Leadership in the United States Marine Corps: honor, courage and commitment

1 The Meaning of Leadership for a United States Marine The core values of the Marine Corps are honor, courage and commitment and these values should serve to define every action of every Marine (Marshall). As a leader, a Marine must be ready to demonstrate by example the exact meaning of these values, in his person, in his behavior, in his communications, and in his attitude. The Marine Corps has several mantras that support this notion—one of them being “Ductus Exemplo” (“lead by example”), the official motto of the Marine Corps Officer Candidates School (OCS). Leading by example is, essentially, the meaning of leadership in the United States Marine Corps, and the Marine Corps standards are what inform that expression—i.e., are what dictate how that the example should be demonstrated. What example should a leader show? A leader must never be selfish, malicious, lacking in integrity, dishonest, or uncommitted to his followers or to his mission. A leader must have heart, must be brave, must be true, and must be dedicated to those who follow him as well as to the vision and mission of the organization of which he is a part. His objective is to help his team and his organization to achieve their objectives. The meaning of leadership can be derived from the 11 leadership principles of the U.S. Marine Corps. These principles are: 1) Know yourself and seek self improvement. This means a leader must always be evaluating himself and identifying both strengths and weaknesses; 2) Be technically and tactically proficient—that is, be a leader who knows his job and has a deep knowledge of all things. Competence shines forward and acts as a light that attracts others and can show the way forward. 3) Know your people and look out for their welfare—i.e., be aware of who your followers are: their safety is your responsibility; their strengths and weaknesses should be as known to you as your own are. You should serve them and put their safety before your own. 4) Keep your personnel informed. This is a great principle that is supported by the concept of honesty and transparency. Communication is key to great leadership, and a leader who communicates with his personnel is one who is like a man who takes care to keep up his house. The more informed one’s personnel, the more solidly the unit will act as a whole. 5) Set the example: leaders lead by way of showing others who to act, think and behave. 6) Ensure that every task is understood, monitored and accomplished. Leaders must never give instructions that are incomplete, leave an assignment unsupervised, or assume that a task has been carried out without actually evaluating it. This is what it means to be careful and conscientious. 7) Train your Marines and Sailors as a team: the team is a group of individuals who work together as a single entity: they become one, they serve one another, and they are committed to one another. There is no “I” in team. 8) Make sound and timely decisions. A leader must never hesitate and must always be ready and prepared to act and to act rightly. It is not enough to make a decision—the decision must always be the right one. Thus, it is imperative that a leader always be sound in mind and body, always be coherent, and always be able to resist confusion. 9) Develop a sense of responsibility among subordinates: a leader must inspire followers with a vision that instills in them a desire to want to do their duty. 10) Employ your command within its capabilities: a leader must know the extent of his competencies as well as those of his team. 11) A leader should seek responsibility and take responsibility. Leaders lead, simply put (“Principles of Marine Corps Leadership”). These leadership principles are supported by leadership traits that every leader must strive to possess. These traits include having a sense of: Justice, Judgment, Dependability, Initiative, Decisiveness, Tact, Integrity, Enthusiasm, Bearing, Unselfishness, Courage, Knowledge, Loyalty and Endurance. Justice means to be fair and consistent towards one and all. Judgment means being able to think clearly and rationally on all matters so that good decisions can be made. Being dependable means that a leader is always ready to lead and do his duty. Initiative means taking action even before it is expected of you. Decisiveness means being aware and able to execute good actions promptly without wavering. Tact means being able to deal with people in a constructive manner so that good relations can be maintained and problems avoided. Integrity is necessary to have because it allows a leader to be honest and truthful. Enthusiasm is essential because it enables the leader to express a real desire and interest in his work. Bearing allows the leader to carry himself as he should, with dignity and control. Unselfishness helps the leader to put others before himself. Courage lets the leader overcome all fears. Knowledge makes the leader informed. Loyalty makes the leader constant. And endurance makes the leader fit to stand the tests and travails of time (“Marine Corps Leadership Traits”). In conclusion, the meaning of leadership can be summarized in the core values of the Marine Corps—honor, courage and commitment. A leader is honorable if he has loyalty, truth and honesty within himself and in his dealings with others. He is courageous if he knows how to overcome fears, remain calm and constant, face obstacles with control and tact, and decisively engage in situations by taking initiative and demonstrating through example his dependability and knowledge. He is committed if he expresses loyalty in his thinking and in his actions, if his sense of justice and judgment are seen in his daily operations, and if his sense of integrity is apparent in his ability to endure day in and day out while inspiring others to work towards the same ideals that he and his organization value and esteem so highly. A leader should always “lead by example”—“ductus exemplo”—so that others can see by the light of his actions exactly what he believes, what he expects of others, and what he can be counted on to do.