--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: military figures like James Mattis, H. R…" description: "\"“military figures like James Mattis, H. R. McMaster, and John Kelly: they found themselves working in an administration that was in every way inimical ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/michael-wolff-423_management_military-figures-like-james-mattis-h-r-m_817769.jpg" --- # military figures like James Mattis, H. R. McMaster, and… ![“military figures like James Mattis, H. R. McMaster, and John Kelly: they found themselves working in an administration that was in every way inimical to basic command principles.” quote by Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/michael-wolff-423_management_military-figures-like-james-mattis-h-r-m_817769.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/michael-wolff-423_management_military-figures-like-james-mattis-h-r-m_817769.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f1/michael-wolff-423_management_military-figures-like-james-mattis-h-r-m_817769.jpg) > ““military figures like James Mattis, H. R. McMaster, and John Kelly: they found themselves working in an administration that was in every way inimical to basic command principles.”” [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even skilled military leaders struggle when political environments contradict core command values. **In simple terms:** Leaders clash with politics that oppose their principles. Key Takeaway Align actions with core principles. Themes leadership politics principles Mood analytical serious Type political historical When to use this quote - policy making - strategic planning - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts civil‑military relations institutional conflict Questions to Reflect On - What compromises are acceptable in such environments? - How can leaders maintain integrity? A Different Perspective Political pressure can dilute military effectiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) ## Related quotes > [In the many roles I have played in my acting career as military figures, I have simply drawn upon the acts of courage, large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-norris/in-the-many-roles-i-have-played-in-my-acting-career-as-military/) [Chuck Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-norris/) > [Classically, throughout all of our history, the movies in times of crisis have turned to military figures as heroes, because they are the guardians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-lurie/classically-throughout-all-of-our-history-the-movies-in-times-of/) [Rod Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-lurie/) > [ We've learned something about President-elect \[Donald\] Trump's choice for secretary of defense. Lawmakers in Congress intend to proper debate over whether retired General James… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-inskeep/we-ve-learned-something-about-president-elect-donald-trump-s-choice/) [Steve Inskeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-inskeep/) > [Brothers and sisters, white people will come in to chastise us. But since we are no longer forsaken, and are the people of God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/brothers-and-sisters-white-people-will-come-in-to-chastise-us-but/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [The media that's having this hysterical reaction to James Mattis retiring is the same media in many cases, the same politicians in many cases,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-miller/the-media-that-s-having-this-hysterical-reaction-to-james-mattis/) [Stephen Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-miller/) > [General James Mattis is a storied and much-respected military leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-flournoy/general-james-mattis-is-a-storied-and-much-respected-military-leader/) [Michele Flournoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-flournoy/) > [ General \[James\] Mattis has got a really intellectual mindset about how the United States should go about protecting its national security. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-has-got-a-really-intellectual-mindset-about-how/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [ \[General James Mattis\] a very talented individual. He's - has a personal library of about 10,000 books and he's read most of them on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-a-very-talented-individual-he-s-has-a-personal/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [The thing that strikes me, from looking at the names so far in the Donald Trump's Cabinet on the foreign policy side, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/the-thing-that-strikes-me-from-looking-at-the-names-so-far-in-the/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) > [ \[ General James Mattis\] is a Marine's Marine who has served in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-is-a-marine-s-marine-who-has-served-in-combat-in/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [ \[James Mattis\] also has real passion for the care of the men and women in the U.S. military and their families. So, you know,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-flournoy/james-mattis-also-has-real-passion-for-the-care-of-the-men-and-women/) [Michele Flournoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-flournoy/) > [ So in his very politically-incorrect way, I think \[James Mattis\] is a good counterpart to Donald Trump, who doesn't read books. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/so-in-his-very-politically-incorrect-way-i-think-james-mattis-is-a/) [Peter R. 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He's a strategic thinker. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-flournoy/james-mattis-is-a-student-of-history-he-s-a-strategic-thinker/) [Michele Flournoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-flournoy/) ## More by Michael Wolff > [Donald Trump doesn't necessarily stay mad for very long. He's a transactional guy. If you can offer him something, he will take it. 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Please use the search function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-index-that-appeared-in-the-print-version-of-this-title-does-not/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“Trump liked to say that one of the things that made life worth living was getting your friends’ wives into bed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/trump-liked-to-say-that-one-of-the-things-that-made-life-worth-living/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [“The kids”—Jared and Ivanka—exhibited an increasingly panicked sense that the FBI and DOJ were moving beyond Russian election interference and into family finances. “Ivanka…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/the-kids-jared-and-ivanka-exhibited-an-increasingly-panicked-sense/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) > [I am old enough to think the word 'journalist' is not all that noble a designation. 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It was now zero-sum: When one side profited, another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/politics-had-seemed-to-become-even-well-before-the-age-of-trump-a/) [Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) [Explore all 570 Michael Wolff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/) ## More Management quotes > [“Only careful political manoeuvring will be able to manage the situation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davan-yahya-khalil/only-careful-political-manoeuvring-will-be-able-to-manage-the/) Davan Yahya Khalil > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [While the people retain their virtue and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the government in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/while-the-people-retain-their-virtue-and-vigilance-no-administration/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. 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