THE OVERLORD EFFECT
EMERGENT LEADERSHIP STYLE AT THE D-DAY INVASION
by
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Leadership at the operational and strategic level was important. But, the tactical leadership on the ground was also a critical factor. General Matthew B. Ridgway was one of the leaders at D-Day. His leadership and vision made him an archetype for a transformational leader. A transformational leader is one who engages with others and raises the level of both morality and motivation in followers and leaders. Ridgway led the 82d Airborne Division and ensured his troops were trained and capable soldiers who could do the mission. “Ridgway was a solid man; (there was) nothing phony about him,” Major Dick Winters was quoted as saying: (While) talking with his troops (he) had everyone’s respect. (There was) never any doubt on (his) character, manhood or leadership.” Winter’s description of Ridgway as a man of character, with the ability to gain people’s respect thru his honesty and integrity, exemplified critical leadership traits, and these proved necessary for success at that level. Moreover, one must wonder how much these traits trickled down to the soldiers by example, or, were they already part of their character? Ridgway left a strong cadre of leaders at the 82nd’s base in England to train replacement troops while the rest of the unit was in Normandy. In so doing, the cadre emphasized and built tradition into their character. His insistence on a strong tradition, a focus on basic skills and conditioning, remained in effect, as the 82d Airborne Division not only went on to success at D-Day but also serves as the preeminent division in the Army today. Thus, a strong leader can effect an organization in the long term as well as the short. Before he assumed command of the 82nd, Ridgway had benefited from General Omar Bradley’s tutelage. This may have been crucial, as the latter’s moniker was “the GI’s General,” a nickname bestowed upon him by the famous war correspondent Ernie Pyle. Thus, the Army’s very nature employed a veritable chain of leadership, not just in the hierarchical sense, but in the sense of passing tacit knowledge, sharing values, and creating conditions for success. Bradley and Ridgeway served well at the top, but did the men they led have the same character and values? Under different circumstances, might they also have become division commanders? Impressions left by the leaders at an organization’s apex can inspire others to follow them, but they do more to catalyze that seed of leadership. For those who make it through the early challenges of leadership development, this results in successful leaders who do not act as “buffalo” when the leader falls.
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About the Book
The Overlord Effect is a historically based leadership review that combines the accounts of Veterans of the Normandy Campaign of World War II and presents a conversation about their experiences with the leadership theories that have become part of today"s conversation on the subject in the military, academics, and business. The Normandy Invasion was one of the most complex and successful military campaigns in history. The preparation for this event took years of planning and training. It required leaders at every level to demonstrate exemplary leadership in a compressed space and time that called for decisions to be made in an instant, for leaders to act with courage and character, and for both followers and leaders to accomplish any mission regardless of the personal cost. The Overlord Effect takes the snapshots of the critical experiences of leaders at every level of the Allied Invasion Force and reviews their actions and places them into understandable, thought provoking insights that will help leaders in any discipline respond better to challenges. The work also presents Dr. Pierce's theory on Emergent Leadership During Crisis(ELDC), and discusses ways that the leaders and professionals of today can use it to help themselves understand their own leadership experience, as well as to develop future leaders in the workplace.
About the Author
Dr. Michael D. Pierce is a retired Army Officer. He spent several years studying the battlefield leadership of the Veterans of the Normandy Campaign of World War II. He has taken the first hand accounts of these veterans and distilled them into the first book that describes their experiences in the context of current leadership theory. His first hand experiences as a leader include leading soldiers in Company Command, at a combat traiing center, deployment to combat operational areas, and working directly with senior military Flag Officers. Dr. Pierce has leveraged these qualifications into a successful civilian career. He is affiliated with both the University of Oklahoma and the University of Phoenix as a Professor of Organizational Leadership, and serves as Director of operations for a German-American corporation in Germany. He is also the founder and Chief Executive Officer of New Horizons for Heroes, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping healing heroes make a successful transition to civilian life after their military service. Dr. Pierce lives near Heidleberg, Germany. His interests include studying medieval history and international communications.