I don’t know if you’re as much of a Patton fan as I am, but I am a huge Patton fan. I always have been and always will be. Kevin Rice gave me a resource a while back called Patton’s Standing Orders, and it’s so pregnant with meaning. This week I want to dig into it, starting with the speech Patton gave to the Third Army somewhere in England on June 5th, 1944.
Short answer: Patton’s orders to his men teach construction leaders tenacity: the absolute determination to win and to get rid of excuses. His speech is full of colorful language, but the lesson applies to everyone. We have the knowledge to fix this industry. What we lack is guts. And for Patton, pushing meant training, drills, standards, and readiness, not pushing people into bad situations.
Why Do Construction Leaders Need Guts?
The problem with our industry could be a lot of different things. But one of the main things is that a lot of us act like cowards. We let safety violations go by. We let unethical business practices go by. We let trade partners get abused. We let owners bully us around. We let inspectors and owner’s representatives make us do things that are stupid because we don’t have the guts to get it done.
I grew up with a very good understanding of how to build a building, but no one ever taught me how to have the guts. When I watched the movie Patton with George C. Scott, I said, yes, this is it. This is how you implement. Patton strove for the perfection of leadership indicated in his own words: “It lurks invisible in that vitalizing spark, intangible, yet as evident as the lightning, the warrior soul.” If you want to do great things, you’ve got to have that warrior soul.
How Are War and Construction Alike?
Some people get very sad when they hear construction likened to war. But I believe war and construction have more in common than almost any other pairing.
| In war… | In construction… |
|---|---|
| You fight for a cause | We build for a cause, for what these buildings are intended to do |
| You form a cohesive unit, a band of brothers and sisters | The bond of brotherhood and sisterhood on a site is unmatched |
| You protect the innocent | We protect families, workers, foremen, pedestrians, and neighbors from a job site that’s trying to kill all of us all the time |
| You believe in something greater | We have a passion |
The same strategic, tactical, and logistical considerations are exactly the same. Some of what you learn in The 33 Strategies of War or Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, like espionage and deceit, may not apply. But the other 95% applies exactly to construction. See Lead Like General Patton Part 1 – War Series #1.
What About Patton’s Flaws?
I know there are things about the man that were imperfect, like when he slapped those two soldiers, or when he was politically insensitive. Those things aren’t great. But everyone is imperfect. If we stopped believing in historical figures because of what they did wrong, we couldn’t believe in anyone. You can’t ignore somebody’s positive examples because of mistakes they made. Even through his flaws, General George S. Patton Jr. is one of the best military characters of all history.
Patton didn’t use cuss words as a form of ignorance. He was probably as well read as anybody who could criticize him. People like Patton and Tony Robbins used taboo words specifically to get a message across and make it stick, and when you’re at war, it could save lives. We in construction can have the same tenacity without the cussing, with respect for all genders, ethnicities, and races. But we have to have the tenacity.
Would Patton Have Accepted That Excuse?
What if that speech had not been given? What if that approach had not been taken? How many more lives would that have meant? When somebody says, I can’t keep my job site clean because of such and such, would Patton have accepted that? We didn’t implement because it doesn’t really matter anyway. Would that have worked in World War II?
What’s missing in this industry is people saying, well, we didn’t give clear instructions, the information’s not out there, I didn’t have a budget, I didn’t get permission, I don’t have a lot of time. No. It comes down to not having the tenacity to just get it done. We have all the knowledge we need. It’s not going to be some technology, some process, or some company that comes in to save the day. It’s going to be us. What we don’t have in mass is guts. We’re too afraid, too gun-shy, too hesitant. We’re waiting too much, digging in trenches, and infighting too much.
I would not have a single podcast, book, LinkedIn post, YouTube video, or business if I hadn’t watched Patton and listened to this speech, and determined I was going to get rid of my excuses and just get it done. And then I realized that on the other end of all this were people, women and men we were protecting and respecting.
Does Pushing Really Mean Fewer Casualties?
Patton said, “I believe in the old and sound rule that an ounce of sweat will save a gallon of blood.” Pushing means fewer casualties. Driving means fewer casualties. Now, I’m not talking about pushing trades into bad situations. When you get to the root of what Patton meant, he’s talking about training, salutes, getting up on time, proper dress, drills, clean uniforms, how you keep your barracks, practice, and standard protocols. He was not putting innocent women and men into battle before they were ready. He meant pushing people to do the right thing and creating the right circumstances.
When you get on your project, make sure everyone looks like a construction worker. Every hard hat is on. Every space is clean. Everything is ready from a logistical, strategic, and tactical standpoint. That’s an environment where your women and men can succeed, fight, and win. I wouldn’t give a hoot for a superintendent who walks around with a lackadaisical attitude toward cleanliness and safety, because they don’t know what it means to win. See A Superintendent’s Standing Orders!.
So here is the challenge. Write down the three excuses you’ve used most this month for something not getting done. Then ask, would Patton have accepted that? Fix one of them this week.
Bottom line: You only win when you are operationally stable, and that takes the guts to drive the right standards every day.
If your project needs superintendent coaching, project support, or leadership development, Elevate Construction can help your field teams stabilize, schedule, and flow.
On we go.
Patton’s Standing Orders series:
This is the first post of the series.
Next: Field Command & Visits to the Front
FAQ
Why does Jason compare construction to war?
In war you fight for a cause, and in construction we build for a cause. Both form a band of brothers and sisters, both protect the innocent, and both require passion for something greater. Many of the same strategic, tactical, and logistical considerations apply.
What does “pushing means fewer casualties” mean on a job site?
It means driving standards on our end, not pushing trades into bad situations. Patton was talking about training, drills, proper dress, clean barracks, practice, and standard protocols. On a project, that means hard hats on, clean spaces, and everything logistically ready.
What is missing in the construction industry according to Jason?
Guts. We have the knowledge to fix the industry, but not the determination. Excuses like no clear instructions, no budget, no permission, or no time come down to not having the tenacity to get it done.
People Also Read:
Lead Like General Patton Part 2 – War Series #1
At This Point, You Are Enabling the Abuse
You Are NOT Too Busy
Sōji: Daily Cleaning as a Form of Respect
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