My 21-year-old Grandson and Leadership

You never know when an "epiphany moment" will present itself and give you a "nudge" to go back to what is essential, what is critical to be an effective leader. My 21-year-old grandson was promoted last week into the ranks of the non-commissioned officers. Alek is a US Marine and has been since January of 2017.

During his celebratory phone call during the weekend, he shared with me, and I must say with much enthusiasm about his experience sitting for the NCO Promotion Board. The Board reviewed the quality of his work to date as an enlisted Marine, the record of academic work completed on his own time to improve himself, and asked a series of questions. They asked him about the leadership responsibilities of an NCO, about how, as an NCO, you are held accountable for the enlisted people serving under you. Alek's response took me back to the basics of servant leadership that I learned as a young Marine decades ago that I have tried to live out in the principalship. After a series of questions asked by the Promotion Board, the Sergeant Major in-charge asked, "At the end of the day, what would be your paramount responsibility as an NCO?" Alek told me that he took a moment and then responded: "Sergeant Major, I must be able to inspire and motivate the Marines I serve. I must get to know them and look out for their welfare. My Marines must also know that I will have their backs, always, even when they make mistakes. I will support them no matter what, helping them accomplish their mission. I cannot and will not throw any of my Marines under the bus, ever."

Wow.

I asked Alek what happened after his response. He told me that the Sergeant Major looked at all the other Board members, nodded, smiled, and then said, "Well, I think we have all the information we need regarding this promotion."

My 21-year-old grandson articulated it succinctly. Being a leader is first and foremost about caring about the people you serve, inspiring them, looking out for their welfare, and always having their backs. People will follow you if they “know and feel” that you are helping them succeed; it is then that the mission can be successful. Leadership is, of course, a ton of other essential things, but it starts with serving and "having the backs" of the men and women who make up your team. They need to “know and feel” your servant-leadership, your support for them, especially when they make mistakes. In leadership, I fear we have become "check-list" crazy. We equate as growth the progress of teammates too often with the number of positive checkmarks on a piece of paper or in a program on a tablet. It is about "heart" and caring first.

Thank you, grandson, for the "epiphany," and for reminding your grandfather what leadership is all about.

And Congratulations to the newly promoted Corporal Alek Murphy, USMC!