Remembering Remarkable Leaders

As leaders, we owe a debt of gratitude to those who’ve come before us and served as examples and mentors. I can think of no greater tribute to those who modeled Remarkable Leadership to me than being the kind of leader they would be proud of.

One of those leaders I’ve always admired is former President and Commander of Allied Forces during World War II, Dwight Eisenhower. Given Eisenhower’s successful leadership during some of the most critical moments of the 20th century, he certainly earns a spot among the greatest leaders the world has ever known.

These quotations attributed to him illustrate how he went from “Little Ike” from Kansas to such great heights.

“You don’t lead by beating people over the head; that’s assault, not leadership.”

Even though Eisenhower was West Point trained, his leadership style was hardly that of a drill instructor. He realized the value of building consensus and worked hard to bring people alongside to support his initiatives rather than just leading by command.

“Always try to associate yourself with and learn as much as you can from those who know more than you, who do better than you, who see more clearly than you.”

Many leaders of Eisenhower’s stature have let ego destroy them. Eisenhower realized the value of the collective knowledge found within his teams. That helped him find success as both a military and political leader. He knew what he didn’t know and was humble enough to learn from those who did know.

“I did my best to meet everyone from the general to the private with a smile, pat on the back, and definite interest in his problems.”

Eisenhower didn’t play favorites or get caught up in issues of rank. He sincerely valued each person under his leadership. This genuineness and approachability helped Eisenhower not just with creating followers, but with creating relationships and allies.

What great leaders from the past influence the way you lead? Maybe they’re leaders on a global stage, like Eisenhower, or maybe it was a teacher, a first boss or someone else in your community. Honor that legacy of leadership they passed down to you by being a Remarkable Leader yourself and paying that gift forward.