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Way back in
the day, I served in the USMC. I had
forgotten about the 11 principles of
leadership that are found in the
"Guidebook for Marines," published by
the U.S. Marine Corps until I read a
column by Harvey Mackay recently. To
understand how I run the pageant, you
can substitute Contestants for Marines.
The first sentence -- listed in bold --
is from the guide, and Mr. Mackay's
thoughts are added to each.
Know yourself and seek improvement.
Be honest when you evaluate yourself.
Seek the honest opinions of your friends
or superiors to learn how to improve.
Have a definite goal and a specific plan
to achieve it.
Be technically and tactically proficient.
Know your job, and work to broaden your
knowledge.
Know your Marines and look out for their
welfare. Know their problems,
and make sure they get the help they
need. Encourage development.
Keep your Marines informed.
Make sure that people know that they can
always look to you for the truth.
Provide information so that subordinates
feel like part of the team and could
carry on without your personal
supervision if necessary.
Set the example. How you
conduct yourself says more than any
instructions you may give.
Set high personal standards and expect
the same from your staff.
Ensure the task is understood,
supervised and accomplished. Employees
must understand what is expected of them
in order to complete a job or
assignment. Follow through to make sure
the job gets done.
Train your Marines as a team.
Employees should understand the
contribution each one makes is critical
to the effort.
Make sound and timely decisions.
Learn to think on your feet, to evaluate
a situation and decide on a course of
action in a reasonable amount of time.
If you realize you have made a bad
decision, correct it as quickly as
possible.
Develop a sense of responsibility among
your subordinates. Delegate
authority to give your subordinates the
opportunity for professional
development.
Employ your command in accordance with
its capabilities. Set goals
that are achievable and make sure you
are realistic about the tasks at hand.
At the same time, don't underestimate
your staff either.
Seek responsibility and take
responsibility for your actions.
If you wish to lead, you must be willing
to assume responsibility for your
actions as well as those of the people
who report to you.
Thank you
to
Harvey Mackay for his great column
and for reminding me about those
leadership principles that obviously
sunk in deep in this Marine.
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