Sarah McGhehey

CTE 632
Unit Number: 5
Topic: A Study in Leadership Paper
Date Due: November 15, 2016
I.

Introduction

Dwight D. Eisenhower had many titles throughout his life: brother, father, son, husband,
friend, lieutenant, supreme commander, general, president of Columbia University, President of
the United States of America, and more. These titles are all very impressive and take a great
amount of commitment, integrity, courage, perseverance, and most of all, leadership. Eisenhower
developed his leadership qualities during his lengthy career facilitated by the significant amount
of travel he experienced. These leadership qualities are extensive, remarkable, and will be
explored as we journey through the life of one of the greatest generals and most popular
presidents in American history.
II.

Review of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, was an educator, author, and
public speaker on life principles and mindset, displaying how to apply these universal principles
to reach goals and succeed. In 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey goes into depth on the
seven principles that will lead to personal and public victories. Each habit builds on the previous
habit and gives the reader the opportunity to practice the habits in his or her own life.
The first three habits combine together to enable one to obtain a personal victory. Covey
stresses that personal victory is crucial in becoming effective and must precede public victory
(the second three habits). Habit 1 is to be proactive, asserting that we must take charge of our
lives and realize that we are a product of our decisions. This is the most fundamental of the
habits and perhaps the most important. Many people are reactive, letting outside factors control
decisions and thoughts. We can practice being proactive by controlling our words and thoughts,
not placing blame on factors outside ourselves.
Habit 2, beginning with the end in mind, can be described as creating a vision for what we
want to become and using this vision to drive our decisions and guide us to our destination.
People center their lives around many different things, such as family, spouse, work, self, etc.
This habit allows us to ensure that we center our lives on our goals and the things that matter
most. Beginning with the end in mind helps leaders create the vision of an organization by
determining what is to be accomplished and how to achieve these goals.
Habit 2 leads seamlessly into habit 3: put first things first. Prioritizing is vital to create this
habit, ordering the different aspects of your life by importance. This, in conjunction with having
the willpower to achieve goals, leads an individual to a personal victory. A personal victory
allows us to become independent and seek public victories. Becoming independent is an
important step in becoming interdependent, the focus of the next three habits.
The second three habits focus on interdependent relationships and working toward a public
victory. A public victory is a victory in which an individual works with others to reach a common

goal. To attain interdependence, one must strive to accomplish a win/win scenario (habit 4).
Covey argues that the only way to work interdependently is to always seek a win/win solution,
and if this is not possible the two parties reach a stalemate, also known as no deal. Win/win
warrants all parties to be satisfied with the outcome of the agreement and all achieved their
individual goals. If win/win cannot be achieved, the no deal option allows all parties to
understand each other without making a compromise that is not mutually beneficial.
Once we understand the importance of win/win solutions when working interdependently,
habit 5 becomes essential. Habit 5 is seeking first to understand and then to be understood. Many
individuals are only listening to provide a response and not really trying to understand. By
utilizing empathetic listening when seeking to understand the issue, we can attain a clear and
concise understanding. After we have a deep understanding, we seek to be understood and pursue
a win/win solution in the conversation.
The sixth habit, to synergize, captures the true essence of interdependence and embodies the
first 5 habits. Synergy is defined as the whole being greater than its parts. Trust and cooperation
are crucial in this habit, and all parts must exemplify these characteristics. This habit must be a
collective effort that finds solutions to satisfy all involved. The involvement of all the parts is
critical in this stage and this habit is necessary for public victory.
The final habit, sharpening the saw, is focused around combining all the previous habits and
being in a state of complete well-being. Four dimensions are crucial when sharpening your saw:
physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional. The physical dimension is centered on health
and the different aspects that contribute to your health, such as diet, exercise, strength and
flexibility. This dimension also coincides with habit 1 and being proactive in the sense preventive
measure to avoid illness. The spiritual dimension is comprised of aligning you core values and
commitments. Spiritual well-being allows an individual to have purpose in life and grow from
the challenges faced. The mental dimension describes the importance of becoming a lifelong
learner and avoiding atrophy. It is important to explore new information while maintaining or
broadening current knowledge. Social and emotional well-being enables communication and
cooperation with others. This dimension was explored in habits 4, 5, and 6, focusing on
interpersonal relationships and leadership.
III.

Review of Eisenhower: Soldier and President

Dwight David Eisenhower was born in Texas in 1890 to Ida and David Eisenhower. The
Eisenhower family soon moved to the small community of Abilene, Kansas where Dwight and
his brothers grew up. Dwight was the third of seven children in this poor religious family and
learned the importance of hard work at a young age. Throughout his time in Abilene, Dwight,
also known as Ike, learned to love sports like baseball, football, hunting, and fishing. While Ike
focused on sports, his studies were of little interest to him except for military history.
Ikes love for football and interest in military led him to make the decision to attend West
Point Military Academy in New York shortly after graduating high school. An early knee injury
ended Ikes football career at West Point, but he continued to support his team by helping the
coaching staff. He graduated in 1915 in the middle of his class due to some discipline problems
at the academy. Despite his lack of discipline at the academy, Ike started to develop his

leadership qualities while attending West Point that later influenced his decisions and leadership
as a general and president.
After graduating from the U.S. military academy, Eisenhower became a lieutenant in San
Antonio, Texas where he met his wife, Mamie Doud from Denver, Colorado. Together they had
two sons: Doud Icky Dwight and John Sheldon. Unfortunately, Icky died of scarlet fever as a
small child, leaving Dwight and Mamie with pain that never diminished.
As World War I began, Eisenhower was placed as a commander of a training center. Just
before he was scheduled to go to Europe, the war ended. Barely missing action in WWI was
discouraging for Ike; however he used the following years to educate himself and work his way
up the ranks in the Army. This landed the Eisenhowers in the Philippines, working under General
Douglas MacArthur, who recognized the strong qualities and great potential of Ike. World War II
started in Europe which sent the Eisenhowers back to the United States where the newly
promoted lieutenant colonel would work in Washington, DC and plan invasions under General
George Marshall. Receiving a promotion to supreme commander of the U.S. troops in Europe
and eventually to general, Eisenhower led multiple successful invasions during WWII. The most
well-known invasion was the Normandy Invasion. On D-Day (June 6th, 1944), despite the poor
weather, Eisenhower ordered more than 150,000 troops to invade the beaches of Normandy,
leading to the liberation of France.
General Eisenhower planned multiple successful invasions and received several promotions
during WWII. Eisenhower also obtained a few criticisms including how he handled General
Montgomerys insubordination as well as allowing the Russians to take Berlin before the allied
forces.
Returning to the United States, President Truman quickly promoted Eisenhower to chief of
staff, replacing Marshall who he previously worked under. After the war, Ike wanted to work
towards retirement and spend time with his wife who he was separated from for the majority of
the war. Ike spent time as the chief of staff, president of Colombia University, and writing
Crusades in Europe. All the while, Eisenhower was receiving many requests to run for the
republican candidate in the 1948 election. He denied these requests, yet eventually wore down
and ran for president in the following election, choosing Richard Nixon as his running mate.
Dwight Eisenhower was elected as President of the United States, winning the election in an
impressive fashion. The slogan We Like Ike helped Eisenhower get elected two terms in a row,
serving as President from 1953 to 1961.
During his 8 years as president, President Eisenhower focused on establishing peace in Korea
and the USSR. Korea was a victory, however Eisenhowers attempt to end the nuclear arms race
and sign a peace agreement with the URRS was deemed a failure when they never responded to
his Atoms of Peace speech. Eisenhower also set out to stifle communism and found success in
both Guatemala and Iran. Participating in the Geneva Summit, Eisenhower proposed an open
skies agreement with the Soviet Union, and although they did not sign the agreement, it was
internationally recognized and respected.
Eisenhower had many successes within the United States during his 8 year stint including
increasing minimum wage, developing the Department of Health, improving the fiscal wellbeing of the country, and establishing the interstate road system with over 44,000 miles of roads.

He was successful in passing numerous pieces of legislature through Congress despite the
Democratic majority. Not taking away from Eisenhowers success, he did have some failures
while in office. Many criticized him for the way he handled the desegregation of schools after the
Brown v Board of Education decision and racism in general. While Eisenhower disliked
segregation, he knew this would take time. Another criticism of President Eisenhower was the
lack of advancement in space technology, brought to the forefront when Russia launched the
man-made Sputnik 1. Although he was criticized for lacking in the development of space
technology, Eisenhowers resilience as a leader powered him to eventually create NASA.
Despite the criticisms of his presidency, Eisenhowers popularity remained very high. After
his second term concluded, he and Mamie were finally able to retire on their farm near
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He spent time hunting and fishing with friends, working in the garden,
and playing with his two grandchildren. He occasionally got called upon for advice from many
politicians and military minds, serving his country until he passed away in 1969 at the age of 78.
IV.

Leadership Analysis

Dwight D. Eisenhower was a leader in the fullest sense of the word, developing qualities
during high school and at West Point Military Academy that would help lead him to success.
Eisenhower continued to fine tune his skills and leadership qualities throughout his time as a
military leader and as President of the United States. Ike continued to lead his whole life,
advising presidents and United States officials long after his duty as general and president were
served.
During Eisenhowers time as a general, many leaders around the world were impressed with
his leadership, his ability to persuade, his kind personality, his confident optimism, and his
trustworthiness. He was a good listener and communicator, allowing him to understand others
perspectives and make everyone around him feel comfortable and at ease in his presence. This
was especially apparent in his relations throughout WWII with leaders such as Winston
Churchill, General George S. Patton, and the British and American officials under his command.
As a young boy, Ike was raised in a poor family where hard work was expected. His parent
instilled a work ethic in young Ike that would carry him through his successful career, all the
way to president elect and leader of the United States. The Eisenhower family helped Ike
develop the first three habits in Stephen Coveys 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: be
proactive, begin with the end in mind, and put first things first. These three guided Eisenhower to
personal victories that allow him to develop the last 4 habits.
It was clear in the biography of Eisenhower that he was continually working on being
proactive (habit 1) by controlling his emotions, decisions, and attitude throughout his career.
Through his journal, Ambrose was able to analyze his inner thoughts and feeling, showing his
ability to think before reacting and control his actions. It was also shown through his journal that
he had many goals throughout his career. The way he moved quickly through the Army ranks and
pursued his education was a clear indication of the drive and motivation that correlates directly
with having set goals. Eisenhowers career reflected habit 3 by being known for order throughout
his military and presidential stretch. As a military leader, he prioritized invasions based on
importance, the same skill exhibited when he was able to pass legislation through Congress.

Eisenhower continued to perfect the first three habits of highly effective people throughout his
career, allowing him to work on the next three habits.
As President of the United States, Eisenhower continued to develop his leadership skills by
building upon the numerous qualities that he developed prior to being elected. He continues to
keep open communication lines, which align with habits 4 and 5 from Coveys book. He also
took the confidence he had and inspired others to be confident. Habit 4, seeking a win/win
outcome, was depicted during the many treaties, agreements, and plans that Eisenhower
developed during his time as an Army general and as President of the United States. He worked
under and with many generals and leaders over the course of WWII, always negotiating and
working towards a win/win solution. When win/win was not possible, Eisenhower would choose
the no deal option as Covey suggests. One example of settling for no deal was the Atoms for
Peace agreement after the Soviet Union did not respond to the negotiation.
Seeking to understand and then to be understood (habit 5) was arguably one of Eisenhowers
strongest attributes. He was known around the world by high powered leaders to be an
impeccable listener and have an impressive awareness of all three parts of effective
communication (verbal, tone, body language). This practice started as a young man attending
West Point Military Academy and persisted throughout his long career. He even started a
television broadcast as president that communicated his ideas and vision with the American
people during his served terms.
Synergy, the concept that the whole is greater than its parts, is a characteristic that should be
embodied by all presidents, generals, and military officials. Eisenhower worked closely with
many high ranked officials over the course of his time in the military and in his role as president.
He applied his vast expertise as well as utilized his personnels expertise to the maximum
capacity to raise the probability of success. Eisenhower was well known as the most successful
general during his time in the military and was a well-liked president during his 8 years in office.
Much of his success can be contributed to the skills and habits he demonstrated in his career,
proving that he truly was a highly effective individual.
Much of Eisenhowers success can be attributed to the first 6 habits of a highly effective
person as laid forth by Covey. The seventh habit, sharpening the saw, might be the habit in which
Eisenhower could have improved. Sharpening the saw contains various dimensions that together
characterize the wellbeing of an individual. Eisenhower was efficient in three of the four
dimensions, but proved to be ineffective in the physical dimension as a general and president.
While Eisenhower was a general stationed in Europe, health issues arose for the first time in
his life. The general hurt his knee and developed a tumor on his back during his stint in Europe.
He continued to push himself physically despite the knee injury and discomfort brought on by
the tumor. After his time overseas, Eisenhower suffered three total heart attacks. Spread out over
time, the most serious was perhaps one he encountered towards the end of his first term as
president. He rested by preparing his campaign for the 1956 election. Strengthening his
physical dimension by exercising, dieting, and resting was something that Eisenhower neglected
in the latter part of his career.
The dimensions of spiritual wellbeing and social/emotional wellbeing were ones in which
Eisenhower practiced from the time he was a young boy. The Eisenhower family was very

devoted to their faith and Dwight carried this with him throughout his life. Beginning in Abilene,
he was a social through his participation in many high school sports and clubs. He continued to
practice the social dimension by attending many social parties, hunting and fishing trips, golf
outings, and more. His emotional state was tested multiple times like in the event of the death of
his first child and his lengthy separation from his family while stationed in Europe. He was able
to cope with these emotional struggles with various methods, one being the friendship he
established with his wartime secretary, Kay Summersby. After his retirement, Eisenhower spent
most days with his family and friends enjoying his favorite hobbies.
The final dimension of mental wellbeing was both a strength and a weakness of
Eisenhowers. He promoted his mental wellbeing by constantly advancing his education and
challenging his mental ability. His weakness in this dimension can be witnessed by his
persistence that often hindered his mental and physical health.
V.

Personal Reflection

Reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was very engaging. I found myself intrigued
while learning the first three habits and how they come together to result in a personal victory. I
realized that I possess these three habits and was curious as to how I acquired them. As I thought
deeply, I came to the conclusion that these were routines instilled in me early in life, similar to
Eisenhower. My parents taught me how to prioritize, think before I act or speak, and urged me to
set both long term and short term goals. As I continued throughout my childhood and high school
years, my parents helped me perfect these habits by developing strategies to find success in
various avenues.
As I continued to read, I found that I also employ the next three habits; though still have
room for improvement. I also found myself applying these habits to my career and relationships,
learning methods to implement these habits on a daily basis. I even suggested this book to a
student who struggles in many areas of his social and emotional habits. I read this book to
compare against Eisenhowers leadership qualities and while I believe I did this successful, I am
grateful for the compelling lessons I learned in this study.
Being a mathematics teacher, history was not necessarily my best or favorite subject as I
progressed through school. I really knew little about Eisenhower and his great accomplishments
before reading Eisenhower: Soldier and President. I choose this book due to the fact I have read
Stephen E. Ambroses books before and enjoy his writing style. I truly enjoyed reading this book
and learning about all Eisenhowers wonderful accomplishments. Because I read the biography
after the leadership book, I was constantly analyzing the leadership qualities of the soldier and
president while comparing these to the 7 habits of highly effective people. I established that these
qualities are imperative to achieving success at such a high level like Eisenhower.
VI.

Conclusion

Dwight D. Eisenhower was an exemplary leader with qualities possessed by few. Known as
one of the greatest generals and most popular president in American history, he embodied the
definition of a highly effective individual. Coming from a small town and a poor family,
Eisenhower conquered all odds and proved that all can succeed with hard work and persistence.
I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.

- Stephen Covey

VII.

References

Ambrose, S. E. (1990). Eisenhower: Soldier and president. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster
Paperback
Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. New York, NY: Rosetta Books.