Richard Lummis and I are back and we head in a different direction today. This episode begins a three-part podcast series where consider the two principals from a titanic struggle in the early 1950s. It was between President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur. In today’s Part 3, we consider some of the leadership lessons from Truman’s decision to and sacking of MacArthur. Some of the issues posed include:
- Was the sacking inevitable?
- How much control must you have on subordinate? How much should you have?
- MacArthur said he wanted to save live; Truman wanted to end the war. Were these mutually exclusive bargaining positions?
- Was MacArthur subordinate when he sabotaged Truman’s attempt at a cease fire?
- What would you have done?
- What should a leader do in the face of criticism like the Benning letter?
Additional resources
The Firing of MacArthur
The Benning Letter
