This week will mark the 69th anniversary of the greatest land invasion in world history and it also ought to allow us to take note of a leader’s willingness to take full responsibility were it to fail.

On June 6, 1944, thousands of ships and smaller craft set sail from England across a channel of water toward the Normandy coast of France. From those ships spilled thousands of American, British and Canadian troops who launched the attack that would liberate western Europe from German occupation during World War II.

The leader of that huge force was U.S. Army Gen. Dwight David Eisenhower. The weather for days prior to the launch was stormy. Eisenhower actually delayed the invasion launch. Then a break came on June 6 and he issued the order: “OK, we’ll go.”

But what if the mission had failed. Ike was prepared for that eventuality. He penned a note that took responsibility for its failure. It was dated July 5, 1944.

http://kjmmyblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/eisenhower-wrote-in-case-of-failure-message-before-d-day/

Happily, Ike never had to make that speech to the world. Instead, at D-Day plus 35, the Allies had stormed their way off the beach and had begun the advance toward the French-German border.

Gen. Eisenhower, with that note, demonstrated how leaders are supposed to lead. They don’t hog the credit for the success, preferring instead to share the plaudits with others – particularly those who implemented the grand strategy. But in the case of failure, Ike was ready to fall on his proverbial sword.

That leadership skill endeared him to those who served under his command and eventually would enable him to win two landslide elections to the U.S. presidency.

The man who followed him into the White House, John F. Kennedy, once noted that “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” That would not have been entirely true in Ike’s case. Why? Because the man knew how to lead.