Iron Your Pants: A Critical Leadership Lesson I Learned at OCS

During preparation for our intense 6th-week Room Locker and Personnel (RLP) Inspection at Officer Candidate School (OCS), an event that could grant us our first taste of liberty, our class found ourselves in an unexpected scenario. Gunnery Sergeant Jones, our Class Drill Instructor from the United States Marine Corps, had us stand at attention and instructed us to "take notes." This was unusual, to say the least, considering the subject matter: ironing pants.

Gunny Jones proceeded to delve into the intricacies of pants-ironing with meticulous detail, an exercise that seemed absurd given our backgrounds and qualifications. As I stood there with my arm trembling from holding my notepad out straight in front of me (the proscribed "note-taking" posture), I couldn't help but wonder, "Does he think I'm stupid? I've been ironing my pants since Junior High, and I have a college degree!"

After what felt like an eternity, Gunny Jones finally allowed us to lower our arms and shifted the focus to our thoughts. "Some of you are wondering why I'm teaching you to use an iron," he said. "You have college degrees, you've been ironing pants for years, and you know how to use an iron. Does that mean I think you're stupid?" At that moment, I was convinced he could read my mind.

Gunny Jones continued, "I know you have a college degree, and you don't have to iron your pants exactly like this. If you think you've got a better way, fine. You can iron your pants however you want. I'm just saying that tomorrow when they come to inspect your pants, they better look like this. And if they don't, I'm going to ask you why you didn't iron your pants the way I showed you."

In that enlightening moment, I realized the lesson wasn't about ironing pants but about leadership and empowerment. What Gunny Jones taught me was that, as a leader, it was his responsibility to:

1. Demonstrate the Expected Outcome: Leaders must clearly demonstrate what the desired outcome looks like. Gunny Jones showed us precisely how the pants should be ironed, setting the standard.
2. Ensure We Had the Necessary Knowledge and Skills: Leaders should ensure that their team possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve the desired outcome. Gunny Jone's lesson, while basic, ensured we all had the essential skills.
3. Give Us Authority and Hold Us Accountable: Leaders should empower their team members by allowing them to tackle the task in their own way while still holding them accountable for achieving the desired outcome. Gunny Jones granted us the authority to choose our ironing methods while emphasizing our accountability for meeting the inspection standard.

Leadership, as I learned that day, hinges on these three components. If any one of them is missing, true empowerment is compromised:

• Without demonstrating the expected outcome, team members may lack a clear understanding of the goal.
• Focusing solely on the "how" and not the "outcome" leads to micromanagement and stifles creativity.
• Failing to hold team members accountable for the outcome can result in missed opportunities and disappointment for the entire team.

On a side note, I’m still not sure there was a lesson to be learned from having to hold our arms straight out to “take notes” the whole time.? Part of me suspects that was for his own amusement.

In conclusion, Gunny Jones may have been teaching us to iron our pants, but the real lesson was in leadership and empowerment. As leaders, our responsibility is not just to set the path but also to equip our team with the tools and freedom to excel, all while holding them accountable for reaching the destination. This lesson from OCS has stayed with me throughout my career, reminding me of the importance of empowering and trusting your team for success.

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Chris Seifert is the founder of Enabling Empowerment and an operations leader with 25+ years of experience managing high-risk, complex manufacturing operations and advising senior executives on strategy, leadership, culture, and execution. Most recently Chris led Enviva Biomass’s manufacturing operations, first as VP HSEQ and then VP Operations, during a 6-year period in which revenue grew from $450MM to >$1B, plant production increased by >200% through commissioning new assets, integrating acquisitions, and organic growth, while reducing safety incident rates by more than 85% and growing adjusted EBITDA by >250%. As a Partner at Wilson Perumal and Company, Chris founded and grew an Operational Excellence Consulting Practice and became recognized internationally as a leading expert on Operational Excellence (OE), Operational Discipline (OD), and Operational Excellence Management Systems (OEMS). Chris has also served as a Plant Manager for Georgia Pacific and Owens-Corning and served in the US Navy Nuclear Submarine Force as a Supply Officer.