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"A Warrior Culture"
The below short recruiting video "A Path for Warriors" says almost everything that needs to be said about the Warrior Culture of the Marine Corps.
"Brilliance at the basics" at all levels.
Look at things from a different angle
These great leaders are able to see around corners. They can anticipate the positive consequences of their actions, sometimes months away, and make small decisions that have lasting impact on their units. The great leaders get it right almost all of the time.
The Marine Corps has proven that individuals can be taught to be good and effective leaders. Some turn into great leaders, but for the most part the Marine Corps produces really good leaders. How could the Marine Corps produce more great leaders?
Lets say that the difference between good and great leadership is the knack, that sixth sense that gives a great leader the ability to anticipate well into the future. How then, does someone learn that sixth sense for leadership?
Hopefully you're still with me. I believe the sixth sense for leadership can be learned and that is boils down to learning how to look at everything involved with leadership and problem solving from a different angle.
Malcolm Gladwell is someone who looks at things from different angles and has written extensively on subjects that can benefit any leader. In his books Blink
, The Tipping Point
and the Outliers
he examines topics from an angle so different that it really makes you think. He uses examples in his books that Marines can easily relate and translate into their Marine Corps experiences.After reading his books several times I've become a big fan of Gladwell and believe they have a lot to offer Marine Corps leaders. He takes a different approach in analyzing his topics. Gladwell has the ability to look at problems from a different angle. Marine leaders can learn much from his books and perhaps even more from the method he uses to approach his topics. Read between the lines in his books and learn to look at things from different angles.
Blink
is about something Marines do everyday, making decisions. Gladwell examines why some people make inherently good decisions while others make inherently bad decisions. By looking at decision making from a different angle, Gladwell offers a window on how we can teach ourselves and our subordinates to make better decisions. The Tipping Point
is about making effective change. Gladwell uses specific examples to illustrate that we can make effective and lasting change through minimum use of resources and/or disruption. It isn't always about adding more people or money to a solve problem, it is about finding the critical vulnerability, or Tipping point. Find the one or two dominoes that will knock the others down and you've solved your problem forever.Outliers
is about training to be the best. Again Gladwell looks at this issue from a different angle. Gladwell disproves the overnight success story. One becomes the very best in his field through training and practice. 10,000 hours of training according to Gladwell. You may not be able to get 10,000 hours of training, but the more you can put yourself in a position to lead and make decisions, the better you and you're Marines will become. Put yourself and your Marines in a position to make decisions and see what happens.I've attached a couple of videos of Gladwell speaking about his books. Granted he isn't the typical person a Marine might gravitate to, but get over that and listen to what he has to say. It might be worth your while.
Noble Warrior: The Life and Times of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor
Noble Warrior: The Life and Times of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor
Major General James E. Livingston received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his role as an infantry company commander at Dai Do, Vietnam, during a three-day grinding battle of attrition in which the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, numbering only 800 men, victoriously battled 10,000 or more NVA. His remarkable life and career is recounted in a book that has it all: exciting first-person eyewitness account of historic battle; the history of the development of tactics and strategies used in today’s war on terror; and a compelling story of leadership in action and individual courage in combat.
Major General James E. Livingston retired from the United States Marine Corps following more than thirty years of active duty service. He and his wife, Sara, live in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Professor Colin D. Heaton served in the U.S. Army and later in the Marine Corps under Livingston's command as a scout sniper. He teaches history at American Military University. Colin lives in Southport, North Carolina. Anne-Marie Lewis is currently a graduate student in International Relations at American Military University. Anne-Marie lives in Southport, North Carolina.
Resources
Noble Warrior: The Life and Times of Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor
The Magnificent Bastards: The Joint Army-Marine Defense of Dong Ha, 1968
Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty
United States Marine Corps Medal Of Honor Recipients: A Comprehensive Registry, Including U.s. Navy
Negative Leadership = Negative Results
If you've ever been in a unit where the commander sucks the life out of everyone below him, you know that negative leadership never works. You had to hit the snooze button a few times in order to get out of the rack and head to work. I've been in a few units where we all found ourselves wishing we were somewhere else. The only thing I took away from those experiences was what not to do. Not much worth copying, but I could fill a book with what not to do.
Your commander was what is referred to as an Authoritarian Leader. He wasn't authoritarian some of the time, he was authoritarian all of the time. He probably used threats, was abusive, pitted Marines against each other and maybe even relieved a few people to make the point that he was in charge.
In my opinion Authoritarian Leaders fall into three categories. They are either lazy, insecure or incompetent. In any case they are almost always bullies. They are successful in the short term, but never successful in the long term. Ultimately esprit de corps is eroded to the point where loyalty and trust are replaced with fear and infighting. An Authoritarian leader almost always holds his subordinates to a higher standard than he does himself. He'll make mistakes, but turn around and crush his Marines when they make mistakes.
Leadership takes time, energy and effort. It takes none of those to say "Do it my way or the highway". Authoritarian Leaders are usually blinded by their short term success and fail to see the long term negative impact they have on their own unit.
Below are just a few leadership indicators and how they're impacted by negative leadership.
Initiative: One sign of a good unit is Marines doing things without being told. If the boss is going to be critical of me every time I do something that isn't right in his eyes, I'm going to get the picture real quick. I'll get tired of getting chewed out and soon realize that I can't get chewed out if I don't do anything. As others start to do the same thing (why would they want to get chewed out) the lack initiative starts to have a collective negative impact throughout the unit. Think of how great things would be if everyone in a unit had great initiative. The impact is the complete opposite.
Trust: Trust is always a two way street. If you can't trust your subordinates to do the job, how are they ever going to trust you? By its very nature negative leadership erodes trust and replaces it with fear. Marines are fearful making mistakes or of losing their jobs/careers.
Mentorship: Part of any leaders inherent responsibility is to mentor his subordinates. Getting your NCOs ready to be Platoon Sgts, your Lts ready to be Company Commanders etc.. The leadership example a negative leader sets is one that his young Marines are likely to follow. If they know nothing else, they are likely to emulate the negative traits shown by their leader when they are given positions of more responsibility.
Teamwork: During a MEU critique several years ago one of the MEU staff officers was getting a really hard time from the CO. It was the norm from this commander. We were all sitting quietly thinking to ourselves "I'm glad it isn't me" when the staff officer blurted out something like "It isn't my fault, the BN screwed that up" as he pointed to his BN counterpart sitting with us. He threw one of our guys under the bus just to get the CO off his back and it worked. The CO got completely off track and went after our guy for the next 10 minutes. The environment on that staff was to blame anyone and everyone to get the CO off their back. Forget teamwork among the staff and with their subordinate units, it was every Marine for himself.
Communication: Negative leaders stifle two way communication. Subordinates become inclined to tell negative leaders what they want to hear, instead of what they need to hear. Leaders need honest opinions and feedback in order to make good decisions.
I've never seen, or heard, of one good unit that had a Negative Leader. In every case the unit could have been much better had the leader taken the time, energy and effort to show positive leadership and we all knew it.
Thoughts? Leave a comment below.
Hero of the Pacific: The Life of Marine Legend John Basilone
Hero of the Pacific: The Life of Marine Legend John Basilone
- Profiles one of three main characters in HBO's The Pacific, the sequel scheduled for March 2010 to the incredibly popular 2001 mini-series Band of Brothers
- Sorts through the differing accounts of Basilone's life and exploits, including what he did on Iwo Jima and how he died
- The final book by James Brady, the Korean War veteran and well-known columnist and author of books that include Why Marines Fight
and his memoir, The Coldest War
, a Pulitzer Prize finalist
An incredible story masterfully told, Hero of the Pacific
From Inside the Flap
The Pacific island of Guadalcanal was a terrible place to fight a war. Although heaven formosquitoes, malaria, and infections of all kinds, it combined hellish equatorial temperatures with heavy rains and dense jungle. Yet it was here that a shoeless, shirtless, mud-streaked Marine gunnery sergeant known to his buddies as "Manila John" first displayed the courage, tenacity, anddevotion to duty that would define the remainder of his brief life and the manner of his death two years later on another island, Iwo Jima.
In Hero of the Pacific
Brady provides a taut and thrilling account of Manila John's extraordinary heroism as more than 3,000 crack Japanese troops stormed his machine-gun positions in a relentless overnight battle in October 1942. He reveals Basilone in action,calmly repairing a jammed machine gun, even as the enemy rushed at him; abandoning the relative safety of the foxhole amid a hail of grenades and mortar shells to replenish diminishing ammo and water supplies; fighting at close quarters with the few attackers who survived his team's withering fire; and more.
If Manila John's sheer courage and stubborn refusal to succumb to exhaustion were on full display at Guadalcanal, his tactical shrewdness and coolness under fire came to the fore on Iwo Jima's Red Beach 2. Brady's account of Basilone's last few hours on earth is among the most awe-inspiring tales of real-life heroism you will ever read.
This powerful biography includes revealing stories of Basilone's youth in the Rockwellian any-town of Raritan, New Jersey, in the 1920s and 1930s; his first cross-country railroad trip with fellow soldiers in 1935; and his decisions to leave the Army and, later, join the Marines.
Brady explains the machine gunner's sly grin when legendary Marine commander Chesty Puller threatened to charge him with desertion. He cuts through the amateurish and exaggerated tales of earlier biographers to provide a gripping account of Manila John's extraordinary heroism—the actions that led Puller, just a few days after the"desertion" comment, to recommend Basilone for the Medal of Honor.
Complete with the definitive account of Basilone's death on the World War II island of Iwo Jima,and the actions for which he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, Hero of the Pacific revives and honors the memory of one of the most unusual and compelling figures of America's greatest war.
HBO PACIFIC
As many of you know the Pacific is produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg and is similar to the HBO series "Band of Brothers" based off the book "Band of Brothers" by Stephen Ambrose.
HBO Pacific is about the Marine Corps operations in the Pacific during WWII and is based off the books "With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa" by E.B. Sledge and "Helmet for My Pillow" by Robert Leckie.
Resources
Helmet for My Pillow
With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment
Band of Brothers (DVD)
HBO Pacific Website
The Pacific miniseries (wikipedia)
Leadership of Colin Powell
"Look forward, not back" If you've always got your eye on the rear view mirror you'll fail to see the truck coming at you head on. You'll also miss many of those new opportunities ahead of you.
"Subordinates get the work done" If you're doing their job, who is doing your job?
"Leaders put people in the best position to achieve the purpose of the organization" In my opinion one of the most critical leadership skills. Finding and putting the right people in the right (subordinate) leadership positions can have a enormous positive impact on an organization. Take the time to find the one or two people that can impact your organization in the way you want. Finding the Tipping Point
of your organization and put those leaders in positions of authority there. Conversely, we all know the negative impact that the wrong person in the wrong leadership position can have. "Convey a Sense of Purpose to every person in your organization" As General Powell says the best leaders are the ones who can clearly convey "What we are here for" to everyone in the unit. This takes time and work. Talk with your Marines in formal and informal settings. Two-way communication is critical. Ask them what they think their purpose is? How do they fit into the unit's purpose. If the word isn't getting down to the troops, find out where the breakdown is and fix it quickly.
"Take care of your troops" The cornerstone of Marine Leadership. Never put your people in a position that you wouldn't put yourself in. Your Marines will follow you anywhere if they know what they are doing, why they are doing it and they trust you. Trust doing not come from saying the right things, it comes from setting the example and doing the right things. Set your Marines up for success. If you do the right things and take care of your Marines, the mission will be accomplished every time.
Resources
The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell
My American Journey
The Powell Principles: 24 Lessons from Colin Powell, a Battle-Proven Leader (Mighty Managers Series)
Soldier: The Life of Colin Powell (Vintage)
Effective Leadership: Three Indicators to Measure Yourself
Greg Ballard, a former Marine and author of The Ballard Rules: Small Unit Leadership,
offers three simple and effective steps for assessing the quality of leadership of any unit. In addition to being a self evaluation tool, incoming Leaders would be wise to ask themselves the following questions before taking over a new unit: How proficient is the unit? How well does the unit function in the absence of its leaders? How is unit morale?
These three measuring sticks can provide a good assessment of just how effective unit leadership has been. The answers can also help provide a Plan of Action and Milestones for improving weak areas.
Effective Leadership: Three Indicators to Measure Yourself
By
Greg Ballard
Am I the most effective leader I can be? Is my organization well led? Do I always have to be present for my organization to get the job done? These are questions that every leader should be asking himself. The truly honest answers may not always be pleasant.
For smaller to medium sized organizations/departments that are part of a larger enterprise, my three key indicators of effective leadership will enable a leader to determine if he is being effective. For the senior leaders of large enterprises, such as Fortune 500 companies, more indicators, such as increasing shareholder wealth, would be needed to assess effective leadership. However, large enterprises should use these three indicators to measure the effectiveness of their junior to middle level leadership. All three must be present to indicate truly effective leadership.
The first indicator is Proficiency which I define as the “the organization knows the job thoroughly and does it well.” Proficiency is a result of both individual and group training. All organizations know that individuals must be trained, but individual training should be tailored to improving the organization’s effectiveness. An individual’s training must contribute positively to the organization.
Additionally, in my book, Small Unit Leadership, I advocate group training whenever possible, even as a conference room exercise if necessary. Athletic teams and military units use individual training to get to a common language/understanding and they then train as a team for maximum effectiveness. Why can’t other organizations? It might require some creativity, but that’s not a bad thing.
Also, a leader must never assume proficiency. Train as necessary, but always inspect for proficiency. Many potentially great leaders never moved forward in their careers because they failed to exercise one of my principles, “Inspect what you expect.” This includes inspecting for proficiency.
My second indicator of effective leadership is Organizational Discipline, which I define as “In the absence of the leader or key personnel, the organization executes well and initiates appropriate action.” Many leaders believe that to be effective, they must be present nearly all the time. They believe that when they take vacation that their organization will struggle without them. However, when a truly effective leader takes vacation, his organization can run for a period of time without his physical presence. This is because he has set clear standards and expectations and has ingrained a sense of responsibility in his people. His people understand what has to be done and they go about doing it without him being physically present. This is a truly effective leader.
Clearly understood standards and expectations are key. Without them, an organization will only do what it is told to do on a recurring basis. With no one physically there to tell them what to do, it will flounder. An effective leader sets clear standards and expectations allowing a well-trained organization to function effectively during his occasional absence.
I’ve frequently heard workers say “We work better without the boss; he only gets in the way.” However, the truth is the vast majority of workers want their leader to succeed and be effective. Part of that success is your organization being able to survive your occasional absence without a drop-off in effectiveness. A department with organizational discipline succeeds despite the occasional absence of its leader. Additionally, your boss should notice the well-trained, disciplined team that you have developed when you are away.
My third indicator of effective leadership is High Morale, defined as “Employees exhibit a positive state of mind; they are proud to be part of the organization.”
High morale indicates that proficiency and organizational discipline are well received, indeed, expected by the people in the organization. Organizations can have proficiency and organizational discipline without high morale, but the proficiency and organizational discipline will come from fear or another negative leadership trait. Experience tells me that negative leadership works for only short periods of time.
Conversely, for a time, there can be high morale in an organization without proficiency and organizational discipline. However, a lack of proficiency and organizational discipline will eventually lead to chaos, never allowing the organization to reach its goals and objectives.
High morale by itself will not allow an organization to attain its goals. However, it will confirm that, if the organization is meeting its standards and expectations, then the leader is using positive, forceful leadership.
Drawing on his experiences in the U. S. Marines, in the corporate world, as a coach, and as a small business owner, Greg Ballard has published his book Small Unit Leadership
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Greg_Ballard
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
If you've never read The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author John C. Maxwell has taken this million-seller and made it even better:
- Every Law of Leadership has been sharpened and updated
- Seventeen new leadership stories are included
- Two new Laws of Leadership are introduced
- New evaluation tool will reveal your leadership strengths-and weaknesses
- New application exercises in every chapter will help you grow
Why would Dr. Maxwell make changes to his best-selling book?
"A book is a conversation between the author and reader," says Maxwell. "It's been ten years since I wrote The 21 Laws of Leadership. I've grown a lot since then. I've taught these laws in dozens of countries around the world. This new edition gives me the opportunity to share what I've learned."
John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 13 million books. His organizations have trained more than 2 million leaders worldwide. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP and INJOY Stewardship Services.
Other Leadership Books by Dr. Maxwell
How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow
The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization
Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success
Leadership 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know
Col Bud Day, U.S. Air Force
Colonel George Everett "Bud" Day U.S Air Force (Retired) is considered by many to be the most decorated U.S. Service man since General Douglas MacArthur. He is the recipient of the Medal of Honor and seventy awards. He is most well known for his heroic actions as a Prisoner of War during the Vietnam war.
Born during Feb of 1925, Col Bud Day served 30 months as a United States Marine in the Pacific during World War II. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942 and served in the 3rd Defense Battalion on Johnston Island as a member of a 130mm gun battery.
Following the war Col Day attended college on the G.I. Bill. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Moriningside College and a Law Degree from the University of South Dakota. He was admitted to the bar in South Dakota in 1949 and the Florida Bar in 1977. Colonel Day holds several other degrees, but it was his law degree that would be put to use helping veterans after he retired.
Colonel Day received a commission as a 2ndLt in the Iowa Air National Guard in 1950. In 1951 he was called to active duty for pilot training and served two combat tours as a F-84 Thunder Jet pilot during the Korean War. Colonel Day decided to make the Air Force a career and was augmented into the regular Air Force in 1957. He transitioned to the F-100 Super Sabre jet at that time.
A Major who was anticipating his retiement in 1968, he volunteered for a tour in Vietnam in 1967. He had extensive flying experience (5,000 total hours, 4,500 in fighters and two tours flying F-100s) and was named the Commander of Detachment 1, 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 37th Tactical Fighter Wing.
Major Day's Squadron became the first Fast FACs, evaluating twin seat F-100s as Fast Forward Air Controllers. Used as Fast FACs over North Vietnam and Laos all his crews (callsign Misty) were volunteers with a minimum of 100 combat missions and 1,000 hours.
During a mission on 26 August, 1967 his aircraft was shot down and he was forced to eject. He was on this 26th Fast FAC sortie and 65th mission into North Vietnam with Captain Corwin Kipperhan. Colonel Day's right arm was broken in three places and he experienced back and eye injuries during the ejection. Kipperhan was rescued, by Colonel was no so lucky.
Unable to contact the helicopter with his survival radio, he was captured by local NVA militia. Within 20 miles of the DMZ, it was during his 5th night of captivity that Colonel Day was able to escape. After 12-15 days and despite his injuries he made it into South Vietnam, crossing the DMZ and coming within 2 miles of the Marine Corps Firebase at Con Thien. Unfortunately, he was then recaptured by a Viet Cong patrol having been shot in the leg and hand.
Colonel Day was taken back to the original POW camp and tortured for escaping. The NVA rebroke his right arm. He was moved to several POW camps and beaten, starved and tortured during the process. In December 1967, Colonel Day received a new cell mate, future Senator John McCain. Day is credited with helping save John McCain's life.
After five years, seven months as a POW Colonel Day was released on 14 March 1973. He had been promoted to Colonel while a prisoner of war. Col Bud Day was awarded the Medal on Honor for his actions while a POW by President Ford on 4 March 1976.
COL BUD DAY, MEDAL OF HONOR CITATION
Colonel (then Major), U.S. Air Force, Forward Air Controller Pilot of an F-100 aircraft. Place and date: North Vietnam, 26 August 1967. Entered service at: Sioux City, Iowa. Born: 24 February 1925, Sioux City, Iowa.
On 26 August 1967, Colonel Day was forced to eject from his aircraft over North Vietnam when it was hit by ground fire. His right arm was broken in 3 places, and his left knee was badly sprained. He was immediately captured by hostile forces and taken to a prison camp where he was interrogated and severely tortured. After causing the guards to relax their vigilance, Colonel Day escaped into the jungle and began the trek toward South Vietnam. Despite injuries inflicted by fragments of a bomb or rocket, he continued southward surviving only on a few berries and uncooked frogs. He successfully evaded enemy patrols and reached the Ben Hai River, where he encountered U.S. artillery barrages. With the aid of a bamboo log float, Colonel Day swam across the river and entered the demilitarized zone. Due to delirium, he lost his sense of direction and wandered aimlessly for several days. After several unsuccessful attempts to signal U.S. aircraft, he was ambushed and recaptured by the Viet Cong, sustaining gunshot wounds to his left hand and thigh. He was returned to the prison from which he had escaped and later was moved to Hanoi after giving his captors false information to questions put before him. Physically, Colonel Day was totally debilitated and unable to perform even the simplest task for himself. Despite his many injuries, he continued to offer maximum resistance. His personal bravery in the face of deadly enemy pressure was significant in saving the lives of fellow aviators who were still flying against the enemy. Colonel Day's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Air Force and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Armed Forces.
Colonel Day spent a year in rehabilitation in order to return to active flying status. He underwent conversion training to the F-4 Phantom II and was appointed the vice commander of the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
Colonel Day resumed the practice of law in retirement and is the author of Return With Honor
Not one to sit idle, Col Bud Day filed a class action lawsuit against the Federal Government on behalf of military retirees for breach of contract. Military retirees had been stripped of military medical care benefits and told to apply for Medicare at age 65. He won a judgment in district court that was overturned on appeal in 2002. However, Colonel Day's actions helped to highlight the issue so that the U.S. Congress established TRICARE for Life, restoring military medical benefits to career military retirees.
By the time he retired in 1977, Colonel Day had amassed almost 8,000 hours and had flown the F-80, F-84, F-100, F-101, F-104, F-105, F-106 Delta, F-4 II, A-4, A-7 II, CF-5 and the F-15.
Resources
Colonel Bud Day on Wikipedia
American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day
