LEAD WITH HONOR

“Without honor there is no leadership, just manipulation and tyranny.” Colonel Baron Lukas, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)

Before any of you start rolling your eyes because I used my own quote to introduce this article, please let me explain.?As a strategic advisor and executive coach, I spend a lot of effort and time on business development (BD).?One of my BD methodologies is to post what I think are “value add” thoughts, concepts, and other materials on LinkedIn.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted the above poster of the 14 U.S. Marine Corps Leadership Traits, along with the quoted statement.?Much to my surprise, the post was quickly viewed over 10,000 times. That number is still growing, with over 200 positive reactions and more than 25 shares.?To be honest,?I’m still far short of going “viral,” but I was both pleased and a bit surprised that such a simple post featuring the old, tried and true USMC Leadership Traits would garner such widespread, affirmative responses.?Perhaps business leaders are hungry for solid leadership lessons they can apply to their organizations?

This revelation led me to carefully examine these 14 traits.?Frankly, I had not given them much thought after I graduated from the Basic School, a mandatory 6-month school for all new Second Lieutenants in the Marine Corps.?In my ensuing 27-year career as a Marine Corps officer and fighter pilot, I had a lot of chances to observe and to hopefully display these traits, but I did not give them much thought as they were expected of Marine Corps leaders.?However, since my retirement from the Corps in 2007, I have served in the business world in various senior and C-level leadership positions, and in that time, I have been called upon quite often to teach leadership and to mentor my leadership teams and subordinate leaders.?While I have used what I learned in those 27 years in the Corps, to my great detriment, I never specifically talked or even thought about the Corps’ 14 Leadership Traits until now.?And, after some study and self-reflection, they not only make sense, but actually distill what it means to lead with honor for both the military and the business world.??

I have read perhaps two dozen business leadership books over the last 12 years, and none of them clearly articulate the concept of leading with honor as clearly as the Corps’ 14 Leadership Traits.?Certainly, if you and your leadership team display these traits in word and deed in your daily business dealings, you are well on your way to leading with honor, which is in truth the only real leadership.?The Marine Corps’ definitions for these traits are of course geared toward Marines and the profession of arms, but I think after some consideration, you will find them equally as valid and valuable for the business world.?So here are the 14 Leadership Traits and their definitions. To help remember them, the Corps uses the acronym JJ DID TIE BUCKLE. If it’s the military, you know it will have at least one acronym.

1. Justice: Giving reward and punishment according to the merits of the case in question. The ability to administer a system of rewards and punishments impartially and consistently.
2. Judgement: The ability to weigh facts and possible solutions on which to base sound decisions.
3. Dependability: The certainty of proper performance of duty.
4. Integrity: Uprightness of character and soundness of moral principles; includes the qualities of truthfulness and honesty.
5. Decisiveness: The ability to make decisions promptly and to announce them in a clear and forceful manner.
6. Tact: The ability to deal with others without creating offense.
7. Initiative: Taking action in the absence of orders.
8. Enthusiasm: The display of sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of duty.
9. Bearing: Creating a favorable impression in carriage, appearance, and personal conduct at all times.
10. Unselfishness: The avoidance of providing for one’s own comfort and personal advancement at the expense of others.
11. Courage: The mental quality that recognizes fear of danger or criticism, but enables an individual to proceed in the face of it with calmness and firmness.
12. Knowledge: The understanding of a science or an art. The range of one’s information, including professional knowledge and an understanding of your Marines.
13. Loyalty: The quality of faithfulness to country, the Corps, the unit, to one’s seniors, subordinates, and peers.
14. Endurance: The mental and physical stamina measured by the ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress, and hardship.

Now you, your leadership team, and your employees are most likely not going to be tasked with attacking an enemy or even with trudging through the mud during a combat endurance course.?But, think how much better, and most likely more profitable, your business would be if everyone in your organization were not only taught these 14 Leadership Traits, but if these very desirable attributes were made part of your recruiting and hiring process as well as your performance evaluations. What if faithful adherence to these traits and your organizations core values where made part of your compensation/bonus policies?????????

I think the best way for you to move forward in adopting these 14 Leadership Traits in your firm is for you to conduct an honest self-evaluation of your own leadership and management practices relative to these 14 traits and their given definitions.?Give yourself a score between 1 and 8 for each trait, and write down how/why you fall short on any of them and what you are going to do to improve your score. Then add up your score. From my perspective, if you score above 80 (and your are being honest) you're doing very well.

Do it now, while nobody is looking…

How did you do??

No matter how you think you did or how you are doing in actuality, you can always learn and improve, and so can the people you work with, that work for you, and that you work for.?If leading with honor is important to you (and it should be, since it is most certainly important to your stakeholders and customers), learn how to incorporate these simple 14 traits into your leadership style (lead by example) and then incorporate them in your HR and training programs.??

Keep attacking and Semper Fidelis,?Baron?