General George S. Patton, Jr., wasn’t just aggressive, he was relentlessly curious. During World War I, he studied emerging tank warfare with British and French forces, preparing for a future few understood.
Great leaders never arrive; they are always becoming better. Patton’s commitment to learning gave him an edge when it mattered most. His later success commanding the Third Army reflects that preparation. As Essame noted, “Third Army’s record is peerless by any measure and in the strictest sense of the term.”1
The lesson is simple: leaders who stop learning start losing.
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[1] Essame, H.; Patton, a study in command; 1974; Charles Scribner’s Sons, NY; p. 252
