A Lesson To Be Learned

Here is the transcript of a short little note written by General Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 5, 1944.  He kept it in his pocket, only finding it weeks later (oddly, the original note is dated July 5, which I guess is a testament to the stress he was under when he wrote it).

Notice that nowhere in the note do the words "inherited mess", "worse than we thought", or any other weasel words appear. 

THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is how a leader behaves.  He takes responsibility for failure, and gives all credit to his subordinates, without anywhere implying that he was given incomplete or false data; or that blame should be shifted off his shoulders.

There are- ahem- certain highly placed people in the US government who really ought to be tied to a chair and have this note read to them until they really, truly grasp what leadership is.

So with no further ado:


"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."

He might not have been a great battlefield commander, but there is no questioning that he was a great leader.  How he must weep to see the way his successor carries on!