouse, C; Kochhar, A. June 2006. The Implications of Organizational Culture and Trust in the working of Virtual Teams. . Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers -- Part B – EngineeringManufacture. Vol. 220 Issue 6, p951-960. Doyle, Robyn; George, Usha. Feb 2008. Achieving and Measuring Diversity: An Organizational Change Approach. Social Work Education. Vol 27 Issue 1, p97-110. ...

Words: 1010 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Hbs Case

...Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh: International Management, Sixth Edition Back Matter Endnotes © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2005 Endnotes ■ Chapter 1 1. J. Whalen and B. Bahree. “How BP Learned to Trust Ally That Once Burned It,” Wall Street Journal, February 27, 2003, p. A4; “BP Won’t Abandon Driving Forces,” Wall Street Journal, November 27, 2003, p. A7. “Dell Set to Create More Than 100 Full-Time Jobs in Bray,” Irish Times, August 17, 2002, p. 15. Peter Landers, “Foreign Aid: Why Some Sony Gear Is Made in Japan,” Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2001, p. A1. Barnaby J. Feder, “IBM Beats Earnings Expectations Again,” New York Times, January 17, 2003, p. C4. Peter Landers, “Volkswagen and GM Racked Up Strong Sales in China in 2003,” Wall Street Journal, January 6, 2004, p. A3. Peralte C. Paul, “Daimler Bails Out of Deal,” Atlanta JournalConstitution, September 24, 2003, p. A1. Nicholas Itano, “GM Returns 10 Years After End of Apartheid,” New York Times, January 30, 2004, p. W1. Saritha Rai, “A Giant So Big It’s a Proxy for India’s Economy,” New York Times, June 6, 2004, p. W1. Ibid. WTO, “World Trade 2003, Prospects for 2004; Stronger Than Expected Growth Spurs Modest Trade Recovery,” WTO Press Release 373, April 5, 2004, p. 1. Ibid. Thomas Friedman, The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization (New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1999). Jonathan P. Doh and Hildy Teegen, Globalization and NGOs: Transforming Business, Government, and Society (Westport, CT: Praeger,...

Words: 20606 - Pages: 83

Premium Essay

Critical Analysis

...the development of the RBV from its origins in early economic models of imperfect competition, through the work of evolutionary economists to the contributions of strategy and marketing scholars over the past two decades. This broad literature base has given rise to a great deal of ambiguity, inconsistent use of nomenclature and several overlapping classification schema. The paper seeks to draw together common themes of firm heterogeneity, barriers to duplication, sustainable competitive advantage and Ricardian rents within an overall model of resource-based competitive advantage. The second part of the paper describes three aspects of strategic marketing likely to benefit from adoption of the resourcebased perspective, namely, strategic analysis, positioning and international marketing strategy. In terms of the former, it is argued that the RBV helps to overcome some of the frequently cited problems of the SWOT framework. Similarly, it contends that...

Words: 12395 - Pages: 50

Premium Essay

Inexperienced Leadership

...Inexperienced Leadership | Chapter 1 Introduction Overview of Organization The Logistics Squadron is a consolidated logistics squadron providing supply, vehicle and readiness support to the Wing, tenant units and agencies. The guiding principles utilized in the performance of the organization are as follows; a. Mission Statement: A military organization dedicated to providing logistical support to our Joint Service Community. b. Vision Statement: Provide quality service to our customers in support of their missions. c. Values: Integrity, Accountability, Teamwork and Excellence. The squadron provides direction and management of base logistics processes related to cargo mapping, equipment, fueling operations, vehicle dispatch and deployment planning. The function of the squadron is to manage the overall supplies of the wing and effectively manage its inventories. It is a part of the Air National Guard, Wing with over 150 personnel encompassing, active military, traditional guardsmen and civilians. The Logistics Readiness Officer who: a. Provides oversight of the internal storage and external shipping of logistics supply activities for the Wing b. Is responsible for managing and staffing the Material Management Flight for the logistics supply and information sections c. Actively oversees and manages proper implementation of unit programs for supply and the issue of all mobility bag assets d. Administers procedures...

Words: 3303 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

R5 Growth Firm

...finishing—the institution.... In the last analysis, Walt Disney's greatest aeation was Walt Disney [the company]. —Richard Schickel, The Disney Version' I have concentrated all along on building the finest retailing company that we possibly could. Period. Creating a huge personal fortune was never particularly a goal of mine. —Sam Walton, Founder, Wal-Mart^ magine you met a remarkable person who could look at the sun or stars at any time of day or night and state the exact time and date: "It's April 23, 1401, 2:36 A.M., and 12 seconds." This person would be an amazing time teller, and we'd probably revere that person for the ability to tell time. But wouldn't that person be even more amazing if, instead of telling the time, he or she built a clock that could tell the time forever, even after he or she was dead and gone?' Having a great idea or being a charismatic visionary leader is "time telling"; building a company that can prosper far beyond the presence of any single leader and through multiple product life cycles is "clock building." The builders of visionary companies tend to be clock builders, not time tellers. They concentrate primarily on building an organization—building a ticking clock— From 6u/;t to Last by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras. Copyright © 1994 by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras. Reprinted with authority from HarperCollins Publishers. I 80 CALIFORNIA MANAGEMENT REVIEW VOL 37, NO. 2 WINTER 1995 Building a Visionary Company ...

Words: 10154 - Pages: 41

Premium Essay

Mob Griffin

...Licensed to: iChapters User Licensed to: iChapters User Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, Tenth Edition Ricky W. Griffin and Gregory Moorhead Vice President of Editorial, Business: Jack W. Calhoun Executive Editor: Scott Person Senior Developmental Editor: Julia Chase Editorial Assistant: Ruth Belanger Marketing Manager: Jonathan Monahan Senior Content Project Manager: Holly Henjum Media Editor: Rob Ellington Buyer: Arethea L. Thomas Marketing Communications Manager: Jim Overly Production Service: S4Carlisle Publishing Services Sr. Art Director: Tippy McIntosh Cover and Internal Design: Joe Devine, Red Hanger Design LLC Cover Image: © Eric Isselée, Shutterstock Rights Acquisitions Specialist/Images: John Hill © 2012, 2010 South-Western, Cengage Learning ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced, transmitted, stored, or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, scanning, digitizing, taping, web distribution, information networks, or information storage and retrieval systems, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For product information and technology assistance, contact us at Cengage Learning Customer & Sales Support, 1-800-354-9706 For permission to use material from this text or product, submit all requests online...

Words: 34296 - Pages: 138

Premium Essay

Asahi Case Study

...STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT TEXAS EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM FALL 2011 Professor David B. Jemison CBA 3.232 Telephone 471-8757 David.Jemison@mccombs.utexas.edu Texts: Porter, Michael E. Competitive Strategy. (New York: Free Press, l998). Course Description Perspective and Themes This course is about the creation and maintenance of a long-term vision for the organization. This means that it is concerned with both the determination of strategic direction and the management of the strategic process. As such, it deals with the analytical, behavioral, and creative aspects of business simultaneously. The course is organized around six themes in strategic management: the role of the general manager, the components of business strategy, corporate strategy development, divisional-level strategy development, managing strategic change, and the development of general managers. Our perspective in this course is that of the leader whose responsibility is the long-term health of the entire firm or a major division. The key tasks involved in general management include the detection of and adaptation to environmental change; the procurement and allocation of resources; the integration of activities across subparts of the organizations; and, at the most senior levels, the determination of purpose and the setting of corporate direction. General managers, from our perspective, are managers who are in the position to make strategic decisions for the firm. Note that such...

Words: 11018 - Pages: 45

Premium Essay

Battle Analysis

...In this battle analysis, I will analyze the Mexican-American war, discuss when the battle occurred, where it took place, the principle adversaries, review the settings of the battle operationally, and discuss the different areas of operation, such as the weather and terrain. I will also describe and analyze the American and Mexican armies in leadership, size and composition, technology, logistical systems, command, control and communications, intelligence, tactical doctrine and morale, the battle chronologically, followed by the significance of the battle, addressing the effects of the war and how lessons learned from this war affect the way our military operates today. So first, lets start by discussing the Mexican-American war. During April 25, 1846 to February 2, 1848 the Mexican American War occurred. This conflict happened between the Centralist Republic or Mexico and the Unite States. The war consisted of four campaigns as follows, the Texas, California, Pacific Coast and Mexico campaigns. President James K. Polk, who was elected in 1844, believed the United States had a “manifest destiny” to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean (Frazier, 1998). At first, the United States declined to incorporate Texas into the union, because northern political interests were against the addition of a new slave state. The Mexican government encouraged border raids and warnings that if any attempt to annex Texas it would lead to a war. As time went by Polk had his eyes on the...

Words: 3262 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Job Analysis

...Journal of Leadership Education Volume 11, Issue 1 – Winter 2012 Emotionally Intelligent Leadership: An Integrative, Process-Oriented Theory of Student Leadership Scott J. Allen, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Management Department of Management, Marketing and Logistics John Carroll University University Heights, OH sallen@jcu.edu Marcy Levy Shankman, Ph.D. Principal MLS Consulting, LLC Shaker Heights, OH shankman@mlsconsulting.net Rosanna F. Miguel, Ph.D. Visiting Assistant Professor of Management Department of Management, Marketing and Logistics John Carroll University University Heights, OH rmiguel@jcu.edu Abstract Emotionally intelligent leadership (EIL) theory combines relevant models, theories, and research in the areas of emotional intelligence (EI) and leadership. With an intentional focus on context, self and others, emotionally intelligent leaders facilitate the attainment of desired outcomes. The 21 capacities described by the theory equip individuals with the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics to achieve desired results. The purpose of this article is to propose an integrative, process-oriented EIL theory to provide a framework for conceptualizing and integrating future research and practice. The authors review and organize research and theory in emotional intelligence and leadership within the context of higher education, introduce the EIL model, and provide suggestions for future research. The article concludes with practical implications...

Words: 8602 - Pages: 35

Premium Essay

Exegetical Analysis of Ecclesiastes

...Paper Topic 3 There is a Time For Everything: An Exegetical Analysis of Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 Timing is everything. This is a statement that holds a great deal of truth. The difference between a good joke and a bad one is a person’s sense of timing. An appropriate pause makes a joke, an inappropriate pause can kill the same joke. Timing is essential when dealing with people. One must pick the right time to approach a coworker or friend about a problem. Timing is important in cooking. The moist cake in the oven is still runny batter if baked for too little time and a clump of charcoal if it is baked too long. Timing is important in medicine. If you catch a problem early you will be able to treat it more effectively. Timing is important in taking medication. If you take your medicine as directed it will be helpful. If you skip doses it loses its effectiveness. If you take extra doses it can be deadly. Timing is important in finance. When you invest in a particular stock and when you sell the particular stock will make the difference between whether you make money or lose it. We, as a society have time indicators hanging on the walls, built into our cell phones, computers, and cars. Timing is everything in today’s world, and society as a whole is very time-oriented. Timing is important in spiritual life as well. It is critical to live life with an acute awareness of God’s predetermined timing for life. The importance of timing is portrayed throughout Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. The book...

Words: 3510 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Student's Perceptions of Leadership and the Ways in Whoch Leadershapre Influnces the Development of Student Leaders

...STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF LEADERSHIP AND THE WAYS IN WHICH LEADERSHAPE INFLUENCES THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENT LEADERS A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Liberal Arts in The Interdepartmental Program in Liberal Arts by David Dial A.B., Duke University, 2002 May 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................... iii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION, STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM, METHOLOGY, AND LIMITATIONS....................................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem..................................................................................................1 Methodology .....................................................................................................................3 Limitations of Current Study ............................................................................................6 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................................................8 Gender as a Factor for Leadership Growth.....................................................................10 Race and Leadership Development ...........................................

Words: 27022 - Pages: 109

Premium Essay

The Cognitive Preferences of Successful Entrepreneurs in Malaysia

...Entrepreneurship Research, April 2008 KC Lim Contents Abstract 1. Introduction a. b. The Continuing and Evolving Research on Entrepreneurs The Importance of Successful Entrepreneurship Today and Tomorrow 3 4 4 5 2. Literature Review a. Introduction i. Definition of Entrepreneurs Previous Areas of Entrepreneurship Research i. Personality Traits • Motivation • Risk Propensity and Uncertainty ii. Cognition • Intention and Opportunity Seeking • Innovation iii. Population Ecology c. Topic for this Study/Theoretical Framework i. The Broad Research Problem 5 5 7 9 9 10 10 10 11 12 13 13 13 14 14 15 16 16 16 16 18 18 19 22 24 27 27 29 30 b. 3. Hypothesis for Research a. Hypothesis Statements 4. Methodology 5. Analysis of Survey Data a. b. Data Compilation Analysis & Findings i. Background Data of Respondents ii. Findings 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Cognition in Basic Business Areas Do Emotions Figure? Preferences for Source of Funds Preferences in Knowledge Acquisition More Specific Business Aspects i. Holding Company Together ii. Growth Factors iii. Continual Growth . HELP University College, 28 October 2009 Page 1 of 43 Entrepreneurship Research, April 2008 KC Lim 6. Limitations 7. Recommendations 8. Conclusion 9. Appendix 10. References 32 32 33 35 36 . HELP University College, 28 October 2009 Page 2 of 43 Entrepreneurship Research, April 2008 KC Lim Abstract This paper presents the findings of a general opinion survey on successful small entrepreneurs...

Words: 17064 - Pages: 69

Premium Essay

Management

...Lahore School of Economics Course: Management: Policy and Practice (MGT 503) Semester: Winter Semester 2012 Part- I Class: MBA for Professionals I Sec B Course Instructor: Usamah Iyyaz Billah (email: usamahbillah@yahoo.com ) Class Day & Timings: Sunday: 12:45 PM - 02:45 PM + 3.00PM - 5.00PM SYLLABUS 1. Introduction to Case Study Method: The case study method is radically different from traditional teaching methods. Students will learn the basic rules of an Oral Case Analysis Presentations as well as how to prepare and present Written Analysis for comprehensive management cases. 2. Defining the Managers Terrain: What is a management function, roles and kills? Universality of Management. A brief History of Management. Organizational Culture and Environment. Classifying managers and nominal employees. How the work done by managers is important for the organizations and how difficult it is to be a good manager who carries Social Responsibility and Good Ethics. 3. Planning: Managers as Decision makes, Decision making Process. Classifying decisions and decision making conditions. Techniques for effective decision making. Foundation of Planning. Setting goals/objectives and developing plans. Strategic management and planning. 4. Organizing: Organizational structure and design. Functional, geographic, product, process, customer departmentalization. Chain of command and span of control. Decisions involved...

Words: 1793 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Leadership

...University of Florida Levin College of Law UF Law Scholarship Repository Faculty Publications Faculty Scholarship 2013 Leadership and Followership Robert H. Jerry II University of Florida Levin College of Law, jerryr@law.ufl.edu Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/facultypub Recommended Citation Robert H. Jerry, II, Leadership and Followership, 44 U. Tol. L. Rev. 345 (2013), available at http://scholarship.law.ufl.edu/facultypub/ 366 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Scholarship at UF Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of UF Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact outler@law.ufl.edu. LEADERSHIP AND FOLLOWERSHIP Robert H. Jerry, II* "[B]etter followers beget better leaders." I been fond of a set of expressions HROUGH use to underscore the importance of an idea or a cause I sometimes the years, I have believe important and worthy of personal or institutional investment, or both. The expressions fit together like this: our society has a particular problem that needs attention; our colleges and universities, being institutions broadly representative of our society, also have this problem (as we should expect): we need to work on this problem in our colleges and universities; if we cannot solve this problem in our institutions of higher learning, then I have little...

Words: 5470 - Pages: 22

Premium Essay

Hitler

...AU/ACSC/0609H/97-03 A MILITARY LEADERSHIP ANALYSIS OF ADOLF HITLER A Research Paper Presented To Dr. Richard Muller Air Command and Staff College In Partial Fulfillment of the Graduation Requirements of ACSC by Major Paul A. Braunbeck, Jr. March 1997 Distribution A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited Disclaimer The views expressed in this academic research paper are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the US government or the Department of Defense. ii Contents Page DISCLAIMER ................................................................................................................ ii PREFACE ...................................................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................... v HITLER’S POLITICAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS.............................................1 Personality and Goals..................................................................................................1 Hitler’s Grand Strategy?..............................................................................................3 HITLER AS A MILITARY LEADER.............................................................................9 Strengths........................................................................................

Words: 10450 - Pages: 42