General James Mattis: Leadership Compared to Maverick Generals

Introduction

General James Mattis is recognized as one of the most accomplished generals and military leaders of his era. The height of his achievements came when he was named the 11th Commander of the U.S. Central Command — a position requiring exemplary leadership and extensive operational experience. While he has since retired and served as U.S. Secretary of Defense, General Mattis's success in the military is attributable to the strategies, qualities, styles, and behaviors he employed throughout his career. He drew upon the approaches of past maverick leaders to become a risk-taker and an extremely aggressive commander. The purpose of this paper is to compare how Mattis employed and adapted the qualities, strategies, styles, and behaviors of maverick leaders of the past.

Strategies: Intellectual Risk-Taking and People-Centered Command

Intellectual Risk-Taking

One of the key strategies utilized by General Mattis is intellectual risk-taking, which was crucial for navigating the operational environment. General Mattis consistently challenged his troops to take calculated risks through careful intellectual analysis of their surroundings. His use of intellectual risk-taking is evident in how he led his troops in Afghanistan and Iraq (Szoldra, 2016). For instance, during the war in Iraq, Mattis insisted on the importance of U.S. troops using minimal force unless absolutely necessary — even though the United States had invaded Iraq to combat insurgents and terrorists. This stance was grounded in the understanding that not all individuals in the country were enemies, and it was imperative for troops to internalize that distinction. As a result, he managed to suppress a key al-Qaeda strategy of sowing seeds of disaffection among the local population against the invading forces.

Mattis also emphasized the importance of troops accepting temporary vulnerability in order to build connections with local people, thereby promoting long-term security in both Afghanistan and Iraq (Szoldra, 2016). In this regard, General Mattis adapted the strategy of General David Petraeus — a renowned commander and former CIA director who employed an adaptive, civilian-focused leadership approach — to seek the support and cooperation of civilians as a means of sustaining security.

This civilian-focused approach also reflected General Mattis's ethical and moral compass on the battlefield. His ethical commitments are perhaps most clearly illustrated in the letter he wrote to American troops as they entered Iraq. In that message, Mattis denounced Saddam Hussein's oppressive treatment of his own people, instructed his men not to harm the innocent, and strongly urged that all non-combatants be treated with decency. His compassion extended to personal gestures as well — on one occasion, he assumed a Major's duty during the Christmas season so that the Major could spend the holiday with his family.

People-Centered Approach in Commanding Troops

The second major strategy General Mattis employed was a people-centered approach to command. This involved consistently motivating his troops, conducting regular visits, and offering support when subordinates made mistakes. Mattis would routinely coach his battalion in the field and encourage them to work harder. In doing so, he adapted the participative leadership style associated with George S. Patton, the celebrated World War II general, fitting it to contemporary wartime conditions where soldier morale carries significant operational weight.

General Mattis also conducted regular visits to his troops and consistently framed their errors as learning opportunities rather than failures deserving punishment. This approach earned their trust and encouraged growth. Mattis told his subordinates to concentrate on their duties and not allow mistakes to wear them down (Szoldra, 2014). Through this process, he also channeled the aggressive and swift decision-making associated with Robert E. Lee (Bonekemper, 1999). A notable example: in 2004, during the Iraq War, Mattis is reported to have taken only thirty seconds to decide whether to shell a suspected enemy position.

Styles: Combative Approach and Strategic Thinking

Combative Approach On and Off the Battlefield

As a general, Mattis was genuinely feared by U.S. enemies. He was an opinionated leader who was not afraid to speak plainly (Szoldra, 2016). This candor mirrored the blunt style of George S. Patton, who was equally known for his directness. As Thompson (2016) observes, part of Mattis's distinctive appeal throughout his career was his willingness to offer straightforward — and at times provocative — opinions. From his early days in the U.S. Marines to his later public roles, Mattis was loved and revered by his subordinates, who held him in the highest regard not only for his willingness to endure hardship alongside them but also for his sharp sense of humor: "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet" (Thompson, 2016).

Mattis stated openly that he enjoyed close combat and found it genuinely engaging. He was widely nicknamed "Mad Dog" because of his combative approach both on and off the battlefield. His style has frequently been compared to that of General George S. Patton, renowned for tactical brilliance, profane language, and an unrelenting approach to warfare (Filkins, 2017). When Mattis met with local leaders early in the Iraq War, he reportedly told them: "I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery. But I'm pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: if you fuck with me, I will kill you all" (Filkins, 2017).

Strategic Thinker

General Mattis consistently engaged in deep thinking both on and off the battlefield. A defining element of this was his belief in understanding the present through the lens of the past. He also insisted on the importance of reading as a means of learning through the experiences of others (Carl, 2016). Mattis maintained that his avid reading habit allowed him to avoid being caught off guard by any situation he encountered. While reading does not provide all the answers, he argued, it illuminates a dark path (Russell, 2013).

Through his commitment to deep thinking, Mattis emulated the style of Sun Tzu, the renowned ancient Chinese military general and philosopher best known for writing The Art of War. One of Sun Tzu's central lessons was that the general who achieves victory makes many calculations before battle, while the one who loses makes few. Sun Tzu was well known for thorough advance preparation, generating well-established plans and considering a broad range of tactical combinations (Brim, 2013). By adopting this approach, General Mattis was quick and composed regardless of the task at hand, because he entered every situation with carefully developed plans already in place.

Conclusion

General James Mattis is unequivocally one of the finest military officers of his generation in the United States, and a leader who inspired a unique and deeply felt appreciation and respect from his subordinates and troops. Across a career spanning more than four decades, his exemplary leadership was built on a carefully integrated set of strategies, qualities, behaviors, and styles. He drew deliberately on the approaches of maverick leaders of the past — manifesting their lessons in his inspiration of younger troops, his aggressive and courageous conduct, his positive attitude, his intellectualism, and his commitment to strategic thinking. These qualities, styles, and behaviors together propelled Mattis to become one of the most notable and respected figures in the history of the United States military.

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