Good general differ from bad generals only in the degree to which they resist the psychopathology of the very organization they serve. Norman Dixon

Patrick Hennessey
About This Quote

Norman Dixon, a British psychologist and military historian, wrote that good generals differ from bad generals only in the degree to which they resist the psychopathology of the very organization they serve. He also added that it is a serious error to assume that any particular model of leadership — be it democratic, military, or bureaucratic — is better than any other. He thought that good leaders should first and foremost understand their own organizations and should make decisions based on this knowledge and nothing else.

Source: The Junior Officers Reading Club: Killing Time And Fighting Wars

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