George A. Taylor

Maxims of Leadership

Psychology

“A knowledge of psychology builds a leader. Our ideas of Our ideas of leadership, however, are based on the same classical conception of the fine qualities of the perfect man, and no one has a perfect appreciation of them…An officer as a leader should be a master psychologist. The most important part of the military profession is the handling of men, and less is known about that than any other phase of the profession.”

-Observations of an Infantry Regiment in Combat

Personality

“Personality is the most important element in the conduct of war. It may be said that is affects almost everything…A unit reflects the personality of its leader. It all boils down to the fact that in war it is only the man that matters. If an officer could only be taught to develop his own personality and be natural, then his personality might light up that little sphere of the war in
which he is placed.”

-Observations of an Infantry Regiment in Combat

Perseverance

“Actions in combat has convinced me that the all important quality which was described to me in my youth as “stick-to-it-tiveness,” which is related to persistence, determination, and force; and in combat it is finer than all other characteristics an individual can possess.”

-Observations of an Infantry Regiment in Combat

Discipline

“Military discipline is a vague term, and has always been reckoned by the meticulous appearance and demeanor of personnel. That idea was built on the precept that one wanted a medieval soldier… The general attitude that prevails seems to be that military appearance and saluting are main evidence of a disciplined organization; but this is definitely and positively not true. Units that have good rear area soldiers have failed completely in combat…Discipline cannot be mechanical, but must be a spontaneous instinctive attitude.”

-Observations of an Infantry Regiment in Combat

Physical Conditioning

“An erroneous idea has been promulgated on the physical conditioning of troops that definitely is over-glorified… Actually it is not the physical exhaustion that wears men out in battle; it is mental exhaustion…Mental strain and fatigue are human. Fatigue is your worst enemy in war. We need to condition men mentally in that respect as well as physically…A man will keep going as long as his mind tells him he can…”

-Observations of an Infantry Regiment in Combat

Debt

“You have a debt—You owe it to the American soldier—What are you doing [to repay it]?”

-Command and Leadership

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