SPECIAL GUEST POST: 8 Leadership Lessons from a Marine Corps Drill Instructor

Special Guest Post today by Earl Breon, Jr.- lead author and founder of The Layman Leadership blog…

Those gravelly voiced, spit projecting, smokey bear hat wearing men and women who made your life hell for so many weeks were actually sages in disguise and I bet you never realized it. I know I didn’t until many years later when a buddy and I were talking about some of the stuff our Drill Instructors would say. Now, I went to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (where real Marines are made) and he went to MCRD San Diego (Hollywood Marines) but our DIs had a lot of the same wisdom to share. Here are the eight that are actually safe for public cons:umption.

The only bad mistake is one you make twice!

This is one of the first phrases out of my Senior Drill Instructors mouth upon receiving to the new platoon. Make no mistake, he demanded perfection in every little detail but when you messed up you had better learn from it. You will always make mistakes.

The person who wins is the one that makes mistakes, learns and adapts his strategy.

Dark green, light green, we are all green!

Many people don’t consider the military a bastion of diversity, but it really is. Heck, one of my boot-camp friends was a Muslim. I’ll never forget when I had to stay back with him so he could roll out his rug and pray. It was so foreign to me at the time but it is one of the reasons I make sure people throw in the word “extremist” when talking about Muslim terrorists.

Race, religion, or economic background don’t matter, we are all green! Feel free to pick your own color or logo for your organization. Just be unified.

Yes, Sir? No, Sir? Say something!

Communicate, communicate, communicate! There seemed to be no greater offense than not communicating. If you were asked a question and didn’t answer, and answer quickly, this was the phrase that followed rather quickly. It was usually said much more, hmmm, colorfully than this.

Communicate, and when you are communicated with then be sure to respond.

Know our history and know your future!

Marine Corps history was a huge focus during boot-camp. That’s right; it wasn’t all running and learning to kill. They taught us history and other topics, as well. Granted, they were all military oriented. But, history was by far the most important.

When you understand what those before you have endured it frames your perspective on your current situation. When you know that approximately 520 Marines and Sailors repelled an entire Japanese fleet for 15 days (Wake Island) then a jammed copy machine doesn’t seem like such a big deal.

Act like you have a sense of purpose!

This phrase came out anytime somebody looked lazy or lost. There is no room for lazy and lost in highly successful organizations. You must believe you have a sense of purpose and contribute.

If you don’t have a sense of purpose right now then act like you do and one will show itself pretty quickly.

When one of you fails, all of you fail!

Teams do not thrive on individual success. Sure, there may be one or two with more talent than others but teams fail or succeed together. There is no way around it. Even when you think of somebody like Lebron James in Cleveland, yes, he carries the team but without the four other men on the court he could not beat five men.

A chain really is only as strong as its weakest link. Build each link to be as strong as possible.

Sunday to Sunday and chow to chow. That is how you make it through anything!

Take life in smaller more manageable sections. Yes, plan big and plan long term but don’t miss a turn because you are focused on the finish line. It is easy to get distracted by final results and miss crucial opportunities along the way.

Break life and life goals down into smaller, more manageable steps and stay flexible enough to incorporate new opportunities along the way.

Stay motivated!

Proper motivation is extremely important. It is, many times, the difference between opportunity being taken or being allowed to pass you by. It is also a key difference between success and failure.

Stay motivated and focused and achieve things you never thought possible.

About Earl Breon, Jr…

“I am passionate about leadership. From my first job as a kid, to the United States Marine Corps and through a career as a federal servant I have seen first hand the magic of great leadership as well as the tragedy of poor leadership. These hard learned life lessons are what inspired me to start blogging on the topic and help others become better leaders. My goal is to change the world by spreading leadership fundamentals in order to inspire a growth of leadership skills across all sectors. Pure and simple, the only way any problem gets solved is through effective leadership. I want to help solve problems.”

Learn more about Earl here…

No time for apathy – Dr. Martin Luther King

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. Without persistent effort, time itself becomes an ally of the insurgent and primitive forces of irrational emotionalism and social destruction. This is no time for apathy or complacency this is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

~Martin Luther King, Jr. from Martin Luther King, Jr. On Leadership by Donald T. Phillips

Leadership at all levels means actions at all levels. You don’t win the fight from ringside seats.

Apply Dr. King’s thoughts at any time, in any place:

• There is NEVER a time for apathy or complacency
• It is ALWAYS time for vigorous and positive action

This means in your community, in your home and on your job.

Too many people think that leadership is the responsibility of the elite; reserved for someone with special gifts or talents…

Leadership is a talent, but it’s certainly not an innate gift. Like any talent, leadership can be learned, developed and cultivated.

“Human beings are interconnected beings. The ultimate expression of sharing is leadership; not in the sense of dominance or control, but in the sense of expanding one’s presence in the world through teaching and living as an example for others.” From THINK Like a BLACK BELT

You might agree or disagree with Dr. Kings methods, cause, or tactics. You might be on one side or the other of any of a number of contentious issues today. The point is that whoever you are, and whatever you do, it’s your obligation to share your unique talents, skills, knowledge and experience with the people around you.

And that’s really what authentic leadership is all about.

The difference between a leader and a follower is really very simple…

When a follower sees a challenge, a problem or an opportunity, he asks who’s going to do something?

When a leader sees a challenge, a problem or an opportunity he steps up and does what needs to be done.

As Dr. King says, this process is “neither automatic nor inevitable.” Not only for the lofty goal of justice, any meaningful human endeavor requires “the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”

Leadership is not restricted by age, position, or even in many instances, by experience. Leadership is embodied in anyone who’s willing to apply themselves in a purposeful and meaningful way.

Leader or follower?

The choice is always yours.

Leader vs. Dictator – Willing followers…

Today’s post is an excerpt from the soon to be released book: The Sensei Leader

A leader is someone who has the ability to attract willing followers- emphasis on willing.

A dictator is someone who commands through fear, force or coercion.

There are charismatic dictators, and it is sometimes necessary to employ authoritarian tactics in leadership, however, in the long run the leader is the person who earns trust and loyalty and attracts people who follow of their own free will. Here control is not as much of a factor. As we’ll soon see, comfort with uncertainty is a powerful advantage and a significant determining factor in the development and success of a leader.

By contrast, the dictator is someone who inevitably resorts to brute force, and intimidation to forward his or her own agenda. Out of necessity if not by design, control becomes the essential guiding principle.

The leader is one who places the needs and ambitions of others in equal, if not superior position to his own. The leader understands that his authority is a product of the trust and consent of the people under his responsibility.

The dictator places self-interest, personal safety and selfish expediency above the care of others. The dictator does not attract followers, he rules subjects.

I found this wisdom in the wonderful compilation of leadership philosophy, The Leaders’ Companion by J. Thomas Wren. John W. Gardner, whose leadership resume includes service to six presidents paraphrasing Georg Simmel wrote:

“Leaders cannot maintain authority…unless followers are prepared to believe in that authority.”

The dictator can gain authority by fear or force, by coercion or deception, but dictatorship is difficult and expensive and in the long run, unsustainable. Without willing followers, there is no leader.

Gardner continues…

“One reason corporate and governmental bureaucracies stagnate is the assumption by line executives that given their rank and authority, they can lead without being leaders. They cannot. They can be given subordinates, but they cannot be given a following.

“A following must be earned.” (Emphasis mine)

The authentic leader serves the people.

The dictator believes that his authority is granted by some power other than the consent of followers and that his subjects serve him.

Leadership and the courage of a 12 year old girl

Today’s post is an excerpt from the soon to be released book: The Sensei Leader

Let’s get one thing straight from the start…

Courage is not the absence of fear. The absence of fear is stupidity.

Everyone, especially rational people, experience fear.  It’s natural. Fear is part of our survival mechanism. Fear is what separates the brave from the foolish.

Without fear, there is no courage. Any idiot can charge into trouble with no awareness of the risk or danger involved. Without an awareness of the danger, there is no courage. Courage is defined by your awareness of the risk involved.

Courage is your ability to face your fear and do what needs to be done in spite of it. Of all the qualities of an effective leader, courage is the most iconic, and the most expected.
People will forgive mistakes and transgressions, sometimes to a surprising degree. They’ll also very often overlook shortcomings, lack of knowledge and sometimes blatant incompetence and even deception.

People never follow cowards.

Remember- courage is not the absence of fear. People expect you to be afraid at times, but they always expect to to keep moving when you’re afraid. They expect you to carry the flag when they’re afraid…

…and sometimes when you’re afraid, they expect you to act as if you’re not!

I won’t sugar-coat it, there are times the ability to look and speak bravely when you’re scared are tremendously useful talents for a leader. However, what you do in the face of fear is infinitely more important than what you say, how steely your countenance or how hard you thump your chest.

One of the most impressive acts of courage I’ve witnessed, and I’ve seen my share, was the action of a 12 year old girl in my martial arts program…

Jennifer and all her siblings were students in my program. On this particular afternoon, her two younger brothers were scheduled for private lessons.

About the time their lessons were supposed to start, Jennifer walked in the door to tell me that her mother was not feeling well and asked if they could reschedule the lessons. I said sure and that I hoped her Mom would feel better soon.

Jennifer said thank you, but she looked very upset and nervous. She was a shy girl, but was always a ray of sunshine. I’d never seen her this way. I asked what was wrong with her mother.
She said she wasn’t sure- that Mom had been driving them to the center and just started acting strange. She had started weaving on the road and was having a very hard time focusing on her driving. She had also started talking funny. Jennifer knew something was wrong, but just wasn’t sure what it could be. At any rate, since they were almost to the center, they had just decided to stop in and then they were heading home.

I asked Jen where her Mom was right now. She told me her mother was waiting in the car- Jen was worried because it seemed like Mom couldn’t stay awake.

I knew for a fact that Jennifer’s mother did not drink- even if she did, I could not imagine her endangering her children. She is the mother that every other mother should pattern herself after.
She had recently had another child. As I shared earlier, I had been an Emergency Medical Technician. Immediately, I suspected Jen’s Mom was having a stroke.

I went out to the car to see what I could make of the situation. Mom knew who I was, but was making no sense. It was obvious that she was in distress and everything I could see validated my suspicions- I believed this was a stroke.

I took Mom into the building and called for an ambulance. Meanwhile, I asked Jen if she could help with the baby and the other kids. At this point, she knew the situation was serious and she was doing her best to fight back tears.

I’ve seen adults go to pieces in similar situations. Jen rallied, got the baby from the car seat and organized her brothers and sisters in the lobby. In the midst of this, I asked Jen if she could call her Dad. Unfortunately, Dad was out of town on business. Jen suggested we call her grandmother.

As we waited for grandma and the ambulance to arrive, Jen was the embodiment of courage. She remained calm and did her best to comfort her brothers and sisters, who were all visibly shaken by the scenario.

As classes were about to start, I also asked her to send in the first parent who arrived so I could ask that person to post a message on the door to close the center and so I could stay and monitor Mom until the ambulance arrived. She handled the entire operation like a veteran.

That kid never shed a tear- until after the ambulance left and her grandmother arrived to pick up the family.

Jen’s mother eventually made a remarkable recovery. Talking with Jennifer after the incident I came to realize how terrified she was that day, and how aware she was that something very dangerous was happening.

As scared as she was, she managed her fear and did what needed to be done. In my opinion, she acted more courageously than most people- of any age.