Throughout its history, the United States has been involved in many conflicts, both domestic and abroad. As the world’s most powerful military force, it’s easy to see why US military leaders are held in such high regard in the historical record. Here are some of America’s most exceptional military leaders.

#1 George Patton (1885-1945)

George Patton was a General in the United States Army during the Second World War. He was in charge of the 7^th Army in the Mediterranean theatre of WWII and the 3^rd Army in France and Germany, following the invasion of Normandy in 1944.

Patton polarised people during his life and his image continues to be a point of contention in contemporary circles. He was seen as hard-working, colourful and a brilliant military strategist tactician; however, his achievements were often overshadowed by his public comments and vulgar speeches.

#2 Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964)

Douglas MacArthur was a 5-star General and Field Marshall of the Philippine Army. He played a pivotal role in the Pacific campaign during World War II and received the Medal of Honour for his services in the early 1940s. His father, Arthur MacArthur Jr., also won the Medal of Honour in the early 1900s, making them the only father-son to be awarded the medal.

#3 Norman Schwarzkopf (1934-2012)

Norman Schwarzkopf was a United States Army General, who was responsible for planning and executing Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War. He assumed command of the United States Central Command in 1988 and his force eventually grew to entail close to 750 000 troops (both American and international).

He was pivotal in the implementation of Operation Desert Storm, which included an extended air campaign and monstrous ground offensive in the early 1990s. The campaign was highly successful, and Schwarzkopf was subsequently awarded military honours.

3 biggest leadership failures in from world-renowned CEOs

Operating a global business is no easy feat. Even the smartest, most accomplished company and entrepreneurial minds can make mistakes. In fact, it is often these mistakes that define a CEO’s legacy, propelling them to make amends and take challenges on, or shy away from positions of leadership. Here are some of the worst leadership failures from famous business leaders.

Warren Anderson

Union Carbide is an American chemical company that has been operating since 1917. In December 1984, the Union Carbide facility in Bhopal, India had a catastrophic failure, in which methyl isocyanate (MIC) was accidentally released from the plant. The accidental leak caused 16 000 deaths (claimed) and at least 550 000 non-fatal injuries (around 40 000 people were permanently disabled).

The CEO of the company, Warren Anderson, flew to Bhopal to show his support and commitment. However, he soon left and never returned. He was charged with manslaughter at one point by Indian authorities; however, it resulted in nothing.

Kay Whitmore

Kay Whitemore was the CEO of Kodak, criticised for his lack of creative vision, strategic flaws and complacency. In 1990, Whitemore fell asleep in a meeting with Bill Gates, in which Gates was discussing the possibility of integrating Kodak’s products with Windows. Ironically, Kodak had developed the first digital camera in 1975; however, the technology was never taken seriously. Whitmore declined Gates’ offer, and a few short years later, digital was taking over, and Kodak was struggling.

Gerald Ratner

Gerald Ratner was the CEO and Chairman of the Ratners Group (now known as the Signet Group). He is known all over the corporate world for “that speech”, which has become a cautionary tale on the importance of brand marketing, maintaining reputation and CEOs choosing their words carefully. In the speech, Ratner playfully denigrated several items retailed by the business, claiming they were cheap because they were terrible quality. After the address, customers stayed way from Ratners’ products, which saw the value of the company plummet by 500 million pounds (and almost go bankrupt).

Millions of businesses are established every year. Only a small number of those are successful, and a microscopic amount of that portion go on to have international success. The reason for international success often comes down to one ingenious idea or person. Here are some of the best business decisions made in recent years.

Bringing back Steve Jobs (Apple)

Steve Jobs founded Apple with Steve Wozniak in 1976. They began selling Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer, before achieving massive commercial success with the Apple II, which was considered a ground-breaking development in personal computer technology. However, by the mid-1980s, Apple was struggling, and Jobs was forced out of the company by then-CEO John Sculley.

Later that year, Jobs founded NeXT, a computer platform company that specialised in higher education computer use. Over a decade later, Apple acquired NeXT, and Jobs again became CEO of the company in a matter of months. He revived Apple, which was on the verge of financial ruin and began developing a range of revolutionary products that have changed the world.

Revolutionary training clinics (General Electric)

Jack Welch was the Chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE) from 1981 to 2001. His approach to streamlining business efficiency and training has been applauded and criticised. However, its success for the company cannot be disputed. Every year, Welch fired the bottom 10% of managers, regardless of their performance, while rewarding the top 20% with bonuses. He removed the hierarchical management structure and brought in casual informality, mixed with competitiveness and drive. The result? GE grew from $12 billion in 1981 to over $410 billion in 2001.

Saturday morning meetings (Wal-Mart)

Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart in 1962. Wal-Mart has since grown to become the largest private company in the world, based on revenue, which was $523 billion US in 2020. Walton innovated conventional business practices in a variety of ways; however, one of his most crucial innovations was holding Saturday morning meetings with all employees. This led to a positive culture of inclusivity, where all information was shared.