Case Study: Dwight Eisenhower

Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. He was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II, earning the unusual five-star rank of General of the Army. He was in charge of planning and managing Operation Torch, the victorious invasion of North Africa in 1942–43, as well as the successful invasion of Normandy in 1944–45 from the Western Front.

Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas, and raised in Abilene, Kansas, as part of a big family with predominantly German (Pennsylvania Dutch) origin. His mother became a Jehovah’s Witness, and his family had a strong religious history. Eisenhower, on the other hand, was not a member of any organised religion until 1952. In 1915, he graduated from West Point and married Mamie.

Lessons

He did not let career failures disappoint him.

Losing certain battles during WW2 did not disappoint him, he just kept going, and he looked for the lesson rather than the result.

He focused on innovation:

This was the time of General Motors and Ford, this was the timew of the interstate highway.

He focused on values:

During D-Day he emphasized American values, instead of being a good General, he focused on being a good person, although he was not perfect.