Military Review English Edition November December 2016 | Page 87

STRATEGIC LEADERS

Pershing became Army chief of staff. Leavening his
overseas experience, Marshall served as commander
of the 15th Infantry Regiment in China for three years
prior to moving back
to Fort Benning as
assistant commandant.
The combination of
his time abroad, his
apprenticeships to
senior leaders in times
of war, and his responsibilities as an instructor provided him
the perspective and
experience he needed
to lead the Army up
to and through World
War II.4
Strategic career
path #1 (teacher). An
officer who has a rich
educational experience
(at graduate school,
in a fellowship, or as
an instructor) and
possesses the ability
to adapt quickly and
effectively to individual and group dynamics will excel
on this career path. A leader who exhibits a passion for
teaching and confidently applies different engagement
techniques or information-sharing methods is a good
fit here. The opportunity to teach students at the U.S.
Military Academy, in one of the captain’s career courses,
at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, at
the U.S. Army War College, or through a civilian fellowship would develop critical skills and broaden an officer’s
perspective. The time devoted to considering the lessons
of history puts an officer in a position to evaluate strategic
options based upon similar circumstances from the past.
This type of officer must possess extraordinary technical
competence and the appropriate temperament to impart
lessons in a manner that is compelling. A great teacher
very often has great command potential.
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower—the organizer. As
a senior officer, Eisenhower was known for his public
patience, organizational acumen, and skill in managing
big personalities. He possessed legendary talents for
MILITARY REVIEW  November-December 2016

building coalitions and applying calm and thoughtful
judgment under the most exigent circumstances. His
early career provides interesting insight into the origin of

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, with Gen. George C. Marshall, waves to
spectators 18 June 1945 at the airport in Washington, D.C. (Photo by
Abbie Rowe, U.S. National Parks Service)

this reputation. A year after graduating from West Point
and receiving his commission, Eisenhower was stationed
at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he chose to serve as
the head football coach at St. Louis College. This unique
experience unquestionably cultivated his organizational
skill. While Pershing was directing the battlefield monuments commission in Europe, he asked Eisenhower to
develop a guide to the World War I battlefields, which
honed Eisenhower’s organizational skills further. As an
aide to Gen. Fox Connor in the Philippines, and later
to then Army Chief of Staff Gen. Douglas MacArthur,
Eisenhower refined an ability to work with big personalities. His time with MacArthur included the Bonus
March fiasco, which pressed the development of his political acumen, utilizing traits that he would call upon repeatedly while serving as the supreme allied commander.5
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