General James Mattis Leadership Style and Strategies

General James Mattis who is commonly known as, “Mad Dog” spent 40 years on the front lines before retiring and appointed as the new Secretary of Defense. During his years of service, Mattis led combat troops in different missions including the battle in Fallujah, Iraq. Given his experience and actions, General Mattis has become a prominent figure in the military, particularly in the debate on how the military should engage in irregular warfare such as one in which enemies deploy computer viruses or hide in mosques (Dickerson, 2010). Consequently, General Mattis has utilized several strategies, styles, behaviors, and qualities of past Maverick Leaders and successfully adapted them to the modern operating environment. General Mattis employed the strategies, behaviors, styles and qualities of past Maverick Leaders to become a risk taker and extremely aggressive commander.

Outline:

I. Introduction

1. General Mattis’ years of service and prominence in the military.
2. General Mattis’ use of different strategies, qualities, behaviors, and styles.
3. General Mattis employed the strategies, behaviors, styles and qualities of past Maverick Leaders to become a risk taker and extremely aggressive commander.

II. Strategies

1. Intellectual risk-taking
a. Support for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to use less force.
b. Support for troops to accept more short-term vulnerability to develop ties with locals in order to promote long-term security.

2. People-centered approach when commanding a troop.
a. Motivating his subordinates while in the battlefield.
b. Conducting regular visits of troops and supporting them when they make mistakes.

II. Style

1. Combative approach on and off the battlefield.
a. Opinionated leader who was not afraid to say it like it is (Szoldra, 2016).
b. He stated that he like brawling and shooting people was a lot of fun.
2. Strategic thinker
a. He would constantly engage in deep thinking on and off the battlefield.

III. Behaviors

1. Extremely Aggressive
a. He would not only inspire but also intimidate his troops.
b. He utilized combative approach in the battlefield.

2. Interaction with his subordinates
a. He is described as a player coach who was constantly interacting with his juniors.
b. He is described as a fighter leader.

IV. Qualities

1. Intellectualism
a. He loved to read and had a personal library with more than 7,000 volumes
b. He had an interest in the study of world history and military history.

2. Positive attitude
a. He would constantly inspire his troops before, during, and after war.

3. Courageous.
a. He inspired confidence among his troops.
b. He utilized a combative approach on and off the battlefield.

V. Conclusion.

References
Dickerson, J. (2010, April 22). A Marine General at War. Retrieved September 12, 2017, from http://www.slate.com/articles/life/risk/2010/04/a_marine_general_at_war.html
Szoldra, P. (2016, December 3). Here’s What Legendary Marine General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis is Really Like, From People Who Served with Him. Business Insider. Retrieved September 12, 2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/general-mattis-stories-2016-12?IR=T/#mattis-has-often-been-praised-by-senior-leaders-at-the-pentagon-as-both-a-strategic-thinker-with-an-encyclopedic-knowledge-of-history-and-an-incredible-leader-1