Meet Dwight D. Eisenhower: The Planner

The note in his pocket

On June 5, 1944, Eisenhower drafted a message for use if the invasion failed: 'The troops did all that bravery could do... any blame is mine alone.' He never sent it. That unsent note remains the cleanest definition of ownership a leader has ever written.

Making rivals row together

His genius was orchestration: Montgomery's ego, Patton's temper, de Gaulle's pride — one direction. Later, as president: interstates, NASA, and a farewell warning about the military-industrial complex that grows more quoted every decade. Urgent versus important — his matrix — was how he survived it all.

Why they belong at your table

Seat him for a high-stakes launch with a team of rivals. He'll ask if you've drafted your failure memo — and why not.