Real Leaders Don't Boss (14 page)

Hollywood overlooks the core tenets of leadership in the Corps—truisms very much at home and a must to emulate in the corporate battlefields of today's global marketplace. Business leaders, like the Marines, must be adaptive, take risks, operate frugally, demonstrate courage of conviction, discipline, and inspire employees. For good reason, the University of Pennsylvania's prestigious Wharton School integrates the Marines' leadership lessons into its management curriculum. Wharton's MBA students visit Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia to listen, observe, actively participate in, and experience a special “boot camp,” and learn from real leaders.

For nearly two years I worked almost daily with Marines. Here are six of the Marines' most important leadership crucibles that high-performance organizations and real leaders must emulate:

1. Consistently deliver results. Display an unshakable “can do” attitude and relentless passion to exceed the goal.

2. Live out the mottos “Lead, follow, or get out of the way” and “Never quit.”

3. Exhibit an enduring service culture characterized by acting above one's own interests; a fiercely proud tradition of honor, discipline, and humility; and a promise never to leave anyone behind.

4. Assume a state of constant readiness. This demands remarkable adaptiveness and perseverance, a trained flexibility to overcome any obstacle, and
the ability to do more with fewer resources than others.

5. Provide leadership that is consistent, transparent, and reaches toward a higher standard for the organization. The leader should “carry the torch” and serve as a paragon of inspiration to the troops.

6. Live out the motto to “be no better friend,” unafraid of admitting shortcomings and always committed to making it right.

Retired USMC Maj. Gen. Leslie M. Palm, former president and CEO of Marine Corps Association & Foundation, and former director for Marine Corps Staff, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., is a prime example of a real leader whose dedication to the Marine leadership crucibles has inspired others around him for many years. Palm is a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam War and Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Despite his accomplishments, he is humble, modest, thoughtful, and steady. He is the same person today in terms of his values and strength of character that he was 50 years ago as a high school student in Marysville, California. Les Palm and I have been friends since boyhood; we grew up a block apart in California. Les was our high school student body president and an excellent athlete. He went on to play football for the University of Oregon. Even in those early years he had that unique sense of team and the ability to remain calm under pressure. During our summers in college, Les would spend a few weeks with the U.S. Marines as part of their Platoon Leaders Class, where he began to show an increasing sense of self-confidence, but never arrogance. Anyone who knew him knew he would succeed at anything he did.

Real leaders manifest courage of conviction in their willingness to stand up for their ideals, their employees, and their company and products. Discipline and conviction like Palm's is an expectation that permeates the Marine Corps. It is also a requirement for leadership success in today's workplace. Taking any business into unchartered waters—as with leading a force into combat—is not for the meek; neither is competing with fierce competitors with stronger brands or launching new products in a crowded market.

Retired U.S. Marine Gen. Anthony C. “Tony” Zinni is another leader who understands the importance of having the courage and audacity to speak out when something is wrong. Among his many accomplishments, Zinni is a former commander in chief of the U.S. Central Command at the Pentagon, a past U.S. Peace Envoy to the Middle East, Special Envoy to the Henri Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (Indonesia, Philippines, and Sudan peace efforts), and chairman of the board of the multi-billion-dollar conglomerate BAE Systems, Inc.

As Gen. Zinni has exemplified throughout his decorated and honored career, audacity, courage, and boldness are essential traits for a real leader. The general is his own man, candid and anything but an ideologue. He was pointedly blunt in criticizing President George W. Bush's national security team for their lack of post-war planning and for failing to fully understand Iraqi society. As an astute leadership expert, Zinni believes the old definitions of leadership must be changed.

Leaders must be willing to speak out when the situation calls for change—whether internally in a business, or externally, relating to the community and beyond. That doesn't mean leaders are resident critics. Instead, they carefully and thoughtfully choose the right time and place to speak out when
something is not right. Leaders must be prepared for criticism and threats of disloyalty, too. But they must meanwhile stay the course, remaining true to their ideals, employees, and businesses even when confronted with criticism.

As reflected in the outstanding actions of the individuals you have just read about, real leadership can and does bring about change. Real leadership is not always the fastest and shortest route, but it's definitely the most long-lasting and successful. Bosses can be transformed into leaders; like almost anyone else, they, too, can learn the right way to lead. A shift in attitude is the first step—from a domineering boss to a consensus-building leader.

If you strive to be a leader and not a boss, remember and subscribe to these values and practices:

Commit to driving fear out of your organization.

Drive out other negative attitudes that undermine performance and morale.

Strengthen your corporate culture with discipline and compassion.

Believe in and build up your people.

Give clear assignments.

Be available when needed.

Listen attentively.

Display high integrity in everything you do.

You, too, can become a great leader by connecting with your employees. Some actions that can help entrench and enrich your leadership include:

Learning to shift gears quickly if necessary.