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 Why this book: Selected by the SEAL reading group I help lead. I listened to rather than read this book.

Summary in 4 Sentences: The author Susan Eisenhower is Dwight Eisenhower’s grand daughter and is an accomplished woman in her own right, and and her book includes personal memories and interviews with close connections she’s had to the people who were important in Dwight Eisenhower’s life and career.  The book is indeed part biographical, touching on aspects of his personal life that shaped his leadership and character, and how he led as a Five Star Army General, as the president of Colombia University, and finally, as President of the United States. She gives chapters to some of the key events and controversies and decisions of his life and leadership – to include Operation Overlord as the Supreme Allied Commander, his decision to run for President, and as President of the United States, which included the final years of the Korean War, the Suez crisis, the nuclear detente with the Soviet Union, the Joe McCarthy hearings, the Berlin Crisis, the U2 incident, the Civil Rights movement, and more.

My Impresssions:  I really enjoyed and learned a lot from this book – much more than I expected. Susan Eisenhower writes very well and provided the right touch of personal perspective to the history she recounted of events of over 70 years ago have shaped the world we live in today. In addition to her personal experiences with Ike, and her extensive research and interviews with those who knew and worked with him, she had access to his diary and letters he had sent to family members.

From David Roll’s review of this book in the WSJ:

“How Ike Led is not a biography, history or memoir. Instead, it is a unique story, based upon personal experience, family letters and interviews with Dwight Eisenhower’s close friends and advisers, which describes Ike’s strategic leadership throughout World War II and his eight years as president from 1953 to 1961.”

One of the things that struck me, and I believe will strike any reader of this book today, is how the issues and environment Ike dealt with are not dissimilar from what we are experiencing in America today. For example: the two political parties being drive by their extremes, tensions with Russia and China, Civil Rights, Israel and the Middle East, US credibility in the developing world, the national debt and deficit spending, the press which feeds the flames of popular prejudices and attitudes.

In this book, we get to know Ike personally through the eyes of his grand daughter who grew up in his shadow, and also through the eyes of many of his friends, colleagues, subordinates and others who worked with and were influenced by Dwight Eisenhower.   Susan Eisenhower did her research and in addition to Ike’s diaries and letters, she had read the memoirs of many of the people Eisenhower worked with as well as some of the biographies of him, and brought those perspectives into her book.  One can’t help but wonder if the issues that Ike dealt with which we are dealing with today aren’t a chronic part of the American experience.   It is instructive to read how Ike dealt with them – successfully over two terms, keeping us at peace and initiating many projects that continue to positively impact America.  But it is also instructive to read how Ike was attacked and vilified by his opponents, especially during his second term.

He was not seen as a successful President by many, because he didn’t have the showmanship or charisma to cater to public whims that FDR and Kennedy had.  But over time historians and political scientists have reevaluated him as one of our nation’s most effective Presidents. He wasn’t a showman and publicity seeker – and that was one of his great strengths – he was explicitly focused on dong good, much more so than looking good.  His Stoic values of discipline, integrity and  selflessly serving the greater good of the American People were his primary guide posts.  He and George Washington are probably the two Presidents who most adhered to the principles of life and leadership articulated by Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations.  I am surprised Susan Eisenhower never mentions Marcus Aurelius in her book about her grandfather. 

The main theme of the book was Eisenhower the man and his character, and how that was expressed in how he made decisions of great, and even national existential import.  As we learn about the background behind some of the key events of the 1950s, we see these events through Eisenhower’s eyes as understood by Susan, based on her personal experience and her research.  And we see how these events have shaped our history since then.

Ike decided to enter politics and run for President only after seeing that the other candidates representing the leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties of the day represented the extremes of their parties, and left the “middle way” un-represented.  He used his popularity from WW2 to give credibility to a middle way, and he was able to successfully articulate and advocate for political positions that took some from those on the left who sought to expand social welfare programs, and some from the right who sought to enhance individual freedom and responsibility,  and pull back from international commitments.    Would that we had someone like that today.

Key qualities of Eisenhower’s character that are worth considering and emulating.

• He was not a grandstander – did not seek public recognition or glory.

• He devoted himself to the best outcome for all – service to the mission and the whole above personal considerations.

• He listened and actively sought to understand other peoples’ perspectives

• He smiled and sought to put people at ease – he liked people.

• He scrupulously would not take any financial short cuts for personal advantage due to his position.

• Honesty, integrity and discipline were his guiding principles.

A few of his Leadership Principles or Guidelines that we saw in Susan Eisenhower’s description of how he made decisions.

DO….

• ….always give others credit

• ….listen to and understand counter perspectives

• ….show respect and toward people at all levels of one’s organization

• ….show a positive and optimistic attitude toward the future, no matter how dire the situation may look

• ….demonstrate integrity and be the example in following the values you want in your subordinates.

DON’T…

• ….make a decision until you’ve heard various perspectives on the issue

• ….make a decision during the discussion – withdraw, consider, then decide

• ….actively alienate people whose support you may need -especially your opponents.

• ….get angry in public

IN THE EPILOGUE Susan Eisenhower’s reflects on how she believes that today, there is a hunger for someone of Ike’s character and style of  leadership to bring the country back together and bridge the gap between the extremes on the right and left that are tearing our country apart.  She recognizes that the 24 hour news cycle has amplified the effects of angry diatribes from each side, but that most of America would welcome the approach and values that Ike represented. The audiobook effectively concluded with a recording of Ike’s farewell address to the country at the end of his Presidency.

MY CONCLUSION.  There is perhaps a bit of hero worship in Susan Eisenhower’s reflections on her grandfather, but i bought into her version of her grandfather and his place in history.  Though Susan addresses many of Ike’s critics and those who strongly disagreed with his policies, she essentially defends him, and from my perspective, does so quite well.  As a retired military officer myself, I have been brought up with most if not all of the same values of service as Ike:  Take care of the mission; Take care of the troops.     At the  Naval Academy we taught what we called the “Constitutional Paradigm” developed by Colonel (USMC) Paul Rousch which calls for the following hierarchy of  values: 

1. follow the US constitution,
2. fulfill the mission;  
3. do what’s good for one’s service/organization;
4. do what’s good for the ship/command/team;
5. take care of your shipmate/partners;  and then finally
6. take care of oneself .

That however may be too simple a formula to always work in a free society when leaders are struggling to protect the good of the many from extremely clever and self-serving adversaries who are able to manipulate the public and the system to achieve their personal aims.   Ike did very well at following his sense of honor and integrity in a system which put those values to the test regularly, by people and institutions more focussed on power, personal goals, expediency and fulfilling ephemeral public demands. rather than on the principles of democracy and the greatest good for the whole, over the long term.