If there’s anything the United States Marine Corps is known for (aside from striking fear into the hearts of America’s enemies), it’s teaching young Americans how to be leaders. The mission of the Marine Corps is simple: make Marines and win battles. But to find success in the latter, someone has to teach Marines how to lead other Marines into combat. That’s exactly why a big part of boot camp is instilling the idea that every Marine is a leader in their own way.
Granted, not everyone who serves in the Marines becomes a good leader — those rare even among those who enjoy a long, illustrious career — but everyone learns leadership skills. If you move into a leadership position over the course of your service, you’ll likely learn these lessons:
Take the lead.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde)
Lead by example
A big part of leadership is giving your subordinates confidence in your ability to lead. Unsurprisingly, one of the best way to do that is by doing the things you ask someone else to do. Show your subordinates that you understand their position and you’re willing to jump in to help.
You should also be good at communicating those decisions.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde)
Make decisions
There’s a quote from Band of Brothers that spells this one out plainly,
“Lieutenant Dike wasn’t a bad leader because he made bad decisions, he was a bad leader because he made no decisions.”
As a leader, you have to make decisions and you cannot hesitate.
You should also be willing to talk sh*t to other squads — look at that grin.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Emmanuel Ramos)
Be confident
If you want your subordinates to believe in you, the first step is believing in yourself. No one wants to follow a leader that’s constantly second-guessing themselves. But it’s essential that you never forget how to stay humble.
Know the guys watching your back.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Austin Long)
Know your Marines
How are you going to help out your subordinates if you don’t know what they need? Get to know your subordinates well so you can better keep track of their morale. Keeping the morale of your men high is good for everyone… except the enemy.
Plan to the best of your ability.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David Weikle)
Understand the potential risk
Don’t needlessly put people under your charge in bad situations just because the potential reward is great — and always remember what you’re risking. Before you plan to do something, make sure you understand what you’re about to get into.