“Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, stated this at the National Defense Executive Reserve Conference in 1957. The full context reveals deeper meaning: “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” Eisenhower explained that emergencies are by definition unexpected, so they won’t unfold as planned. Yet the planning process itself creates understanding, preparedness, and adaptability. This insight, drawn from his military experience as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in World War II, became foundational to modern agile thinking about iterative planning over rigid adherence to fixed plans.

Remarks at the National Defense Executive Reserve Conference (1957) | Quote Investigator Analysis