General George S. Patton, JR...good mgmt quotes

Apparently everyone on the planet has seen the movie Patton.  It's epic.  Patton is well-played by George C. Scott.  It's easy to come away from the film believing Patton to be a crazed, overbearing warrior.  That's not all incorrect.  He is, or was, a great leader, flawed deeply as many of us are.

This morning I was struck with his management insights from a Facebook feed of his famous quotes.  It goes without saying that he was quite a racist but we need to peel away flaws often to find value.

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
War As I Knew It (1947) “Reflections and Suggestions”

There is a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top. Loyalty from the top down is even more necessary and much less prevalent. One of the most frequently noted characteristics of great men who have remained great is loyalty to their subordinates.
War As I Knew It (1947); also quoted in Patton’s One-Minute Messages: Tactical Leadership Skills for Business Management (1995) by Charles M. Province, p. 88

The first quote played directly into the lean process improvement program I lead.  The second is what defines a legacy worth remembering.  Great leaders have the character to win with the cards they are dealt.