A commander in every sense of the word, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf commands attention, respect, loyalty, dedication to duty, adherence to a plan and, most important, the love of the people who serve under him. Without that, no leader can make people perform up to maximum capability.

In this exclusive PSP profile of one of the great leaders of our age, readers will learn how Schwarzkopf developed his leadership style, implements plans that succeed and motivates people to follow his directives.

Two years ago, few Americans outside the military had ever heard of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. At that time, the four-star general earned only $113,000 a year heading a small, non-combat planning staff. A year later, the Gulf War offered Schwarzkopf a chance to lead American troops to victory. In the process he earned himself a permanent place of honor in the history books of the world.

After the war, he received countless honors, including a New York City ticker-tape parade, an honorary knighthood from the Queen of England, the Medal of Freedom, and a standing ovation from a joint session of Congress. He has signed on with Bantam Books with an advance of over $5 million for his memoirs; he is one of America’s hottest speakers commanding between $50,000 and $80,000 for each appearance. Although he claims to be politically independent, some analysts predicted that at the close of the Gulf War, had Schwarzkopf chosen to run, the 1992 Democratic Presidential ticket would have been his for the taking.

General H. Norman Schwarzkopf is intelligent (170 IQ), a charismatic leader and a superb salesman. No matter how you may feel about the military, when you meet him, he commands your respect, but at the same time gives you the urge to invite him to join your bowling team.

In this article, we’ll examine four of his key qualities that anyone can emulate to achieve greater success.

The Power of Decisions

As the Commander of the United States forces in the Persian Gulf, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf knew that the safety of his troops depended on the quality of his strategic decisions. In his first detailed briefing on the decisive battle plan, Schwarzkopf said that the Iraqis had more tanks, more artillery and more troops in place. “In order to attack a position that is heavily dug in and barricaded, such as the one we had here,” he explained. “You should have a ratio of 5 to 1 in the way of troops in favor of the attacker.” To win the battle, Schwarzkopf had to come up with some way to make up the difference.

He first decided to take out the Iraqi Air Force. Next he developed an ingenious plan of deception. He ordered the United States Marines to prepare a massive amphibious landing along Kuwait’s coast under the ominous code name “Imminent Thunder.” While Iraq’s forces were bracing for an attack from the coast, Schwarzkopf shifted more than 300,000 United States Army troops, complete with 60 days of ammunition and supplies, to positions far west of Kuwait, more than 300 miles from the coast.

Schwarzkopf told the press, “We did what could best be described as the Hail Mary play in football. When the quarterback is desperate for a touchdown at the very end, he steps up behind the center and, all of a sudden, every single one of his receivers goes way out to one flank and they all run down the field as fast as they possibly can and into the end zone. Then he lobs the ball.”

With the Iraqi forces pinned into position in the East, Schwarzkopf decided to launch a massive attack led by the First and Second Marine Divisions from the West to break through the Iraqi barrier. In the press briefing the following day, Schwarzkopf proudly stated, “I can’t say enough about the two Marine divisions. If I use words like brilliant, it would really be an underdescription of the absolutely superb job that they did in breaching the so-called impenetrable barrier.”

Reflecting on his plan, Schwarzkopf told reporters, “I got to tell you, when I insisted on this deception plan with a lot of my commanders, I got a lot of guff. OK. They thought that Schwarzkopf had lost his mind…they fought me all the way.”

Yet Schwarzkopf knew that good leadership depends on sticking with good decisions, no matter what. He later commented on the agonizing process to arrive at the decision: “I thought about this plan every waking and sleeping moment. I would get up every morning and say, `Let’s go back and review the plan.’ There were some days when I would get up and would say, `Oh, it’s never going to work and we’re going to lose everybody.’ And there were other days when I got up and said `It’s looking pretty good but what else can I do, what else can we modify, what else can we change?’ But there comes a point where you can overdo that…You say, OK, that’s it! It’s frozen. I’m not going to change another damn thing. “

The Power of Leadership

Dr. Abraham Zaleznik, professor emeritus of leadership at Harvard Business School and the author of The Managerial Mystique: Restoring Leadership in Business, told the Los Angeles Times that the Gulf War taught American business a valuable lesson, “Set clear goals and stick to them.” Zaleznik cited the Chrysler Corporation which invested billions of dollars in such unrelated businesses as the corporate jet manufacturer Gulfstream while starving its auto plants. “What were the auto workers on the plant floors supposed to think about Chrysler’s goals?” Zaleznik asked.

In a recently released video titled Take Charge! retired General Schwarzkopf tells his audience that the multi-national forces in Saudi Arabia had rallied together to achieve one single goal: “Kick Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait!”

But good leadership goes far beyond stating clear goals. Schwarzkopf deeply cared for his troops and did everything he could to insure their welfare. The French magazine L’Expansion attributed one of the keys to his success to treating his troops as if they were his customers. He knew that in order for them to execute his commands, he had to deliver the proper equipment and supplies — on time — to the right place, not just one time, but every time.

What sets Schwarzkopf apart from other leaders? He is willing to risk his own life to help the people who have been ordered to follow his command. According to Army reports, on May 28, 1970, while Schwarzkopf was a Lieutenant Colonel and commander of the First Battalion of the Sixth Infantry Brigade in Vietnam, one of his captains and a lieutenant leading a patrol had been badly wounded in a minefield. Before anyone else could get to the men, Schwarzkopf and his artillery liaison officer, Captain Bob Trabbert, reached the field in their helicopter. Schwarzkopf immediately made an effort to calm down the soldiers and lead them out of the minefield.

As they started moving, one of the soldiers, just a dozen yards away from Schwarzkopf, stepped on a mine which exploded, tearing his right leg apart and wounding both Schwarzkopf and Trabbert. The soldier screamed for help while Schwarzkopf carefully inched his way forward. As he reached the soldier, he reassured him and called Trabbert for a splint. A moment later, a man next to Trabbert set off another mine, killing two soldiers and seriously wounding Trabbert. Schwarzkopf received a Silver Star Medal for the rescue of his soldiers, but, more important, this dramatic experience earned him the reputation as a leader who cares, deep down in his heart, about every one of his followers.

The Power of Discipline

“I am disappointed that the schools are not teaching discipline,” explained Schwarzkopf to a reporter. “The type of discipline I am talking about is self-discipline more than enforced discipline.” Schwarzkopf added, “I personally believe that discipline is learned in three places: in church, in the home and in the school. And I think those are the three places where a dedication to something higher than service to yourself is instilled.”

It was Schwarzkopf’s father who planted the idea of discipline in young Norman’s mind. He taught the Schwarzkopf children to give up their seats on the bus to the elderly, regardless of race. He taught discipline simply by expectations and example. On his tenth birthday, H. Norman Schwarzkopf received a note from his father stating prophetically, “The success of our lives will be written by your deeds.” He also received an antique Persian battle-ax as a symbolic gift for success in the battle of life.

Self-discipline is a lifelong challenge. It’s especially important, though, when things go wrong. Schwarzkopf told reporters, “I do not get mad at people; I get mad at things that happen; I get mad at betrayal of trust; I get angry at a lack of consideration for the soldiers.” Yet, as any good leader must, Schwarzkopf manages to stay in control.

He went on to explain, “And contrary to what’s been said, I do not throw things. If somebody happens to be in my burst radius when I go off, I make very sure they understand it’s not them I’m angry at. Having said that, anytime a guy who’s 6-foot-3, weights 240 pounds and wears four stars loses his temper, everybody runs for cover. I recognize that, but I don’t think I’m abusive. There’s a difference.”

Schwarzkopf has successfully managed one of the toughest challenges with self-discipline any executive has to face — remaining within the boundaries of the guidelines set by higher authorities. During an interview with David Frost, the General hinted that President Bush reined him in when Schwarzkopf wanted to continue the war, Schwarzkopf said, “That was a very courageous act on the part of the President, to also stop the offensive. You know, we didn’t declare a cease-fire. What we did was to suspend offensive operations. Frankly, my recommendation had been to continue the march. We had them in a rout and we could have continued to reap great destruction upon them.” According to the New York Times, the President and the General talked the next day on the telephone and Schwarzkopf reportedly said in complete support of President Bush, “It was a very humane decision.”

While self-discipline earns respect in dealing with people at all levels, when applied to work, it leads to high quality. When Publisher’s Weekly asked Schwarzkopf about his new book, he replied, “What’s always been important to me is that this book be a good book. I realize there’s a lot of interest in the subject matter right now, but I would like it to be a book that could still be read 100 years from now.”

The Power of Communication

An old instruction manual at General Electric outlining the principles of well-focused communication suggests that communicators ask three fundamental questions:

1. What do you want to say?

2. Who are you talking to?

3. How do you want to say it?

In dozens of televised interviews, General Schwarzkopf spoke his mind candidly, honestly and directly. In his speech to Congress, he stirred the emotions of the entire nation. TV cameras caught even his most outspoken critics jumping up first to applaud his words. But Schwarzkopf’s communication power goes far beyond eloquence and his superb command of the English language. Many times when he spoke to his troops, Schwarzkopf’s message, like a bouquet of flowers, transcended logic and aimed straight at the heart.

One of his teachers, Major General Milton H. Medenbach who was commandant of cadets at Valley Forge, remembered Schwarzkopf as a bright student: “He could talk on and on about anything,” which made him the debating champ of his class.

TV Guide wrote about Schwarzkopf’s abilities as a communicator: “He was blunt and direct; he handled the reporters’ questions with aplomb, skillfully switching from humor to hardball and back again.”

One of his former bosses, Major General Richard Cavazos, told a reporter how Schwarzkopf drove his message home without injuring egos in the process: “He was able to identify weaknesses in his units and correct them without running over his subordinates. He never overreacted, never pounced on them.”

Ironically, the Gulf War might have been avoided altogether if Iraq’s Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz had studied the art of communication the way Schwarzkopf did. Like Saddam, he consistently misread America’s resolve to get Iraq out of Kuwait. On January 9, 1991, U.S. Secretary of State James Baker handed Tariq Aziz an envelope with the presidential seal containing a direct message from George Bush to Saddam Hussein. After reading a copy of the letter, Aziz arrogantly stated, “I cannot receive this letter. The language in this letter is not compatible with language between heads of state.” After a lengthy meeting between the two delegations, Saddam’s half brother reportedly phoned Baghdad with this message, “The Americans don’t want to fight, they want to talk their way out. They are weak.”

Only eight days later, General Schwarzkopf told his troops, “This morning at 0300 we launched Operation Desert Storm…” As always, he communicated the right balance between logic and emotion to lead his people: “You have trained hard for this battle and you are ready. During my visits with you, I have seen in your eyes a fire of determination to get this job done quickly so that we may all return to the shores of our great nation. My confidence in you is total. Our cause is just! Now you must be the thunder and lightning of Desert Storm. May God be with you, your loved ones at home, and our country.”

After the war, he sent the first of his front line troops home with the friendly advice to communicate the whole story saying, “I can hear the war stories now. I know what glorious stories they are going to be. It’s a story worth telling. But don’t forget to tell the whole story.” He told them to “Give credit to the multinational troops, the Navy, the Air Force, the countless people who have worked as a solid team in this war.” He added, fighting back his emotions, “It’s hard to say in words how proud I am of you.”