What The Marine Corps Taught Me About Entrepreneurship
William Ballard, MBA
Entrepreneur Coach | Business Coach | Leadership Coach | Marketing Consultant | #Veteran | Author | Independent Sales Rep for Cutco | Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Executive Director | DISC Certified Trainer
Welcome back! I know it's been a little while ... I've had my hands full with six puppies.
Nevertheless, we've been excited to share this one with you all. We know it's a little early for Veterans Day, but we think this one will add immense value to your life.
Do you remember the first time the entrepreneurial bug bit you? What are some of the Marines's top leadership principles? And how are they being used in businesses today?
We aim to answer these questions and more in this edition of the Business & Entrepreneurship?digest newsletter.
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Top Story of the Week
Semper Fi! How The Marine Corps Prepared Me for Entrepreneurship
The day I walked off the bus at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in San Diego, Calif., I was disoriented and in utter shock. Among everything I didn't know was that the skills I would learn to become a United States Marine were the same skills I needed to succeed as an entrepreneur.
A Marine recruit is drilled with business and entrepreneurial training from day one. Every Marine recruit learns four guiding principles. Every business professional or entrepreneur should learn and apply these, too.
1. Attention to detail. In the Marine Corps, this concept concerns uniformity and order. Focusing on every minute detail is often what makes or breaks your business. Little things really do make a big difference.
Read the full story HERE.
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Tips and Strategies
The 11 Leadership Principles of the United States Marine Corps — And Why You Should Implement Them Into Your Business Today [Part 1 of 2]
Believe it or not, it’s been about 18 years since I laced up a pair of woodland boots and put on a US Marine Corps uniform, and although I may not serve in the Corps today, the esprit de corps of the Marines still beats deep within my chest.
What does that have to do with you and your business?
Well, I’m glad you asked.
There are 11 leadership principles every Marine Corps officer embraces when leading Marines. And, probably more to the point, these are the 11 leadership principles every Marine lives by.
Moreover, I believe that if these leadership principles were adopted and implemented by you and your business employees, the same success of the Marine Corps (as an organization) could be your own.
These principles will guide your actions with your employees (or what the Marines might call a Unit) and provide direction throughout your venture.
The principles are also crucial for your own self-awareness. As you learn these principles and begin to implement them into your personal and professional life, you can use them to identify your strengths and weaknesses and seek self-improvement, one of every Marine's constant disciplines.
Here are the 11 leadership principles and how they would apply to you if you adopted and implemented them into your business.
1. Be technically and tactically proficient
“Maintain a high level of competence in your Military Occupational Specialty. Your proficiency will earn the respect of your Marines.” — (Marines.com)
Read the full story HERE.
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The 11 Leadership Principles of The United States Marine Corps — And Why Should Implement Them Into Your Business Today [Part 2 of 2]
In the first part of this series, we discussed the Marine Corps's first?five leadership principles?and how you can apply them to your business.
In this article, we will pick up where we left off, starting with leadership principle number six.
6. Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished
“Before you can expect your Marines to perform, they need to know what is expected from them. Communicate your instructions in a clear, concise manner, and allow your Marines a chance to ask questions. Check progress periodically to confirm the assigned task is properly accomplished.” — (Marines.com)
One thing I instinctively remember from Marine Corps recruit training is constantly hearing, after every order given by a drill instructor, “Do you understand that”? When saying this statement, the drill instructors lived out this principle every second of the day.
A “Yes, Sir” or “Aye, Aye, Sir” response confirms that the order given was understood. They would then supervise the recruit until the mission was accomplished.
The problem with businesses today is that most managers and supervisors do not understand this principle. Moreover, it is often why tasks are never completed or completed incorrectly.
In short, managers/leaders and small business owners don’t confirm with employees that they understand what has been asked of them.
Instead, they just assume their employees understand, or they are so narcissistic that they think they are the best communicators in the world. They think, "If employees don’t understand what is asked of them, then they must be incompetent."
Now, it is true that sometimes employees will say they understand when, in actuality, they do not. When this does happen, it is considered an integrity issue on the employees’ part. However, that is not always the case. And, as a leader, it is always wrong to assume someone knows what you are talking about or understands what is being asked.
As a leader, it is vitally important to ensure that employees understand entirely what is asked of them by encouraging feedback. Because that is what effective communication is really all about.
Read the full story HERE.
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This newsletter is curated and written by William Ballard, MBA – connect with him here on LinkedIn.
At William Ballard Coaching, we aim to help aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners transform from merely surviving operations to genuinely thriving organizations. We believe new entrepreneurs and business owners shouldn't have to grow a business alone.
? 2024 William Ballard Coaching. All rights reserved. You may not reproduce this article or any part of it without written permission from William Ballard Coaching.