Leadership . . . the Marine Corps Way

Setting the example for others to follow is the point of departure for Marine leadership. All Marines consider themselves leaders and therefore hold themselves to the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior. At the same time, they display a deeply genuine concern for their fellow Marines. Indeed, taking care of your Marines receives a priority second only to accomplishing the mission. And even as the former is subordinated to the latter, the time-honored saying Take care of your Marines, and they will take care of the mission illustrates that the Marines perceive the two concepts as interrelated. Finally, leadership development is a comprehensive and never-ending process in the Corps. Marine officers and noncommissioned officers (NCOs) are constantly reminded that the development of their subordinates is a direct reflection of their abilities as leaders.

Leadership by Example

The Marine Corps s approach to leadership rests on the simple premise that motivating Marines to achieve a desired result requires that their leaders first exert the effort and make the sacrifice they are asking of their Marines. This premise , that leadership can be achieved by setting an example for others to follow, is integral to maneuver warfare because it inspires and reinforces integrity and trust.

A willingness to share hardship and perform above and beyond the call of duty ”no matter how miserable or inconsequential the task ”ripples throughout the entire unit, inspires higher levels of performance at all levels, and creates an undeniable credibility for the leader. If the leader expects his Marines to maintain neat and orderly personal appearances , the leader s appearance must be impeccable. If the leader expects his Marines to be able to march twenty miles with a heavy rucksack, the leader must be at the front of the marching formation, smiling the whole way. If a leader expects his Marines to maintain a vigilant defensive posture through the night under a cold rain, the leader had better be out in the rain at all hours checking on the Marines in their fighting holes, not behind the lines under the shelter of a warm, dry tent. If the leader expects his Marines to maintain their composure during a difficult situation, the leader must display a cool, soothing outward appearance. These actions, and numerous others in a similar vein, require a tremendous amount of self-discipline on the part of the leader. And Marine leaders embrace this requirement because they view the leadership of other Marines as a privilege ”not a right ”that must be earned every day.

Leadership by example thus derives its overall effectiveness from actions, not words. As it pertains to maneuver warfare, a leader s sound moral character and willingness to share hardship elicit trust from the Marines in his charge. Moreover, the leader can push his unit to uphold the highest standards of integrity, so long as his own personal integrity is beyond reproach.

Taking Care of Those in Your Charge

While probably not the first trait that comes to mind when thinking about an outfit whose members call themselves Devil Dogs, compassion is, nonetheless, the crucial second pillar in the Marine Corps s leadership philosophy. Marine leaders prioritize the accomplishment of the mission first, the welfare of their Marines second, and their own personal needs third. This willingness to place the welfare of those in their charge before their own needs inspires and reinforces not only the higher levels of performance necessary to accomplish the mission but also unselfishness, initiative, and trust.

Enhanced unit performance is an obvious motivator for this altruistic behavior, but Marine leaders take care of their Marines, first and foremost, because it is the right thing to do. When a leader assumes the helm of a given unit, he wastes little time in getting to know each and every Marine ” names , hometowns, family members, personal interests ”in an effort to gain intimate familiarity with the individual psychologies that constitute the unit. When meals are served , the lowest -ranking enlisted Marines eat first, and the highest-ranking officers eat last, so that each level of leaders ensures that Marines more junior are fed first. When Marines stand guard duty on weekends or holidays, their leaders often sacrifice their own personal time to check in and see how they are doing. When their Marines experience personal or administrative problems, leaders work relentlessly to achieve resolution. When leaders discover that an individual Marine is struggling, they make time in their busy schedules to help that Marine improve his performance and provide counseling in private as necessary.

Similarly, when an individual Marine makes a successful achievement, his leaders publicly recognize that achievement, in the form of praise in front of his peers, formal mention in front of the entire unit, or even a medal. When Marines are considered for promotion, their leaders champion their candidacies.

When communicating downward, leaders share information in a timely manner, provide honest and frank assessments of situations, and explain the context into which the unit s actions fit in an effort to uphold the seventh of the eleven Marine Corps leadership principles: Keep your Marines informed. ^[2] Similarly, when Marines offer observations, insights, or recommendations, leaders listen attentively. Finally, in perhaps the ultimate demonstration of caring, one of the most sacred and honored traditions of the Marine Corps is that leaders never leave fallen comrades behind on the battlefield.

With the notable exception of the last, the preponderance of the aforementioned examples occurs in peacetime. Obviously a leader s commitment to taking care of his Marines continues in combat, but a baseline must be established before the battle begins. Moreover, these gestures require from the leader not only a tremendous amount of self-discipline, similar to that required in the case of leadership by example, but also sincerity , which differentiates a genuine concern for others well-being from a superficial display.

Unselfishness is the first direct result of leaders ongoing, disciplined, and sincere commitment to the welfare of their Marines: when Marines see their leaders placing the group s needs before their own, they feel compelled to do the same for those in their charge and for their peers. Initiative is the second: a leader s willingness to take care of his Marines prompts those Marines to take actions proactively that keep the leader out of trouble and handle matters at their respective levels with greater attention to detail. Trust is the third: a leader s ability to convince his Marines ”through actions, not words ”that he truly cares for them fosters fierce loyalty and unwavering willingness to follow.

Leadership Development

The Marines themselves best describe the third pillar of Marine Corps leadership philosophy: Because people are our most precious asset, how we recruit them, train them, instill in them our core values, and equip them will forever be our institutional focus. ^[3] Indeed, this never-ending commitment to recruiting, training, and mentoring develops, at all levels, confident, aggressive leaders whose initiative and integrity drive the implementation of the maneuver warfare “based approach.

With respect to recruiting, the Marines hire for character, not skills. Slogans such as Maybe you can be one of us . . . the Few, the Proud, the Marines and We didn t promise you a rose garden are deliberately designed to attract can-do , challenge-seeking, take-charge personality types. Members of this self-selected applicant pool that meet the Marine Corps s stringent acceptance criteria ” academics , physical fitness, community standing, leadership potential, and a selection officer s all-important subjective evaluation ”then proceed to boot camp or Officer Candidates School (OCS). Enlisted recruits endure thirteen weeks of boot camp to see if they have the mettle required to earn the title U.S. Marine. Officer candidates are screened rigorously for leadership potential and sound moral character over an intense ten-week period at OCS before earning the title Officer of Marines. While time-consuming and costly, this thorough process of self-selection, objective and subjective review, and earned entrance into the organization ensures that new members possess the traits and determination that the Marine Corps covets.

Formal leadership training begins with an initial overinvestment in instilling core values of honor , courage , and commitment and leadership traits (see Appendix, Chapter 13, for a list and full explanation of both) and continues throughout a Marine s career. During their first ten to thirteen weeks, aspiring Marines spend seventeen- hour days immersed in an isolated environment under the tutelage of the fiercest and most professional of role models, drill instructors (DIs), who are selected from the Marine Corps s top quartile of NCOs. Rising before their recruits and candidates and retiring after, demonstrating an unwavering intensity, and maintaining a flawless appearance and an even more flawless composure, DIs personify Marine Corps leadership and, as described in the 1999 Harvard Business Review article, Firing Up the Front Line, lead their young hopefuls in physically and emotionally stressful exercises designed to encourage mutual accountability. If a recruit fails to complete a 15-mile hike, his comrades must carry his rifle and 60- pound rucksack for the rest of the hike. If someone errs during a close-order-drill movement, the entire unit must repeat the movement until it is flawless. ^[4] Upon completion of boot camp, enlisted Marines, who learn to follow before they learn to lead, proceed to infantry training and occupational specialty schools . Newly commissioned officers proceed from OCS to The Basic School, where, over a six-month period, they lead their peers in numerous hands-on practical learning opportunities, such as field exercises, participate frequently in small-group discussions about leadership, and receive extensive individualized leadership coaching from senior officers, who, like DIs, represent the Marine Corps s top performers.

Beyond this initial overinvestment, officers and NCOs attend full-time schools every few years and receive formal instruction intended to reinforce core values and leadership traits and prepare leaders for increased levels of responsibility. These career-level schools may last a few weeks, as in the case of the corporals course or sergeants course, or an entire year, as in the case of the Marine Corps War College for senior officers. To staff these schools, the Marine Corps once again pulls top performers off the front lines to serve as instructors.

In addition to the formal mechanisms of recruiting and training, the Marine Corps relies heavily on informal mentoring to develop its leaders. As immortalized by the words of the late Major General John A. Lejeune, Thirteenth Commandant of the Marine Corps, senior Marines consider mentoring their juniors one of their greatest responsibilities as leaders: The relationship between officers and enlisted men should in no sense be that of superior and inferior nor that of master and servant, but rather that of teacher and scholar. ^[5] Feedback is clear, constructive, candid , and regular. Guidance is specific, thoughtful, individually tailored, and intended to help the junior Marine grow both personally and professionally.

While such interaction serves as an effective means of imparting wisdom, mentoring in the Marine Corps is actually a two-way street. In active-duty units the Marines create leadership partnerships ^[6] between officers and NCOs. Under such arrangements, NCOs mentor upward by providing invaluable advice based on years of practical experience and a fundamental understanding of the perspective of the enlisted Marines in the unit. Borrowing from Firing Up the Front Line a second time: The experience and maturity of the [NCO] complement the tactical education and fresh ideas of the [officer]. The two learn from each other and jointly solve tactical challenges and problems about people. . . . Each leader has more time to attend to the training and professional growth of the [unit s] . . . members than if he were the sole officer in charge. ^[7]

The Marines recruit , train , mentor approach to leadership development implies a major investment in personnel. Nevertheless, the Marine Corps believes that the return on this investment ”a greater incidence of initiative and integrity among its members ”more than justifies the costs, especially given the possibility that lives will hang in the balance. A rigorous recruiting process attracts and selects those individuals who exhibit a natural predisposition to desired traits and weeds out the complacent, hesitant, timid, and ethically shaky. An extensive initial and ongoing training program led by top performers transmits the Marine Corps s values and leadership traits to its members in the most effective manner. And a top-down, bottom-up approach to mentorship provides timely feedback and thoughtful advice. The end result of this three-step process is a greater likelihood that, when left to their own judgment in an uncertain situation, Marines take charge, make the right decisions for the right reasons, and act in accordance with the organization s overall objectives.

^[2] See the Appendix for a full list.

^[3] www.usmc.mil , 2003.

^[4] Katzenbach, Jon, and Santamaria, Jason, Firing Up the Front Line, Harvard Business Review , May/June 1999, 110.

^[5] United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps Manual , Edition 1921.

^[6] Katzenbach and Santamaria, 113.

^[7] Ibid.