A long time ago, I volunteered and trained to be a Marine Officer. Like most young men aspiring to be a Marine, I wanted to be in the infantry.
I did end up becoming a Marine Officer but not an infantry officer. Instead, I served four uneventful years before leaving the military in 2012.
Today, I don’t think a lot about my time as a Marine; it often feels like the life of a me from a parallel universe. However, when I do, it’s often when I have been tasked to lead or coach a team.
The Marine Corps, in my opinion, teaches one of the best philosophies for small unit leadership. The primary goal is that teams should have the freedom to choose how to operate to achieve a single commander’s intent. My Marine and veteran readers are at the ready to tell me that actual military leadership rarely practices those principles and ideals.
But that’s the real world too. I’m looking at you ‘Agile’ and ‘customer first’ organizations. Let me give you a hint. North Star. Product teams.
We know that philosophies and cultures are rarely lived and that processes constantly executed poorly. It’s what makes flexibility and adaptability necessary skills to deliver results in chaotic and imperfect environments.
But we also know that it’s not an excuse to be shit and that the only way to be better decision makers and leaders is to develop and practice on a strong foundation.
I’m really overstretching the analogy and will just get to the point: small unit military leadership principles are applicable to product leaders.
The 11 Marine Corps Leadership Principles can be found in Leading Marines(MCWP 6–11).
- Know yourself and seek self-improvement
- Be technically and tactically proficient
- Know your Marines and look out for their welfare
- Keep your Marines informed
- Set the example
- Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished
- Train your Marines as a team
- Make sound and timely decisions
- Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates
- Employ your command in accordance with its capabilities
- Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions
Replace the word ‘Marine’ with ‘players’, ‘teammates’, ‘designers’, ‘developers’, or whatever is appropriate for your workplace.
If a bunch of crayon eaters can figure out the foundations of good leadership, I’m sure you can figure out why each of these principles are sound and good practices not just for Marines, but for you and your team.
