Eisenhower: Soldier and President

Recently I looked at my Myers-Briggs personality and saw some of the famous people who had similar personalities, and one of them was Dwight Eisenhower. So, I decided to grab a biography about him and see what I could possibly learn about myself by reading about his life.

I was given one of the many works by Stephen E. Ambrose, Eisenhower Soldier and President and have spent a lot of time reading and studying his life.

I found the early years and his time in the military more appealing than the political side, but based on the biography, I think Eisenhower would say the same. I don't know if that has anything to do with the similarities in personalities. After reading about his life, I am fascinated by his accomplishments and inspired by his life.

Even though there has been speculation about the accuracies of Ambrose history of Eisenhower, I still found this read very interesting and informing. If anything the military story of "Ike" and his involvement in WWII is quickly becoming a metaphor for me in my work in marketing and product development.

Taking a city could be easier

As I continue reading about Dwight Eisenhower's life, I came across something his mom said to him one night after his parents wouldn't let him go trick-or-treating on Halloween. She quoted scripture.

Proverbs 16:32
"He that conquereth his own soul is greater than he who taketh a city."

Later, Eisenhower said the conversation with his mother was one of the most valuable moments of his life.  I find it ironic, that by learning to control his anger it may have indeed made taking Europe in World War II easier.