Think Happy Thoughts

If you acted like this everyday, life would
be so much better. 

My Linked In news feed directed me to this great article.  It lays out 7 great tips for maximizing your thankfulness.  Frankly, it is one of the best articles I have read in a while - not because poetic prose or brilliant new insight, but because it focuses on positive thinking and being thankful for what is important.

How does this relate to Leadership?  Simple, happy and thankful leaders are better leaders.  Think about the people you followed or worked for in your life - who was better, the upbeat positive "we can do it" leader or the cranky, never satisfied critical leader?  Really not a contest is it?

One thing I have learned through my career is that a positive outlook may possibly be the most important leadership tool you have.  One real life example I can give you is Major Doug Zembiec, a true hero in every sense of the word.  I went to the Naval Academy with Doug and knew him fairly well there, and I ran into him a handful of times during our overlapping Marine Corps careers.  While Doug was fantastic is every sense of the word, the thing I most remember from our interactions was his positive upbeat nature - I can't recall the man ever not smiling.  He attacked life with a vigor and was always excited about it.

Few people on this planet can be a Doug Zembiec, but we all can be positive, happy and focused on the good things in life.

That attitude all starts with being thankful for what we have and focusing on the positive in our lives.



I have recently made concerted efforts to begin my day by reciting several positive things in my life - since I started that practice, my entire disposition has changed and it has made me a better leader at work and at home,

So, I ask you, are you up for the challenge of being positive and thinking happy thoughts?  If so, start by counting your blessings and being positive.

What I learned Coaching Kids Soccer

I am so proud of these boys!

This past weekend my son's soccer season wrapped up - actually I should say that me and my sons just finished our soccer season, as I was the coach of his team.  WHAT A RIDE.

For those of you who have never coached kids sports, I highly encourage it - not only is it fun, it  makes you feel good to give back to the community, and it teaches you ... in fact it teaches you a lot.

Here I am, a 20 year veteran of the Marine Corps who has led Marines for my entire adult life.  I figured that coaching a kids sports team would be my chance to impart my vast knowledge of the world on these young impressionable minds.  While I did teach them something, I think I learned a lot more from the experience.

Here are some of the great things I learned from coaching 9 year-olds:

My cheering looked
just like this!

1) It is all about the praise - especially public praise - I could literally see any player stand taller and hold his head higher when I shouted to him that he did something well.  They literally beamed.  We all like to be acknowledged - especially publicly in front of our peers.  When one of my players did something right, I would shout his name, and give him a thumbs up and say "great job."  They ate it up.  No matter how much we grow up, we all love that thumbs up - especially in front of out peers.

2) Encouragement picks us up after a mistake.  When one of my boys made a bad play, I called his name, and said - "that's alright - great effort."  In one swoop, I told them that their mistake wasn't a huge deal and that I appreciated how they tried.  We all beat ourselves up when we do something wrong.  It means a lot when someone else tells us that, its all right.


3) Criticism needs to be brief, to the point, and private.  When a player made a more major mistake, I would wait until they came out of the game, I would get down to their level, and I would explain what they did wrong - in a quiet voice.  I would tell them what they should have done instead.  The whole conversation would be about 30 seconds.  None of us wants to be called out for our mistakes in public.  Plus, sometimes we need to be told what we should have done instead.

4) Its all about the team.  The focus was never on one player's accolades, it was on how the team did as a whole.  Everyone on the team knows who the best players are - no need to point it out further.  Focusing on the team lets everyone feel like they are playing their part.  Singling out individuals players makes a team a group of individuals, not a team.

So, if you can praise in public, encourage, criticize in private, and focus on the team, you can coach a kids' soccer team.  You can also be a great leader of adults too.  Can you handle it?

Leaders Need to do More than Talk.

So, I read this article yesterday, and it made me think - there are many, many artilcles, blogs posts and even books that all provide a list of things leaders should say - be it every day or every week.  Indeed, I ran a Google search on "things leaders say," and I got over 197 MILLION hits.  That's a lot of talking. 

Now, I think most of these articles are awesome and provide great advice - there are lots of good leadership lessons in them. 

However, reading through these articles, they focus more on the speaking than on the doing.  We have all heard the phrase "If you are going to talk the talk, you need to walk the walk."  As a leader, talking the talk will work for a few weeks - by then, if you are not walking the walk, your fancy leadership talk falls on deaf ears. 

 This is why I think  instead of focusing on "what leaders should say," we should focus on what leaders should do.  First, actions speak a lot louder than words; and second, if you do the right thing, you will naturally say the right thing as well. 

Again, the ideas in the article linked above and the dozens of other similar articles out there are great ideas.  However, many of the suggestions will come naturally to a leader who embodies the Leadership Traits. 

Many of these articles suggest that a leader should share the credit and support his people - in other words, a leader should be unselfish and loyal. 

If you are an unselfish and loyal leader, you will say "Thank You;" you will ask you people for their opinions, you will share credit with your people.  It will all come naturally - IF you have the correct attitude and embrace the proper leadership characteristics. 

My advice to you is not to worry about what to say - worry about how to be.  Be unselfish, be loyal, be supportive, be a LEADER, and you will say the right things. 

Can you walk the walk? 



 

Lessons From 20 Years of Service in the Marine Corps

That's Right - Listen to this Old Man!

About two weeks ago I hit a milestone – I crossed the magic 20 year mark in my Marine Corps career.  For everyone who has ever put on a uniform, the 20 year target is a big one – it means that you can now retire with your pension.   

For me, though, the 20 year mark has been a testament to dedication and endurance; while thoroughly enjoyable, it has not been an easy 20 year run. 

What it has been, however, is 20 great years of leadership lessons.  When I look back to the bright-eyed young 2^nd Lieutenant I was 20 years ago, I can really appreciate all of the lessons I have learned from 20 years in uniform. 

In honor of my 20 years of service, here are 20 Rules of Leadership that I have learned during my Marine Corps career:

      1)      Leaders lead from the front – this doesn’t mean you drag your people behind you, it means that you take on the same risk – or more – that you ask your people to take.

      2)      Leaders set the example – You are always watched, and you need to do the right thing, all the time; don’t ask your people to do things you cannot or will not do – you are the barometer. 

      3)      Leaders have a plan – Even if it is a basic plan, and even if it needs to be changed, you have to have a plan, otherwise you are running in circles.

      4)      But, Leaders are flexible – Never, ever, ever fall in love with your plan, you need to be able to change when you need to

      5)      Leaders are decisive – A leader has to make decisions, especially when it is hard, a failure to make a decision, at a minimum wastes time and resources.

      6)      Leaders trust their instincts (but look before they leap) – It is easier to be decisive when you trust your gut; great leaders have good instincts and learn to trust them – however, no matter how much a leader trusts his gut, he still needs to reflect a moment before making a final decision

      7)      Leaders know their people – You cannot lead strangers, if you don’t know your people, you cannot play to their strengths, and you cannot improve their weaknesses.

      8)      Leaders always tell the truth – Even when it hurts, once your integrity is compromised, you cannot get it back.

      9)      Leaders take care of their people – This doesn’t mean you baby them – there is a tragic story of a platoon of Marines being killed in their sleeping bags during the Chosin Reservoir Campaign – the platoon commander wanted them to get warm, but truly taking care of them met pushing them to do the right thing – being ready to fight. 

     10)   Leaders are loyal – Not just to their superiors, but to their people, leaders support their people, their seniors and their institution. 

   

      Click Through for the next 10 Rules

    

Marine Leadership Principle of the Day: Be Technically and Tactically Proficient

Not how you want your people to view you.

As I discussed in some of the discussions on the Marine Corps Leadership Traits, two major parts of leadership are instilling confidence in your people and setting the example of how you want them to act.  Hypocrisy is poison, and, if you cannot meet the standards you expect your people to meet, you are a hypocrite. 

That is what this Leadership Principle is all about – you need to know your job and be good at it.  You need to demonstrate your ability to accomplish your mission.  Many of you are going to see “tactically proficient” and think “I don’t carry a pack and a rifle, so tactics isn’t really my thing.”  That thought is reading this principle too narrowly – if you have a job, there are “tactical” requirements of your job that you need to master. 

If you manage a McDonald’s, you better know how to make a Big Mac, if you run a mechanics shop, you better know your way around an engine block, and, if you are a project manager for a IT systems company, you better know how your software and routers work.  Those are examples of the “tactics” of your job. 

As a leader, you have to know what you are doing.  You need to not only understand the big picture; you have to be proficient and able to execute all of your team’s daily tasks.  This is where many leaders lose the bubble.  It is not good enough to master your job – you need to at least know the basics of your subordinates’ task.  How can you coach and train your people if you don’t know what they are supposed to do?  How can you hold them to a standard if you do not know what the standard is?   

This is where your credibility begins to come into play.  You instill confidence in your people when you are good at your job.  You also build your credibility when you set and hold a standard.  In the Marine Corps, physical fitness is a big deal – if you get over weight and cannot get a good score on your physical fitness test, your credibility is gone.  You will hold the junior Marines to a standard, and you better work hard to match it.  Now, no one expects me at the old age of 42 to outrun the 20 year-olds, but I better turn out a respectable three mile run time (I just did it in 22:07 last weekend, not bad for an old man!). 

How I felt on my run!

While no one is timing your three mile run time at most jobs, your credibility is just as tied to your job performance.  Do you do what you expect your people to do?  Things like, enter your accounting time or expenses on time, dress appropriately, show up on time, file reports timely etc.  Those are all part of being technically proficient by matching (or exceeding) the standards. 

Your people watch your every move (just like kids do). They imitate your actions and behaviors. They talk about you at the water cooler when you violate this principle. The good news is that by setting and holding the standard, the conversation will be positive and will instill the trust of your people. 

Click through for some suggestions on how you can be more technically and tactically proficient. 

Marine Leadership Principle of the Day: KNOW YOURSELF

           There are actually two parts to to this Leadership Principle: 1) Know Yourself and 2) Seek Self Improvement.  As a Leader, it is your responsibility to know and better your people – this process begins with yourself.

            The importance of self knowledge is not a new concept.  Socrates and Aristole both stressed that you had to “Know Thyself.”  Lao Tzo said that while it is wisdom to know others, it “is enlightenment to know one’s self.”  Unfortunately, over the past 2500 years, many of us have forgotten the importance of knowing ourselves before we begin to learn and do other things.

              The first step in becoming a truly great leader is to truly know yourself.  Knowing yourself means you know your strengths and weaknesses – this allows you play to your strengths and to improve your weaknesses.  We all have flaws and weaknesses, and, if you don’t know what they are, guess who does?  Your people.  No one will know a leader’s shortcomings better than the people who work for him.  

            This means that if you do not know your weaknesses, you cannot improve them, and they will continually be exposed to your people.  Having demonstrable weaknesses will compromise your abiilty to lead.  Unless, your people see you actively improving on your weaknesses – this shows them that you are aware and are seeking self-improvement, which will make you a better leader. 

So, how can we know ourselves?  There are several ways you can learn more about yourself.  Before discussing a list though, we need to discuss humilty.  More than a touch of humilty is necessary for this process.  Leaders tend to be confident – and they need to be, but confidence cannot become arrogance.  When it does, you can no longer be self-aware, and you can no longer be a leader.  So, when you are ready to take a long look in the mirror and scruntinize yourself, take a deep breath, bring on a healthy dose of humilty and look for the flaws.

When you are ready, click through for some ideas on how to learn more about yourself.

The Marine Corps Leadership Principles

Given the several week lapse since I first kicked off my Marine Corps Leadership Principles series, I am going to go ahead, re-boot it, and start from the beginning again.  My apologies for those of you who have read these already - I will revise them some - just for you!

Before delving into the Leadership Principles, I explored the 14 Marine Corps Leadership Traits.  The Leadership Traits are characteristics that leaders – and want-to-be leaders - need to incorporate into their actions.  The best way to view the Leadership Traits is that they are internal – these are things that you are.  These are characteristics that you really need to begin to develop before you become a leader.

            The other set of basic fundamentals that the Marine Corps uses to hone its leaders are the Marine Corps Leadership principles.  Unlike the Leadership Traits, the Leadership Principles are things that you do – actions you need to take. 

            The Marine Leadership Principles are proven guidelines that Marines have developed over the past 200 years.  Marines are asked to lead is very stressful and difficult environments, and the Leadership Principles substantially increase a Marine’s ability to lead effectively.  By understanding, mastering, and applying these Principles, you will learn to lead more effectively, accomplish your mission, and earn the respect of your subordinates, peers and seniors.  .

When you look in the mirror,
make sure it is an accurate reflection

            If you speak to any successful leader, they will all tell you that they continuously and objectively refine their leadership abilities.  The best way to assess and refine your capabilities is to compare them to an established set of guidelines – this is where the Marine Corps Leadership Principles come into play.  Marines refine their leadership skills by comparing their skills against the Leadership Principles.   

            

As a leader or aspiring leader, you should develop a set of leadership guidelines to follow.  Then, periodically, you should sit down and grade yourself against these benchmarks so you can see how you are doing.  Of course your assessment will only be as good as your benchmarks, so make sure you adopt the right set of guidelines. 

            Click through for a list of the Marine Corps Leadership Principles. 

Leadership Lessons from a Day of Hooky.

We all need to take days off now and then

On Friday, my wife and I decided that we were going to take a day off, take the kids out of school and go spend the day at the closest Six Flags amusement park.

Fun day?  Absolutely!  Relaxing?  If you have ever tried to schlep, chase and corral four children around an amusement park, you know the answer to that one!

However,  despite being bone-crushing tired on Friday night, I was mentally at ease.  I didn't even realize how calm and unstressed I was until I went to bed and drifted right to sleep.

At that is the lesson from a day of hooky - take time away to de-stress and calm down.

Who hasn't been here? 

I should know this.  Three years ago when I first got to Afghanistan, I was churning out 16 hours days, day-after-day.  My day started at 0700 with the Regimental operations and intelligence update brief, and it ended when I sent my final end of the day report at 2300 each night.  In between were staff meetings, coordination, communication and a whole bunch of stress.

Then, about three weeks into the deployment I noticed that most every afternoon the Regimental Commander - who is way smarter than me - would leave his office for a couple of hours to PT (exercise in civilian vernacular) and take some "me time."  And boy did he need it - his job was ten times harder than mine.  It occurred to me though, if the Big Boss could take a couple of hours away from his responsibilities, then I could as well.

So, when I wasn't traveling around and visiting my Marines through the battle space, I started a routine where I left my office to work out, went to my tent to unplug for a bit, showered, ate dinner and then commenced my "night shift."

After some me time! 

And, you know what?  While I took a couple of hours away from desk - nothing bad happened.  In fact, I think my staff was happy to have a break from me!  When I got back to the office, I was refreshed and ready to plow through a host of reports and draft my own.

There is no way I would have lasted seven months on my initial pace.  So, while I gave up a couple of hours every day, I ended up being more effective in the long run.

The lesson here is that Leaders need to learn to take care of themselves.  We all want to drive and push ourselves to the breaking point - we figure that that is our responsibility and how we set the example.  However, tired and stressed is no way to lead.

So, when you are making sure you take care of your people - make sure you include yourself.  A fresh and de-stressed Leader is a better leader.

Leadership Trait of the Day: ENDURANCE

Made it - 14 Leadership Traits, that's Endurance!

Endurance is our 14^th and final Marine Corps Leadership Trait.  It is appropriate that Endurance be the last of a string of 14 traits – it takes a little bit of Endurance to stay the course in this analysis.  More importantly, Endurance impacts all of the other traits – you have to have the staying power to exhibit the other 13 traits day after day after day. 

            We all know what Endurance is, but how to we define it?  I love the Marine Corps definition of Endurance: The mental and physical stamina measured by the ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress, and hardship.  That sentence almost completely captures the essence of being a Marine – the ability to withstand ______ (fill-in the blank.) 

Just kidding - it's a party!

          Now, there are not too many jobs out there that are going to require you to “withstand pain” and other physical hardships, but all Leaders still need Endurance – mental endurance.  Leadership is a marathon, not a sprint.  You do not show up and “lead” in a day.  It takes hard work day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.  Leadership is best measured by how you finish, not how you start. 

            In this regard, Endurance, will vital, is an often overlooked aspect of Leadership.  Great Leaders – just like great athletes need Endurance to achieve lofty goals and to change their organizations.  How many of us have seen a good, maybe even great Leader jump in and tackle a problem like the Tasmanian Devil, only to peter out and grind to a halt?  It is difficult to overcome institutional inertia – as they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”  If you do not have the fortitude and Endurance to keep plugging away, your initiatives will likely fall flat. 

            Endurance is what separates the truly successful Leaders from the short-term successes. Leaders with the ability to see their teams through the difficult times are the ones that grow the most.  Endurance allows growth and provides a strengthened resolve to get you through the hard times. 

            We all know how to build physical endurance – such as lacing up the running shoes and hit the pavement – but how about mental endurance? 

Turns out, you can build your mental stamina and toughness as well. 

Click through for some methods to make yourself mentally tougher.

Leadership Trait of the Day: COURAGE

Heroics Not Required

This is easy right – courage is running into a burning building, attacking the enemy in the face of a barrage of machinegun fire, standing your ground to perform you mission in the face of certain death like these Marines did.  (If you have not read Gen. John Kelly’s speech about Corporal Yale and Lance Corporal Haerter, stop reading this article, click on that link and read that instead.  It will make you cry, give you chills, and make you proud to be an American all at the same time.) 

Yes, those are all examples of courage – physical courage – bravery if you will.  However, this is only one aspect of courage; the other part is moral courage: standing up for what is right in the face of criticism, mockery or resentment.  You show moral courage when you are willing to confront a situation for the sake of rightness, independent of the cost.

Both types of courage are captured in the Marine Corps’ definition of courage:

Courage is the mental quality that recognizes fear of danger or criticism, but enables a Marine to proceed in the face of danger with calmness and firmness.  Knowing and standing for what is right, even in the face of popular disfavor.

Moral and Physical Courage - the most iconic photo
of courage in my lifetime. 

The good news is that the vast majority of people will never be asked to demonstrate physical courage in the face of danger.  The bad news is that moral courage is a much more difficult characteristic to demonstrate.  I have been faced with both, and I would pick a firefight over a weighty moral decision any day. 

Let’s take a moment to look at what is and what isn’t moral courage.  Let’s start with a very current event - Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, just dropped the hammer on Donald Sterling, the owner of the L.A. Clippers for some disgusting racist comments and beliefs espoused by Sterling.  People are lauding Silver’s decision and his “courage.”  I fully support Silver’s decision, but it wasn’t courageous. 

Why?  Because everyone wanted Silver to punish Sterling to the maximum extent possible – doing what everyone wants and following the popular path (even when it is the right path) does not require courage. 

Moral courage requires a decision that could be costly. Some examples of moral courage in the workplace include telling a supervisor about how your co-workers frequently doctor their time sheets, disclosing illegal accounting practices to an external auditor or releasing incriminating confidential documents to the media.   “Whistle blowing,” the disclosure of illicit or unsavory business practices to the public, is another form of moral courage.  Each of these could cost you friends, jobs, or public smears.  There is a cost to standing up and taking the “right” action.

Atticus Finch - Paragon of Moral Courage

True moral courage is difficult.  It is so difficult, it tends to be lacking in many people.  This is not a new phenomenon.  The great 19^th century American author Mark Twain remarked that it is “curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare.”  The famous World War II General George Patton observed that “Moral courage is the most valuable and usually the most absent characteristic in men.”

So, we know that we are most likely to get called upon to show moral, not physical courage, and we know that moral courage is sorely lacking across our society and can be difficult to demonstrate.  Where does this leave us?  It leaves us with the type of challenge that makes a leader, a Leader – the task of modeling and developing moral courage.   

So, how as Leaders can we build and demonstrate our moral courage and instill in our subordinates the necessary moral courage? 

Click through for some ideas. 

Leadership Trait of the Day: UNSELFISHNESS

How important is unselfishness in today’s self-absorbed society?  If you ask me, it’s more important than ever.  In today’s “me-first” society, unselfishness sticks out.  Think about how many (or few) truly unselfish acts you see in any given day. 

Before we try to classify unselfish behavior, let’s define Unselfishness.  The Marine Corps defines it as the avoidance of providing for one’s own comfort and personal advancement at the expense of others.  In a Leader, this means looking out for the need of your subordinates before looking out for yourself. 

To some degree, Unselfishness requires a sacrifice to one’s self – it is more than simple kindness.  A perfect example is how Marines eat when they are out in the field for training.  Nothing beats a nice hot dinner after a long day of field training, but when dinner shows up, Marines eat in reverse rank.  The most junior Marine eats first and they follow by rank until the most senior Marine eats last.  As an officer who always ate with the latter groups, there have been a few times where I went hungry, or ate bread and butter for dinner.  But, that is just how it is.  Eating in the field is perhaps the most symbolic way Marines demonstrate Unselfishness. 

Here is a hero for you.  

Marines are trained to perform on the battlefield, and, unfortunately, war gives too many opportunities for selfless behavior.  All Marines are familiar with examples of Unselfishness on the battlefield.  Chances are that if you ask anyone who put on a Marine Corps uniform in the past 15 years for an example of Unselfishness they will say “Corporal Jason Dunham;” a young Marine who threw himself on a grenade to save his fellow Marines. 

As crazy as it may sound, I believe it is actually easier to be unselfish in a crisis than in the ordinary environment that we all live in.  However, the sacrifices of Unselfishness in our day-to-day routine that may seem subtle and inconsequential often have the most lasting impact on those we lead.  Why?  Because no one is expects it.  A sacrifice during ordinary times is like buying your significant other a gift on a random day – not a birthday or anniversary – it is surprise and has a bigger impact.  A good Leader will routinely make simple day-to-day sacrifices in his time and schedule for the good of his people.  These small sacrifices will always resonate with your subordinates. 

Unfortunately, too many people equate Unselfishness with weakness.  According to this article, people tend to gravitate to selfish leaders.  Why?  Well, according to that study, people believe that a Leader has to be decisive and strong – which he does – but people confuse selfishness with strength. 

"Weak" you say?

They are not the same thing.  Let’s use Marines as an example.  Marines deploy around the world and leave their families, friends and the comforts of home.  They give their lives and limbs in wars in service of others.  Generally, a very unselfish profession – no one in their right mind would call a United States Marine weak.  Nor would they consider a fireman or policeman weak. 

In my experience, it takes more strength of will and self-confidence to be unselfish than it does to be selfish.  Human nature as an evolutionary imperative compels us to act selfishly and “look out for No. 1” as part of a basic survival mechanism.  Only a strong person can overcome this natural tendency.  Remember this when someone says a decisively selfish person is strong. 

Click through for a discussion of how you can be Unselfish at work.

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.

How far can you bend?

Are you bendable? 

The Marine Corps has an official motto:  Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful.  Marines have an unofficial motto: Semper Gumby - Always Flexible.  (If you are under 30 and do not know who Gumby is, his picture is over there ===>, or you can ask your parents about him!)

This unofficial motto is a sarcastic take on the fact that things are constantly changing in the Marine Corps - formation is here, not it's there, it is a this time, nope we moved it to that time.  Marines could allow these types of changes to drive them crazy, or they can learn to roll with the punches -- hence, Semper Gumby.

However, in the big picture, learning to be flexible in the small things allows you to be flexible in the big things.  When you learn to roll with it, you learn to not panic when plans have to change.

I thought about the great lesson in flexibility and adaptability I receive in the Marine Corps when I had to make an audible to my plans this morning.  I was driving into D.C. for a 9:00 meeting that I could not be late for.  Those of you who know D.C. traffic know that that is a bad time.  Traffic was horrible and I was not going to make my meeting.  Instead of panicking, I looked at my options, realized I could park near the Pentagon, hop on the Metro and make head to my meeting.  I walked into my meeting at 9:01 - not ideal, but a lot better than if I had stayed with my original plan.

Now, this story is not about how smart and savvy I am, it is about how when I was faced with the fact that my plan was blowing up, I stayed calm, considered my options, and made an informed decision.  The Marine Corps taught me that skill.

In the Marines, you train your leaders to be flexible on the battlefield - often, if you stay married to a plan, people will die and other bad things with happen.  You need to be able to be adaptable and flexible and willing to change your plan as required.

This often requires you to look at the problem and the solution from different angles.  For instance, when I was driving in to D.C. today, I realize that my plan would not work, so I had to consider another angle - the Metro.

Similarly, when you are a Leader and you come up with a plan, you have to be flexible enough to adjust when things are not working.


Click through for a discussion on some tools that will help you stay flexible in your decision-making and execution.

Leadership Trait of the Day: INTEGRITY

This one is a no brainer – everyone knows that good Leaders have to have Integrity.

Here are just a few quotes on Integrity from notable Leaders:

·         “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” – Albert Einstein

·          “I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards.”
– Abraham Lincoln

·         "A person who is fundamentally honest doesn't need a code of ethics. The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount are all the ethical code anybody needs." – Harry S. Truman

·         “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”  -- Dwight D. Eisenhower    

·         “Dependability, integrity, the characteristic of never knowingly doing anything wrong, that you would never cheat anyone, that you would give everybody a fair deal. Character is a sort of an all-inclusive thing. If a man has character, everyone has confidence in him.” – Omar Nelson Bradley

·         “Character is much easier kept than recovered.” – Thomas Paine.

There you have it, whether you call it Integrity, Honor, Character, or Honesty, everyone agrees that a Leader has to have it.  This is because good Leadership is built on trust – there cannot be any trust if the leader does not have integrity.  Further, once that trust is broken, it will take a long time - if ever - for it to be repaired.  

While it is universally accepted that a Leader has to have Integrity, it is not a trait that is universally practiced.  According to the 2002 article “Leadership 101: Integrity” by Thomas Cunningham, 75% of polled employees observed unethical conduct in the workplace.  Only 40% of these same employees said that their workplace had honest and ethical management. 

While those statistics are sad, they are also an opportunity.  If you become an ethical leader, your employees will trust and respect you.  When your people trust and respect you, they will work harder for you.  When this happens, everybody wins. 

 How can you be a Leader with Integrity?  Click through for some tips. 

Leadership Trait of the Day: TACT

If there is one leadership trait that people struggle with, it is Tact.  However, if there is one leadership tool that will earn you more bang for your buck, it is Tact.  When you treat your subordinates respectfully, you will earn their respect and trust. 

The Marine Corp defines Tact as “the ability to deal with others in a manner that will maintain good relations and avoid offense.”  More simply stated, tact is the ability to say and do the right thing at the right time.

This is especially important for a Leader.  When you are in charge, you can demean your subordinates without repercussion – what can they say to you?  This is doubly true in an organization like the Marine Corps, where there is true power with rank and position.  This is why Marine leaders are taught to use Tact in dealing with their subordinates. 

When you are tactful, you consistently treat peers, seniors, and subordinates with respect and courtesy.  This is a sign of maturity and civility.  It is not, despite what many people may think, a sign of weakness.  Instead, Tact allows commands, guidance, and opinions to be expressed in a constructive and beneficial manner.  This deference must be extended under all conditions regardless of your true feelings.

Tact does not require you keep quiet - you are allowed to criticize and correct.  You just have to do so in an appropriate manner. 

There are multiple reasons for this.  First, from a purely leadership perspective, if you constantly criticize in a harsh manner, your words will eventually fall on deaf ears.  In some ways, this is like the boy who cried wolf – if you are always critical towards and berate your subordinates, you will become the boss that is never happy.  Now, your criticism is meaningless because, from your subordinates’ perspective, you are the problem. 

Second, no one will respect you or want to follow you if you are caustic and critical.  Let’s look at Simon Cowell from American Idol fame.  He was nasty, abusive and downright mean to the contestants on that show.  Tell me, would you want to work for him?  No one in their right mind would. 

Click through for a discussion on how Leaders can be Tactful.

Leadership Trait of the Day: DEPENDABILITY



 Marines will tell you that there are two types of people in the world: Marines and everyone else.  There are many things that set Marines apart, but one of the foremost is Dependability. 

Along those lines, we can expand this statement.  There are two types of people in the world: those who are dependable, and those who are not.  If you are not dependable, you will never make it as a leader. 

The Marine Corps defines a Dependable individual as one who can be relied upon to perform their duties properly; can be trusted to complete a job and is willing to support the policies and orders of the chain of command.  Dependability also means you consistently put forth your best effort in an attempt to achieve the highest standards of performance.  A Leader makes and keeps commitments, has the discipline to avoid procrastination, and puts forth a full effort to complete a task.

Let’s distill this down even further.  You are Dependable when you when you are consistent and you do what you say you will do.   

By this definition, are you dependable?  If you want to be a Leader, you better have said yes.

Are you as reliable as Old Faithful?

Stress, chaos and difficult circumstances are no excuse for failing to be dependable.  Leaders have to remain consistent in a crisis.  Indeed, a Leader’s Dependability during a crisis is often what can guide his team through the rough seas. 

A Dependable Leader is not discouraged when faced with obstacles.  Instead he will find ways to improvise and overcome.  A Dependable Leader will take pride in being reliable and accountable, and zealously protects that accrued trust with consistent, steadfast behavior. 

So, how can you learn to be Dependable?  Click through for my suggestions. 

Leadership Trait of the Day: INITIATIVE

Yesterday we discussed decisiveness – today we will look at the closely related Leadership trait of Initiative.  When the Marine Corps developed its acronym JJDIDTIEBUCKLE for its 14 Leadership traits, there is a reason it put initiative next to decisiveness – they are two sides of the same coin.

At their simplest, Decisiveness is your ability to make a decision – Initiative impacts your ability to act on that decision.  You can make the best decision in the world, but it is meaningless until you put it into action. 

In this sense Initiative is CARPE DIEM – Seize the Day!  Make a decision and move on it.  As the great Will Rogers said “Even if you’re on the right track you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” 

However, making a decision and acting on it is only one part of Initiative.  Yes, it is an important part, and yes, a good leader has to have the initiative to act on his decisions.  But a great leader will show Initiative in other ways as well. 

The Marine Corps defines Initiative as "taking action in the absence of orders."  In other words when you see something that needs to be done - do it ... don't wait for directions.  This is above and beyond merely making a decision.  This is the heart of being proactive; of seeing and solving problems before they are Problems.


As a Leader, you have to exercise this type of Initiative.  You cannot wait for things to happen - if you do, you are constantly reacting and are never directing.  Leaders are proactive, not reactive.  You cannot successfully direct your people if you are constantly reacting.  So, to be a successful Leader, you have to anticipate what is coming and plan accordingly.  Often, if you act first, you can shape and control events - instead of letting events control you.  This allows you to direct your people and to have a plan.  Your subordinates will be more effective when you are proactive - they will also be happier.   

Click through for a further discussion on how a Leader can develop initiative.

Leadership Done Right

           A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak on behalf of a Marine at his retirement ceremony.  This Marine worked for me for a little over two years when I was a Battalion Executive Officer.  This invitation was quite an honor, and one I quickly accepted.  (It also means that I am getting old, but we will ignore that part.)

           Yesterday, I met with the Marine who recently retired to catch up over a couple of beers.  He wanted to give me a small gift for speaking on his behalf at the retirement - I protested that this was not necessary, but he insisted.  (The "small gift" turned out to be a box of nice Monte Cristo cigars and a fancy Black Ops lighter - so nice that my wife said - "shouldn't you have gotten him something for retiring?"  Thank you, Dave Howell!)  

           The thank you gift is what relates to leadership.  With the gift, Dave gave me a card with a terrific handwritten note in it.  He thanked me for speaking at his retirement, for helping mentor and support him when we worked together and, here is the kicker, he said that two plus years we worked together were the highlight of his 24 years Marine Corps career.  As a leader, that comment beats a box of great cigars any day.

After the jump, we will look into the things that he said made this time period so memorable.

What is Leadership?

No blog devoted to discussing leadership can be complete without defining leadership.  Of course, “leadership” is not the easiest word to define – many people have many definitions, and they all have credence.  So, where does that leave us? 

Let’s start with the dictionary: Merriam-Webster’s defines “leadership” as the capacity to lead or “the act or an instance of leading.”  That dictionary goes on to define “leading” as “exercising leadership.”  Hmmm, that is not very helpful.

The on-line Business Dictionary has a better definition to work from.  It says that leadership involves creating and sharing a vision, providing the tools and information to realize that vision and coordinating everyone’s actions to achieve that vision.  This is a pretty good definition, it shows leadership as action.

Even better, and more informative is the Business Dictionary’s further description of a leader:

A leader steps up in times of crisis, and is able to think and act creatively in difficult situations. Unlike management, leadership cannot be taught, although it may be learned and enhanced through coaching or mentoring.

Ok, so that how the civilian business community defines leadership.  As this is a blog focused on Marine Corps Leadership, how does the Marine Corps define leadership.  Definition after the jump.