"Lessons in Leadership
(The Reflections of a Career Marine)

Leadership is power, but Power is not leadership.

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Never let your own needs hold back a good Marine under your command.

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Never put a Marine in charge without giving him the responsibility and accountability to go with the authority.

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Your Men can't see luck, but they can see hard work, Stamina, tenacity and positive attitude.

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Always be mindful of the welfare of your Men and act Accordingly.

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Being the leader is often a lonely job.

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Never start out to negotiate or compromise, but Consistently press on toward victory.

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Remember it's your mission, not just theirs.

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Uninspired leaders, uninspire their Men.

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You can't lead very well from the rear.

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Leaders don't always have all the answers, but they ask the right questions at the right time.

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Never underestimate the informal leader.

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Leaders are molded and tempered, not born.

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It takes maturity, skills, abilities and attitudes to make a leader.

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Ancestry has nothing to do with leadership.

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Only the gallant will accept the risks of leadership.

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The basic tools of a leader are mission, manpower and motivation.

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Weak is the leader who does not desire to be one.

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First in garrison, becomes last in the field.

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Without loyalty, your unit, whatever its size, is just a mob.

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Above all, to God be true.

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Unbridled loyalty is a difficult horse to catch.

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Disagreement can be tolerated. Disloyalty cannot.

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Any fool can criticize, and most fools do.

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Remember, without subordinates, there would be no need for leaders.

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Loyalty is not spoken of, it is displayed.

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Always remember the loyalty of Brutus.

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Unity and diversity are bound by loyalty.

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Good Men will learn to overcome adversity and deal with their mistakes only if their leaders do likewise.

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A Marine can do anything for which he is willing to pay the price.

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Ever wonder why it isn't crowded at the top?

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Courage often appears as competitive anger.

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Courage is often most obvious when choosing between what is popular and what is right.

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The unyielding desire to accomplish the mission is not only desirable, but essential to both the leader and the unit.

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Never mistake ambition for enthusiasm.

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Self-confidence is the foundation of confidence.

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If you don't think you're a leader, neither will anyone around you.

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Self-confidence is the nurtured offspring of training and experience.

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No leader must be allowed to serve who will not accept the full responsibility for his actions.

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Never blame or praise another Marine for your actions.

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Never forget you are being counted on to lead, so don't let your Men down.

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The responsibility for the decision will be yours after the action, so don't delay making it now.

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When you identify an irresponsible Marine leader, find him a discharge or a transfer.

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To a Leader, honor is a cardinal virtue.

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Your word must prevail over even the two most powerful adversaries, personal gain and political expediency.

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Think of your word as the seed of national honor.

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A leader without honor is as effective as a rifle without ammunition.

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Dishonor is death to a leader.

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A desire for success and recognition is not all bad. Without it, there will be no movement toward the completion of the mission.

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Sweat lubricates inspiration.

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Recognition for capable and loyal Men is not thoughtful, It is imperative.

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Singular pronouns devastate motivation and destroy unity.

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The ability to admit mistakes, pocket your pride and continue the march will add humanity to your image and people like working for humans.

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The use of unnecessary terror is counterproductive.

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The development of common customs woven from divergent backgrounds produces units of uncommon strength, capability and value.

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Social, moral, ethnic and cultural differences must be understood and tolerated by all as long as they are not detrimental to the unit and its mission.

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Teamwork, unity and identity are built on a foundation of morale and discipline.

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The true value of your leadership is displayed by the disciplined Manner in which your subordinates handle adversity.

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Discipline is always necessary, but not always appreciated by warriors of any persuasion.

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The establishment of morale and discipline is an important task not left to weak leaders.

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Discipline builds pride and confidence and displays the results as morale.

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Men accept discipline only from disciplined leaders.

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A loss of discipline and morale is more dangerous than a platoon of snipers.

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When accepting command of a new unit, learn its limits of physical and emotional stamina to determine its level of morale and discipline. But never test beyond the unit's capacity.

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Excessive discipline and lax discipline will both foster rebellion and destroy unit integrity and value.

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Develop by example the discipline, morale and pride of serving in your command.

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Don't reinvent the wheel. Just paint it to match your wagon.

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You can only fool the spectators, not the players.

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Respect comes quickest to those who do not demand it.

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As you ascend the chain of command, never forget you once occupied the rung beneath your feet.

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You can't swim on the beach.

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If it was easy to lead, there would be nobody left to follow.

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Before he can lead, a Marine must learn to follow.

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Increasing his challenges and awarding appropriately higher levels of responsibility prepares a Marine to lead.

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Marine are much faster learners in an atmosphere of adversity.

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The best leaders learn more from their failures than from their victories.

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To a good Marine, victories are more than milestones, they are a way of life.

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Abdication is a sign of weakness while delegation is a sign of strength.

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The best Men get the toughest assignments.

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Never expect your Men to perform beyond their training and capabilities.

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Never expect more from your Men than you expect from yourself.

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Inadequate emphasis on training, guarantees the failure of your mission.

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A Marine without skills can be taught, a Marine without honor, cannot.

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There are only two types of people in the world, teachers and learners. The best leaders come from the latter group.

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The more you train in peace, the less you bleed in war.

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Every Marine has value, even those whose only purpose seems to be to serve as a bad example.

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Leaving an incompetent Marine in a position of authority only magnifies the incompetence of whoever appointed him.

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To claim the strengths of a good leader, you may have to tolerate some weaknesses.

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A disloyal Marine is more dangerous than an uncharted minefield.

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Lead your Men by their strengths.

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If you relieve a Marine for incompetence, don't replace him with a member of his incompetent staff.

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Only the giver is deluded by false praise.

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Be careful when asking for input. Some Men have solutions for non-existent problems.

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Whenever you forward a problem to a superior, make sure several solutions accompany it.

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Don't focus on the problem. Focus on the solution.

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A good Platoon Sergeant is worth fifty weak platoon leaders.

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Great leaders must tolerate lost battles in order to win wars.

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The best officers are oriented toward the mission and their Men, not their careers and themselves.

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You cannot do for a Marine what he will not do for himself.

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A Marine's reputation is not always based on what he has done, but what people think he has done.

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A wrong decision is often better than no decision.

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Timid leaders make neither mistakes nor contributions.

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If your Men look busy but aren't, be sure they didn't learn that skill from you.

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The higher you go, the more the following apply:
The tougher it gets.
The closer to the skyline you get.
The more you stand out.
The better the view.
The more expensive the acreage.

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A Marine's perspective is, for him, reality.

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A Marine who thinks too highly of himself, is usually the only one who does.

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It's leaders like Grant, Patton and Puller who upset politicians and win wars.

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Tough times call for tough decisions.

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The best leaders are immortal, only in the minds of their Men.

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The ability to make tough decisions, separates the leader from the pack.

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The best leaders have the best Men.

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Sharing in the risk, sweetens the taste of victory.

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The welfare of your Men is second only to the accomplishment of the mission.

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Luck is a fickle mistress and never counted on by a strong leader.

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To seek a risk-free path is to seek mediocrity.

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Aim high and you'll miss.

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Be all you can be, Be a Man of God.
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Compliance doesn't always reflect a conforming attitude.

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A Marine's goal should always be worthy of achieving.

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To have your Men produce the desired results, make clear what you want.

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Low expectations produce low performance.

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A unit's goals must be perceived as important as a Marine's personal goals.

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Never enlist force to fight diplomacy's battles.

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Keep a 360 degree perimeter in a political confrontation.

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The essence of victory is pronounced where and when.

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Never start a war you can't win.

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A wise Marine makes both his enemies and friends intentionally.

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Never allow a Marine to become a legend in his own mind.

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A Marine can't reach his full potential unless he is challenged. This includes yourself.

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Every decision embodies risk.

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It takes the same amount of time for a wound to heal or develop an infection.

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Allowing the unqualified to exercise judgment and make decisions is not the leader’s Way.

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Explain your orders when you have time and when you don't have time your Men will never ask why.

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When forced to issue an unpopular order, don't look to share the responsibility for its origin.

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Adaptation is not necessarily compromise.

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You can't lead your Men if you spend too much of your time among them.

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If you fail with honor, having done your best, you will still stand out from all the rest.

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The stature of a Marine is measured by the sacrifices he is willing to make for his God, Country and Subordinates.

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Never chastise the bearer of bad news, but hammer the Marine who keeps it from you.

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Never ask a question unless you are prepared to listen to the answer.

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No light shines as bright as one that springs from total darkness

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Don’t just count your blessings Use Them!

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Flattery, like perfume is meant to be sniffed, not swallowed

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Ding Hao