12 Leadership Principles From The Corps

1) Know Yourself and Seek Self Improvement

Know who you are, where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and what motivates you in life. It's difficult to change when you don't know where you're starting from. Once you understand yourself, look for what you want (or need) to improve on and build a plan to make it happen. Using the other 11 leadership traits can help.

2) Be Technically and Tactically Proficient

Know your job thoroughly and possesses a wide field of knowledge. Before you can lead others in the job, you must be able to do the job yourself. You don't have to be the best at every specific thing you lead, but you have to know enough about it to coach those who you're leading.

3) Know Your People and Look Out For Their Welfare

As a leader you have influence on those you're charged with leading. A leader must make a conscientious effort to know their team professionally and personally, and conscientiously observe and how they react to different situations.

4) Keep Your Personnel Informed

The fog of war is often brought on by lack of information. Keeping your team informed promotes efficiency and morale. Your team should be well informed by you about everything that's happening within the team, within the situations the team is encountering, and about the organization in general. The team should not only know what needs to be done, but also why it needs to be done.

5) Set The Example

Set the example with both your hard and soft skills. You have to show professional competence in the area you lead, not just telling your team how they aught to act. You also must display non-measurable traits such as integrity, courage, and tact. As you set high personal standards for yourself, you can rightfully demand them from others.

6) Ensure That the Task Is Understood, Supervised, and Accomplished

As a leader you must give clear, concise direction that cannot be misunderstood. Then you must check in as needed to ensure that the direction is being carried out as expected. There is a balance between inspecting what you expect and micro-managing that has to be struck with every individual and initiative.

7) Train Your Marines and Sailors (Employees) as a Team

You need your team to work together to achieve a common goal - be a "team". As a leader, you must insist on teamwork each person on the team. Ensure that every person knows what their responsibilities are on the team, and those of their teammates. Communicate clearly the necessity to work as a team to accomplish your team's goals.

8) Make Sound and Timely Decisions

Your team looks to you for direction. This can be seen clearly when there is a problem or friction; however, it also is needed in smaller daily interactions. You must be able to rapidly observe a situation and make a sound and actionable decision based on that observation.

10) Develop a Sense of Responsibility Among Your Subordinates

People are more likely to do well when they own what they're doing. They become much more committed, and often grow in the process. Provide your team with the opportunity for professional development. Assign specific goals and delegate authority to build the confidence of your team, and the mutual respect.

11) Employ Your Command within its Capabilities

Know what the members of your team (and your team as a group) are capable of doing and deploy them within their capability. Don't raise your hand for every task that comes down the line, and don't assign everything equally. Know what you're able to accomplish as a team and know who's best on your team to accomplish it. Successful completions depend on this.

12) Seek Responsibilities and Take Responsibility

You have to be proactive for your own development. Just like your team, if you do not challenge yourself you will stall. Use good judgement, listen to sound advice, and look for accountability to make sure you're constantly improving yourself.