Los Alamos Leadership
Photo by LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABS
Today's second topic is my book review of 109 East Palace.
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We went to see Christoper Nolan's Oppenheimer. Based on American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, the movie tells the story of Robert Oppenheimer's career in the context of the Manhatten project.
Oppenheimer was a brilliant man and, by all accounts, very charismatic. General Leslie Groves had been leading the Manhattan Project for almost a year when he first met with Oppenheimer. After appointing Oppenheimer as the project's scientific director, they worked together to build out the Los Alamos site and recruit the physicists who would work there. By inferring Opphenimer was the sole decision maker, the movie downplays the quality of his working relationship with Groves.
Everyone recruited was brilliant, and Oppenheimer was able to lead them for several reasons. Everyone recognized him as technically capable in many different scientific areas. While he could sometimes be dismissive and arrogant, he never disrespected the competence of others. Oppenheimer balanced and managed interpersonal relationships, keeping the team focused on the objective. His great advantage was that no one questioned the objective of winning the war. Oppenheimer did not have to gain consensus.
Perhaps Oppenheimer's biggest weakness was his belief that his brilliance would overcome people's feelings about him. Like many at the height of the depression, he explored communism. He failed to see the concern others felt at this. It is important to remember that communism and Stalinism were not the same thing in the 1930s. In the post-war years, the terms became interchangeable.
Many of the scientific community were concerned about the use of nuclear weapons once Germany was defeated. They failed, as many do today, to appreciate the difficulty of the choices facing President Truman. It is estimated that as many as 250,000 people died in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. The invasion of Okinawa was over, and the loss of life was the same. An island-by-island invasion of Japan would have cost more than a million lives. This is a brutal calculus Truman had to make.
We can observe and learn much about leadership from a study of history. To get the true lesson, we have to put ourselves in their shoes and remember they did not know the outcomes.
Book Review: 109 East Palace by Jennet Conant
With the release of Oppenheimer, I was reminded of 109 East Palace. I read Ms. Conant's book in 2022. This history of Los Alamos and the Manhatten project did not focus heavily on the science or moral questions related to the atomic weapons program. 109 East Palace tells the story of the Los Alamos team's and their families' lives.
Robert Oppenheimer hired Dorothy McKibben to be his assistant in Santa Fe. She was responsible for meeting arriving scientists at the Railyard, issuing their credentials, and arranging their transportation to Los Alamos. When they came, people were reminded to use their aliases and never tell people they lived and worked in Los Alamos. At its peak, almost 6,000 people lived there. McKibben hosted several Los Alamos weddings at her home.
Over the project's life, schools, medical facilities, stores, and other basics of life were built for Los Alamos. This was necessary to limit the burden of isolation that was the reality of their lives. Without being able to bring their families, many of the scientists would not have joined the team.
The first few chapters tell the history of Santa Fe in the years before the war. This was when Santa Fe became recognized for the many artists who lived there. Georgia O'Keeffe is the most well-known. A good friend from Santa Fe (his grandfather was Mayor) said much of this history was new to him.
When leaders work to build teams, they almost always focus on the work – when, where, and how it will be done. Part of Oppenheimer's leadership brilliance was his realizing he needed to look beyond that and consider what we now call work-life balance. Regardless of opinions on the morality of the Manhatten project, Oppenheimer assembled and led a team under trying circumstances to complete success in their mission.
What I'm Up To
We just vacationed for a week in Santa Fe. The city was founded in 1610 and is home to The Palace of the Governors, the oldest continuously occupied building in the United States.
The friend I mentioned earlier is a geologist. Whether we were hiking Diablo Canyon or golfing at three reservation golf courses, he explained the various rock formations and the volcanic history of the area. It was beautiful and fascinating.
There are not many things better than great times with great friends.
Chips and Salsa: Snack-sized news and posts
Barbenheimer! We also went to see Barbie. I recommend that as well, it was very funny. Greta Gerwig did a fantastic job directing a very complicated movie.
Kindness is contagious.
Texas McCombs - A Little Good Goes Farther Than You Think
A potentially great breakthrough. We must beware of the unintended consequences. There is a lot of plastic that we do not want eaten.
A breakthrough in EV batteries from Toyota. Think beyond cars. Laptops, phones, and watches that charge in minutes and last for days.
Top Speed - With The 745-mile Solid-state Battery, Toyota Just Became A Force To Reckon With
Oppenheimer's place in history is being reexamined.
PBS - Why there are new assessments of Oppenheimer's role in history
"Life is like riding a bicycle; to keep your balance, you must keep moving." – Albert Einstein
Axios - Instead of "bed rotting," do the opposite
I wrote about changing demographics in a previous newsletter.
NY Times - How a Vast Demographic Shift Will Reshape the World
Quotes
"Tact is the art of building a fire under people without making their blood boil."
- Franklin P. Jones
"Success is the result of people pulling together to meet common goals."
- John Maxwell
You can order The Leader With A Thousand Faces on the Recommended Reading Page of my website.
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