Leadership Trait of the Day: BEARING

         

Bearing has nothing to do with bears, but if you
can stay calm in front of this guy, you have bearing. 

      The first question many of you may have is: what the heck is Bearing, and how is it relevant to Leadership?  While in the Marine Corps, we simple call this Bearing, but the best way for non-Marines to think of this is as “Military Bearing.”  You may also think of this as comportment.

            In the Marines, Bearing is your ability to “create a favorable impression in carriage, appearance, and personal conduct at all times.”  Meaning, you look, talk, and act like a leader at all times – even when you don’t feel like it.             

            Let’s unpack this further.  If you want to have the Bearing of a Leader, there are three areas you need to focus on: 1) physical appearance; 2) day-to-day behavior; and 3) behavior under stress. 

Funny - but not a leader

Physical Appearance: Now, the Marine Corps is a physical job – so physical appearance means you need to look like a Marine.  Now, for civilian purposes, there is no need to look like this guy. But, you don’t want to look like Matt Foley, motivational speaker – if you do, you may be end up living in a van down by the river. 

            Bearing for the civilian leader means look like a professional.  Dress and carry yourself like someone who can be trusted with responsibility.  The first thing people will see is how you look.  In the Marine Corps, we are fanatical about our uniform appearance – not just because we want to look better than the Army, Navy and Air Force (ok, that’s a big part of it).  Marines understand that part of being professional is looking professional.  This also shows that you have the discipline to take care of the small things, which leads people to trust that you can take care of the big things.

            So, if you want to be a Leader, look like one.  This does not mean wear a suit or a tie every day, but you should dress a little bit better than the people you work with – just enough to show that you are professional.  It also helps to have a neat and orderly appearance.  Look in the mirror before leaving your house and decide if you look like the sort of person someone would trust with responsibility. 

            Click through for more discussion on Bearing.

Not known for anger
management skills

Day-to-Day Behavior:  This gets to your every day professionalism.  Are you at work on time?  Do you make meetings on time?  Do you meet your deadlines? Are you courteous?  Are you the type of person who others like working with or for?  The test here is simple – in the work place, use the manners your mother taught you.  If you do, you will have professional “Bearing.”

            The other part of your day-to-day comportment is how to you handle your emotions.  Do you keep your emotions in check?  Do you fly off the handle?  Do you yell and scream when you get angry?  Granted, there is a time and place where an effective leader will blow his top, but it cannot be frequent.  I learned the hard way as a young lieutenant, that yelling constantly means no one listens to you.  By the time I was a captain, I realized that if I lost my cool (very) infrequently, it would leave an impression when you do – some of the Marines from company still remember the 1-2 instances where I laid in to all of them – that was 11 years ago.  I still remember the ONE time my best company commander chewed me out when I was a lieutenant – that was 1997. 

            The key to controlling your emotions is simple - be the anti- Alec Baldwin. 

            Behavior Under Stress:  This is where a great Leader can truly differentiate himself.  Are you “cool as a cucumber”?   Maintaining your Bearing under stress is one of Leaders greatest attributes.  Your people will look to you when things are failing apart.  You need to deliver. 

            In the Marine Corps, we teach our leaders to stay calm while people are trying to kill them – if Marines can learn to stay calm and focused on the battlefield; anyone can stay calm in any circumstance. 

            There are multiple reasons for this.  First, your calmness will impact your people.  They will take cues from you – if you appear calm, they will settle down themselves.  The key here is “appear.”  You are allowed to panic on the inside, but keep it inside.  Once you panic, everyone else does. 

            Second, if you stay calm, you think more clearly.  No one makes good decisions under stress.  Staying calm and collected at all times is your responsibility as a Leader.  You need to train yourself to take a deep breath, stay calm and think clearly.  And, back to the above, if you can’t, don’t let everyone else know! 

            Can you look and act like a Leader?