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12Leadership

Attention: Leadership lessons from the Marines

Follow the leader—it’s a game we learned as little kids. As I recall, we would follow whoever was in front of the line all over the neighborhood, through puddles and over fences. When it was finally your turn to be the leader, you tried to prove your worthiness, at least until everyone got tired of the game and found something else to do.

Not much changed, except maybe the geography, as we grew up and went into business. Leadership became a major factor in our success: could we convince our employees and associates that we had the right stuff to lead a company? Or would they get tired of the game and find other jobs?

Some people are born leaders; they just know what needs to be done and how to motivate others to do it. However, if you don’t fall in that category, I have good news for you: Leadership can be learned!

A phenomenal lesson comes from our brave military, specifically the Marines, where good leadership can mean the difference between life and death. These 11 principles of leadership are found in the Guidebook for Marines, published by the U.S. Marine Corps. The first sentence—listed in bold—is from the guide, and I’ve added my thoughts to each. Feel free to substitute employees for Marines to make it suit your situation. Study them, and hone your leadership skills.

1. Know yourself and seek improvement. Be honest when you evaluate yourself. Seek the honest opinions of your friends or superiors to learn how ...