Undertanding leadership
... lead by example and must be dependable. A leader must have the respect of others to be a successful leader. The Marine Corps trains and shapes their Marines to be leaders as they progress in rank. Setting the example is one of the 14 leadership traits that we learn during recruit training and is continued to be taught to us throughout our career in the service. Setting the example comes from many aspects such as physical fitness training, MOS proficiency, to professional knowledge. A leader must strive for personal excellence and be visible to the people you lead. Make your objectives and expectations clear by showing what is possible. Train until each individual reaches their full potential and impress on your people how their personal commitment to meeting or exceeding standards is critical to overall mission success. A leader must be consistent and accept responsibility in all they do, whether in the field or on the home front as this will reflect on the unit(s) they lead as a whole. You are responsible for everything your Marines do, or fail to do. Rarely is there a quicker way to lose the trust, respect, and confidence of subordinates than to shift blame to them when you are the one to blame. Alternatively, there probably is no truer test of loyalty than the visible willingness of a leader to stand up and take responsibility for the unit when things go wrong. Listening is a tool used to assist us in being a good leader. Just because you’re the one leading the pack doesn’t always mean that you have the best way to accomplish the mission. A good leader comes from being good listener of others that have more experience. Listening to others and hearing their opinion on matters will gain their respect and will allow better training for others. Communication is very important to accomplishing the mission. We as leaders need to keep our Marines informed. Keeping the communication lines crystal clear is very important to being a successful leader. It is also important to realize that communication must flow in both directions. This will allow leaders to make proper and timely decision. We must always set the example on and off duty as you are a Marine twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. If your personal standards are not high, you are setting double standards for your Marines and they will lose your respect. You ca...