In the life of the gentle but determined Nimitz, what factors could explain why he should assume this great task in this unprecedented situation? Perhaps it is the wonderful combination of innate and acquired characteristics that makes him an outstanding ideal person.
Chester Nimitz had some noble qualities. He is full of humane feelings, loves his relatives, cares about his friends, and has a sacred sense of reverence for his motherland. He always understood the dignity and worth of human beings and the preciousness of life. There is always a humorous optimism in his smile.
Nimitz's rich and colorful work experience showed that he was the right person to develop strategies to deal with new types of warfare. He worked on battleships and cruisers, once commanded Submarine Division 14, was an expert in ship engines, and was later responsible for the construction of the Pearl Harbor submarine base. He studied strategy and tactics at the Naval War College and was an advocate and implementer of maritime refueling and circular formation programs. Nimitz made outstanding contributions in each of his tenures. All these prove that he is a person with active thinking, innovation and advanced consciousness.
Another advantage of Nimitz that is often overlooked is his good communication skills. Modern humanities have pushed public relations to a very prominent position. Nimitz realized the importance of interpersonal relationships early on. His good interpersonal relationships brought great benefits to the development of his entire career and also contributed to his success. The foundation is laid for success. From the president and ministers to the boatswain and ordinary soldiers, he can get along well with them and leave a deep impression on them. He gets to know his friends in the process of interacting with them, carefully observes them from all aspects, and becomes familiar with their abilities, weaknesses and leadership skills, so that he can know people well and assign them well at work. This ability helps him take on new tasks.
Nimitz’s superiors admired his personality of being good at getting along with others and praised his selfless work style even more. He does not seek fame and success in life, but strives to achieve first-class results in his work, but he never deliberately pursues reputation and status. He did not seek to sensationalize himself in the press, nor did he seek to gain renown among naval personnel; he simply did things his own way. Facts have proved that his way of dealing with others has been extremely successful.
Nimitz believed that caution could correct negligence and that tolerance and generosity were beyond reproach even in wartime. Those with these two strengths are bound to be highly motivated and practical.
Nimitz had the inherent qualities of an excellent commander, and what was particularly valuable was his ability to maintain composure under adverse conditions. Bill Ewing, an officer on Nimitz's staff, recalled: "When I first met Nimitz, he was standing on the second floor of the Pearl Harbor agency building. He had white hair and a peaceful expression. He looks less like a leader trying his best to pull the country out of unprecedented difficulties, and more like a retired banker, but when he must make a decisive decision, his eyes will show sudden anger and determination. "Nimitz is also a person who is good at regulating tense atmosphere. If the atmosphere in the war room is suffocating, he will suggest that everyone play tennis or take a walk together to let everyone calm down first. . He found that these practices were successful not only in calming his emotions, but also in keeping his body healthy.
Nimitz's infectious and uplifting sense of humor served him well throughout the difficult years of the war. Whenever he had the chance, he would tell a story. His friends all over the country knew that he loved telling stories and provided him with material. These materials are as relaxing as upbeat music and games. As long as the stories were wholesome and entertaining, Nimitz accepted them regardless of their veracity.
His jokes and wisecracks made the long and lonely sea voyage relaxed and enjoyable, and also invigorated the officers and soldiers who faced the test in the dangerous environment.
Therefore, he is popular and loved among officers and soldiers at all levels in all units. Although he sometimes seemed too approachable and lost the air of a general, this did not damage his prestige at all. On the contrary, it made people think that he was approachable and respectable.
Some of Nimitz’s unique hobbies and personalities also strengthened his demeanor and charm as an excellent commander.
First of all, Nimitz was always a tireless and energetic man. This was due to his consistent long-distance walking exercise and his passion for various sports, which made him stronger and healthier.
The sport of pistol shooting was also enough to rejuvenate him during the difficult times of the war years.
Nimitz slept very little and had not been a sleepy person since childhood. There were many more important things for him to do than sleep. He usually goes to bed at 10 or 11 o'clock, gets up at 3 o'clock in the morning, reads and studies for two hours, and then sleeps for about an hour around 5 o'clock, which is fully prepared for work during the day. During the most energetic period of his life, he rarely dozed off. His body seems to contain inexhaustible energy, enabling him to cope with all kinds of severe difficulties in life.
Secondly, Nimitz had a strong ability of deductive analysis. When looking at problems, he could not only grasp the overall situation and have a high-level view, but also be meticulous and meticulous. This enables him to be calm and methodical in the face of crisis, and to deal with huge risks with a steady style.
Nimitz was a man with a sense of responsibility and a sense of life. This was fully demonstrated in the war. He always has a loving heart for the lives of everyone who will accept his orders and go into battle. This responsibility can sometimes be as heavy as a chain hanging around his neck. He rarely shirks responsibility or is demanding of others. He dares to act boldly and never evades the due punishment for any decision-making mistakes. He is good at making decisions when multiple decisions are made in parallel, and once determined, he will act decisively and implement it to the end.
Nimitz also had a unique ability to restrain himself. He was tired of heated quarrels for any reason and was willing to be a buffer and moderator for such quarrels on all occasions. At meetings, when some people were stubborn and criticized each other, Nimitz would always calmly and patiently wait for the right moment to insert a few irrelevant words, and then lead to a ridiculous story, and the nervous mood was filled with laughter. was resolved. None of this means that Nimitz lacks opinions and principles, but that his way of persuading people is more clever and effective. He is well aware that one of the vices of human beings is to attack each other without reason. Sometimes these mutual insults are not for the purpose of insisting on or defending anything, but just out of combative instinct.
Nimitz also benefited a lot from his wide range of interests and hobbies. In addition to minor sports, he enjoyed gardening. Nimitz planted many flowers and plants around his office and at home. While living in coastal areas, he hollowed out coconut shells and planted flowers inside. The vegetable garden he cultivated became a topic of interest in the Agricultural College.
Nimitz loved playing cards, which allowed him to spend many of his spare time at sea. He can always use some clever tricks to achieve the goal of victory. The fun and flexibility of this game allowed his body to rest and his mind to become more flexible. For Nimitz, games were a pastime that allowed him to temporarily forget the worries of work and free him from the constraints of a professional officer. Although he never consciously practiced the tricks he used in playing cards, it was found that his method of winning in all his activities was related to his card playing ability.
He can derive deeper meanings from certain things he likes. Regarding music, he especially likes symphony. He believes that symphony can show the grand and rich connotation of life. The complex orchestration and personnel organization of symphony achieve ingenious harmony under the coordination of the conductor. From this, he felt that with the evolution of the war and the expansion of military strength, there was an urgent need for coordination among the three armies, and an effective way to avoid fragmentation was to establish a unified "band conductor" so that all forces could be organically kneaded into one. The whole is stronger than any single part.
Nimitz is not a person who likes to show off. He believes that his job is to make the various ship types of the entire fleet form an indivisible system, and at the same time cooperate with allied forces to truly achieve a rigorous and effective alliance. He believes that when the goals are consistent, it is best not to highlight a certain part or individual. This is also Nimitz's requirement for personal style. For this reason, he was extremely disgusted with people who took matters into their own hands and made their own decisions, and always had a grudge against young officers who were unruly and eager to achieve success.
Nimitz was a man who voluntarily devoted himself to the naval cause. The growth of naval power and the vigorous development of the naval cause were his highest pursuits in life. He is a standard soldier with no political ambitions. He believes that ambition is completely different from the recognition and promotion one deserves based on what he or she does to the best of his or her ability. He may be invited to give lectures, but he will never be a professional speaker or politician.
He is not a prophet, nor does he make unnecessary predictions. He just immerses himself in the work at hand. He believes that if a person wants to display his talents, the work in front of him is where he can use it.
Nimitz’s style was in sharp contrast to MacArthur’s. His lackluster performance kept the spotlight from the press rarely shining over his head. In the difficult years of the ever-changing maritime war, he rarely attracted the attention of newspaper reporters who chased the spotlight, and the praise he won was far less than the achievements he made. MacArthur was always a star-like focus of the Pacific War. He lacked Nimitz's noble humility and did not appreciate it. MacArthur's arrogance and arrogance eventually put him in a very embarrassing situation. Nimitz was completely different. He expressed himself wisely and was able to cope with various situations with ease. Nimitz did not care about pomp and circumstance. He often walked to the office instead of driving and wrote memos in his own hand. His frugal and unconventional style was deeply affecting and won the heartfelt admiration of his colleagues.
Perhaps, Nimitz lacked the general style that people imagined, but his gentle and humble style also won the respect of his subordinates. His working methods are flexible but solid, reasonable and practical. He has extraordinary resilience and endurance. His silent motivation drives himself and others forward. "He is a strategist who plans strategies and assesses situations; he is a tactician who implements concrete actions and has outstanding prestige."