Admiral Hyman G. Rickover Case

MGT 3330

Group 6

Executive Summary

There has always been a question as to whether leaders are born or are formed into being a good leader by their environment. Admiral Hyman G. Rickover possessed the qualities which assumed his leadership characteristics were a component of his lifestyle since birth. He is characterized as an effective leader by his ability to guide his followers in the direct path to which would be the utmost effective. He was a very passionate individual which increased his success rate more so than anything. He would be capable of being an effective business leader because he possesses qualities which are required for the business field. Hyman G. Rickover was, and will always be, considered a very effective leader.

Admiral Rickover: Effective Leader in Our World

Admiral Hyman Rickover never allowed himself to give up; he made it his lifelong goal for America to lead the world in nuclear power and to create the world’s first and best nuclear navy. Only a great leader could have made his goals come true, and from the stories and readings about Rickover, his leadership style was something anyone could learn if they were born with the willpower to work as hard as he did. As Vince Lombardi said, “Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.”(Quoteland.com) Admiral Rickover seemed to have exactly what it took to be a successful leader.

Any one can attract followers through personality or charisma, but it takes a great man to lead them, and that is exactly what he did by bringing the United States into the nuclear age. He was not a soft spoken man who gave his followers pearls of wisdom, he was not an unknowable or untouchable leader hidden behind layers of bureaucracy and ceremony, but he was a hard working and hard charging leader who led from the front. He interviewed every officer who went onto one of the boats that were built to hold a nuclear reactor. He also interviewed most of the civilian clerical workers and contractors (I'm not in charge of the universe).

However, Admiral Rickover knew when he had to be nice as well, as he also looked over and approved the promotions for his civil service personnel. You may have had a hard time getting to be on his team, but when you did, he did everything in his power to make sure you were protected. He would often work 10- 12 hours a day and then take a plane or train to a shipyard or other place that was part of Naval Reactors. He rarely asked for money from Congress, however his manner with them was quite different from how he treated other people who stood in the way of bringing nuclear power