"All very successful commanders are prima donnas and must be so treated"

George S. Patton’s assertion touches on the unique personalities often found among military leaders. To Patton, a "prima donna" evokes an image of someone demanding, proud, perhaps fiercely individualistic, a leading opera star whose temperament is as bold as their talent. Equating commanders to such figures suggests that those who reach the highest echelons of success are frequently marked by self-confidence, ambition, and an insistent belief in their vision and ability.

Successful commanders, like prima donnas, are often uncompromising. Their sense of mission and drive toward excellence may make them appear difficult or exacting to others. These traits, while potentially challenging in a group dynamic, are often the very qualities that enable them to lead decisively in times of crisis. Command decisions require a willingness to shoulder tremendous responsibility and sometimes to pursue a path in defiance of consensus. The stubbornness or flamboyance often associated with prima donnas is, in the military context, another word for iron-willed determination.

Patton’s advice to treat such figures accordingly underlines the necessity of recognizing and managing these forceful personalities rather than trying to flatten them to fit an ideal of quiet, self-effacing leadership. Their particular blend of arrogance and competence necessitates an environment where their strengths are respected, their authority supported, yet their excesses gently managed. The implicit message is to harness, not stifle, the exceptional character these leaders embody, for in doing so, their full capabilities can be brought to bear for the benefit of the team or mission.

Such understanding is not a justification for egotism for its own sake. Rather, it is an acknowledgment that greatness, especially in leadership, is frequently packaged with marked idiosyncrasy. The challenge, then, is to appreciate and make room for these dynamic qualities while channeling them constructively for collective success.