General George S. Patton Jr. built his reputation on one defining trait—his ability to decide and act. From the 1916 expedition against Pancho Villa under General John J. “Blackjack” Pershing to leading tanks on foot in World War I, Patton refused hesitation.
Leaders today may not face the same battlefield as Patton, but the principle remains: indecision creates vulnerability. Patton teaches us that even imperfect action can outperform perfect hesitation. As his Third Army later proved during World War II, momentum wins.
General Patton said, “When a decision has to be made, make it. There is no totally right time for anything.”1
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1Porter B. Williamson, General Patton’s Principles for Life and Leadership,(Tucson, AZ: Management and Systems Consultants, Inc., 1988), 177
