The Strengths and Weaknesses of General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis

There are a variety of ways to define both leader and leadership. There is not, however, a clear definition of how to become one. There is no set list of mandatory traits, either innate or learned, that a person must embody to be considered successful or proved a failure. What I feel it takes is the right mix of strengths and weaknesses in a given situation to demonstrate effectiveness. No one person has abilities without accompanying deficiencies. It’s all in the way they are balanced. The balance in the way one uses his or hers’ abilities will ultimately determine the type of leadership one has throughout time. To support these claims I will examine a well-known leader throughout the military, General James “Mad Dog” Mattis. This essay will provide some insight into both his strengths and weaknesses while discussing some personality traits he is said to possess.

Retired General James Mattis was born in Pullman, Washington on 8 September 1950. He attended Richland High School and received a commission as Second Lieutenant upon graduating Central Washington University in 1972. General Mattis quickly rose to popularity with the Marines he served with and become known as one of the most esteemed Marine Corps officers of his generation. Due to his candor attitude and unapologetic manner, General Mattis was well educated adjusting to the conditions at hand, with the main focus on completing the mission in the smartest fashion.

With a career of combat achievements under 42 years of service, General Mattis served many roles commanding at every level in the Marine Corps. Serving from a rifle and weapons platoon commander all the way to commanding U.S. Central Command by the time he was a four star General. Whether it was commanding 1...

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...onate commander and skilled tactician who reshaped the way America goes to war during an era of protracted combat.” (Just don’t) Not only do these traits prove to be effective on a day-to-day basis, but as Morgan & Lynch (2006) declare, there are also a set of key leadership principles that Mattis tries to adhere to as well. They are “to meet and exceed the standard you ask of others-lead from the front, to make timely decisions, seek to take responsibility before you begin to place blame, take care of those you lead, and always lead as you are” along with my personal favorite, “courage + initiative + perseverance + integrity = success” (pp. 6). Ultimately, whether you choose to define them as traits or principles they can be summed up by the age-old saying of “do unto others as you would have done unto you”. How you would want to follow is the way you should lead.