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John J. Pershing quickly moved up the ranks during his military career and even jumped ahead of others that outranked him.  He had some military success and experience before being asked to command the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) during World War I.  His prior experience had not prepared him for this new type of war or to be in command of so large an army.  Pershing had many great leadership attributes, but he had several flaws as well. This led him some great accomplishments as well as some failures as a leader. Leaders of today can learn some great lessons by evaluating Pershing's leadership during his career.

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John J. Pershing was also known as "Black Jack" and rose up through the ranks of the U.S. Army during his career (History, 2021). Pershing studied at West Point and graduated 30th out of a class of 77. He spent the first part of his military career in campaigns against Native Americans. He was promoted to first lieutenant of the 10th Cavalry. He taught at teh University of Nebraska and at West Point. Pershing fought in the Spanish-American War and in the Philippines. Theodore Roosevelt promoted Pershing to brigadier general ahead of many other senior officers. He was in command of the Army's 8th Brigade when his wife and daughters were killed in a fire. President Woodrow Wilson put Pershing in charge of leading an expedition of soldiers into Mexico to pursue Pancho Villa, but instructed not to start a war with Mexico. Pershing is most well known as the commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) during World War I.

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John J. Pershing had some of the attributes that Clausewitz used to describe a military genius, but he was not perfect and did not have them all (Vol Clausewitz, 2021).  Pershing did show courage that seemed to be motivated by his patriotism for his country.  He was very focused on the directions he was given and did not waver.  He insisted that the American force remain an independent force during World War I at President Wilson's request.  Pershing also had strength of character and was very stable and constant.  He was not swayed to make decisions based on emotions.  Pershing was also a great statesman and used this to his advantage to move up within the military ranks.  He was very focused on achieving the goals his leader gave him without wavering. Pershing was not perfect and did have his flaws. He showed his lack of coup d'oeil during World War I by not recognizing that his tactics during this war would not work against the trench warfare being used by the Germans. This also showed his lack of presence of mind by not reacting quickly to this unexpected tactic. He did not listen when the allied commanders tried to warn him that his old fashioned strategies would not work in this new kind of war. Pershing also lacked strength of will. Many of his own troops questioned his decisions and were afraid that he would replace them because of his past actions. He had little tolerance for any shortcomings in his subordinates but failed to alter his own tactics when they were not working in the war. This led to a great loss of American lives during World War I that could have been minimized if he had listened to the counsel of others.

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John J. Pershing had several accomplishments and failures during his time as a military leader (Fleming, 2018). He was able to pursue Pancho Villa in Mexico for many months without starting a war as directed. This showed just how careful he was to make sure he kept the end goal in mind without causing any unwanted side effects with his actions. President Wilson thought so much of Pershing that he put him in command of the AEF. He was promoted over several senior generals. He was to lead hundreds of thousands of men when he had only been in command of a few thousand in the past. This was a great accomplishment and he was not afraid to take on the task. Pershing was very confident that he was the leader that could win the war, but his open ware fare tactics did not work against the trench war that being fought. Pershing failed to listen to the advise of other leaders and did not make adjustments quickly when his tactics were not working. The lives of many American soldiers were lost in World War I due to Pershing's slow reaction to the situation before him. He was very determined to stick to his plans for battle even when it was obvious that his plan was failing and costing many lives. This inflexibility as a leader to adjust as the situation changed was one of Pershing's biggest weaknesses.

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John J. Pershing can teach leaders of today some valuable lessons. He is a good example of how following direct orders without falter can help someone move up the ranks. However, some of the most powerful lessons that Pershing can teach leaders of today is what not to do as a leader. Determination of a leader is often thought of as a desirable attribute, but not when that determination leads to inflexibility. A good leader must be flexible as the situation around them changes. A leader that sticks to their original plan out of determination despite clear signs that it is not having the desired effect is failing their followers by not being flexible to new information or situational changes. Pershing's greatest lesson for leaders of today is to not be so determined and blinded by a plan that you hurt those that you lead by refusing to be flexible and change course as new information comes to light.

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John J. Pershing rose up quickly through the ranks.  His experience did not fully prepare him to lead the AEF. This was a different type of warfare from what he was used to. His open warfare tactics did not work well against the trench warfare. During his career he showed courage, strength of character and that he was a great statesman. However, he lacked coup d'oeil, presence of mind, and strength of will. He was determined and unwavering to a fault. His delay in altering his tactics during World War I cost many American lives and was his biggest weakness. Pershing was determined to the point of being inflexible. Today's leaders can take this lesson to heart and learn to quickly change course if the situation changes before too much damage is done.

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Fleming, T. (2018). Iron general: John J. Pershing was       inflexible in his insistence on an independent American army on the western front. He got his way-But was the cost worth it? Historynet. https://www.historynet.com/iron-general/

History. (2021). John J. Pershing.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/john-j-pershing

Von Clausewitz, C. (2021). On War. Book I Chapter III. The genius for war. (J. Graham, Trans.). Project Gutenberg.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1946/1946-h/1946-h.htm. (Original work published 1874).