Military Inspiration

If asked, what would you and your team say are your core values?

In the U.S. Marine Corps publication, “Sustaining the Transformation” (pdf), theirs are listed as Honor – Courage – Commitment. If you lead a team, the foreword (at a minimum) by General Krulak is time well-spent. It, along with the Fortune story “From Wharton to War“, is great leadership inspiration for creating a special team of people (and that’s what you want as a leader… isn’t it?). So many great teamwork points in the Fortune piece (love the “bino” request).

Here are few bonus quotes from the Marine Corps document that speak to teamwork and leadership (but are more directly related to the military). Imagine if we could approach our work in the civilian world with the same commitment…

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers…”
– William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) 
English playwright and poet

 ”These men are in the formative period of their lives, and officers owe it to them, their parents, and to the nation, that when discharged from the services they should be far better men physically, mentally, morally than when they were enlisted.”
– John A. Lejeune (1867-1942)
13th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps

(When someone you lead leaves you – for whatever reason – are they better from the experience?)

“We must remember that one man is much the same as another, and that he is best who is trained in the severest school.”
– Thucydides (460 B.C. – 395 B.C.)
Greek historian

“Consider your corps as your family; your commander as your father; your comrade as your brother; your inferior as a  young relative. Then all will be happy and friendly and easy. Don’t think of yourself, think of your comrades; they will think of you. Perish yourself, but save your comrades.”
– Mikhail Ivanovich Dragomirov (1830-1905)
Russian general

“Four brave men who do not know each other will not dare to attack a lion. Four less brave, but knowing each other well, sure of their reliability and consequently of mutual aid, will attack resolutely. There is the science of the organization of armies in a nutshell.”
– Ardant du Picq (1819-1870)
French colonel

Now go sell something.~>