By: Woodworking Gunny Bear

There are many things from my 20 years in the Marine Corps that I do not remember fondly. That being said, the opportunity and honor to lead thousands of young men, both on and off the battlefield, is a memory that can never be tarnished. As a Marine, being a capable leader is as important of a skill as firing a weapon accurately. Because of this, the Marine Corps begins developing its future leaders in boot camp. The process of learning to effectively lead others continues throughout a Marine’s career. To aid in this endeavor, the Corps has created countless leadership courses as well as a world-class Academy system. While attending the various Academies, Marines attempt to gain mastery in a multitude of subjects such as military history, tactics, strategy, and of course, leadership.

Contrary to popular belief, Marine boot camp isn’t all shooting, marching, and bayonet training, although there is a fair amount of each.

There are hundreds of hours of classes. Everything you do in boot camp has a class (or a multitude of classes) associated with it, even shooting, marching, and bayonet training. Along with each class, there is often a new acronym to learn. The military is thoroughly convinced that it is impossible for troops to remember anything that doesn’t have an acronym. The primary acronym linked to leadership is…wait for it…JJ DID TIE BUCKLE. I’m sure someone received a medal for that one. As ridiculous as it sounds, any Marine worth their salt will know that JJ DID TIE BUCKLE is the acronym for remembering the 14 Marine Corps leadership traits. These traits, however, aren’t only applicable to Marines. Anyone wanting to step up into a leadership position or to further develop their existing skill as a leader will find it difficult to do so without first making a conscious decision to begin exhibiting the following traits:

Justice – A good leader remains fair and consistent. Few will follow someone who always hands the easiest task to their best friend or doles out overly harsh punishments that do not fit the crime. They willingly follow someone who ensures that their decisions, regardless of the people or circumstances involved, are just.

Judgment – There are few quicker ways to get someone to stop looking to you for leadership than consistently making poor decisions. Leaders must not only make decisions, and they must make sound ones. Even if a specific decision results in failure, ensure you’re able to defend each decision you make with sound reasoning and logic.

Dependability – Leaders who cannot be relied upon to perform their jobs properly lose respect quickly. It’s even worse when a leader isn’t even around when it really counts. Develop a reputation for dependability by performing each task to the best of your ability, being on time, never making excuses, and taking responsibility for failures.

Initiative – Good leaders don’t wait for someone to tell them what to do. They see a problem as an opportunity and make sure it’s addressed right away. Develop your initiative by actively looking for problems or tasks and working on them without having to be told to do so. Don’t forget the second J. Many Marines have been told the following, “Good initiative, bad judgment.” If the task is new or complex, it is a good idea to do some research or seek a bit of guidance.

Decisiveness – Decisiveness means making decisions quickly and confidently. Decisive leaders aren’t so worried about making a mistake that they freeze at decision time, but they’re not so brash that they miss important facts (see: judgment). You can develop your decisiveness by quickly weighing the pros and cons of even trivial decisions, then sticking with your choice. When larger, more important decisions present themselves, you’ll feel more confident while quickly working through the decision-making process.

Tact – Tact is similar to the saying, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” You don’t have to be overly nice, but a tactful leader remains polite and calm even in stressful situations. Taking a moment to consider tact BEFORE an interaction will help you behave courteously even when you feel like clicking off safe. If you tend to struggle with tact, remember that the negative results of a leader’s lack of tact is more often felt by those being led.

Integrity – Having integrity means valuing moral principles above all else and refusing to compromise on values, even when everyone else is doing so. A leader without integrity isn’t worth following, so always strive to make moral choices, especially when no one is watching.

Enthusiasm – Enthusiastic leaders inspire others by showing sincere excitement about any task they’re given. Even the most menial job will be taken on with zeal by others if you can remain enthusiastic and show genuine interest in its accomplishment.

Bearing – If you strive to be a leader who others respect, you need to carry yourself with confidence, competence, and control. I have known several men in leadership roles who lost all of their troop’s respect because, when the proverbial poop hit the fan, they became manic and outwardly showed their fear. Always be aware that those being led are watching you for cues and will gain or lose confidence based on how you appear to be handling a situation.

Unselfishness – We are all familiar with the concept of planting a tree, from which you may never get to enjoy the shade or fruit. A good leader never has ulterior or selfish motives, and they always put the success of their team first. Any accomplished business owner will tell you that the employees always get paid first, take the most breaks, and get the most days off. I have completely written off “leaders” for the simple act of eating before their troops. It told me everything I needed to know about them. It is also important to give credit to subordinates whenever possible.

Courage – Most people think of courage as not being afraid of something. In actuality, if someone has never been afraid, they have never had an opportunity to be courageous. Courage is grace and the ability to perform in the face of fear. A great leader needs both physical courage when leading a team into a dangerous situation; and moral courage to stand up for his or her beliefs, especially when making an unpopular decision. Develop courage by identifying and facing down your fears.

Knowledge – Knowledgeable leaders work diligently to learn everything required to perform their job at the highest level. They constantly strive to learn more about their tasks, their subordinates, and their general field of expertise. A knowledgeable leader is someone that others seek out in order to get the right answer. There is a serious pitfall to becoming the subject matter expert, however. Some leaders become afraid to say that they don’t know something. Many good leaders have shot themselves in the foot by making up an answer on the spot. Your subordinates will rarely look down on you for saying, “I’m not sure about that, but let me find out for you.” Just don’t forget to follow up with them once you find your answer!

Loyalty – The Marine Corps motto is Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful). Loyalty to Country, Corps, and your fellow Marines are reinforced heavily throughout Marine Corps training. Some ways of showing loyalty as a leader are: 1) Never discuss team problems with outsiders. 2) Never complain about an order from your own boss in front of your subordinates.
3) Always ask your subordinates for their side of the story before addressing a problem. That doesn’t mean that you have to decide in their favor, but everyone will see that you care enough about them to ask. 4) Ensure that you are always loyal, or you will never gain loyalty in return. As much as possible, treat your team as your family.

Endurance – I always found it fitting that the final leadership trait was endurance. While each leadership trait interplays with one or more other traits, endurance must be applied to them all. The ability to continuously strive to finish a task, regardless of difficulty, pain, or fatigue, is what defines a leader with endurance. A true leader never slacks off when it comes to exhibiting these traits, especially when it would be easy to “let one slide.” You can’t just dip your toes into developing yourself as a leader. You have to dive in and never stop swimming. The only way to improve endurance in your personal life is by pushing yourself past your perceived limits on a regular basis.

Well, there it is. Leadership from J to E. There are other aspects of leadership that I learned in the Marine Corps, all of which tend to refer back to the basic leadership traits of JJ DID TIE BUCKLE. I may eventually write more about what I learned about leadership.

The 11 Marine Corps Leadership Principles are definitely worth covering, but without embodying the traits listed above, you would be better off following or just getting out of the way.

How many of these traits do you have? One? None? All 14? I am a firm believer that anyone, given the will and opportunity, can develop into a leader. I have personally witnessed many a “natural leader” crumble under the weight of command. Conversely, I have watched the weakest, meekest Marines push themselves to excellence and assume the mantle of leadership. A great leader strives for continual growth. Spend some time each day working on at least one of these traits, and (with endurance) you’ll eventually grow into a leader others will not only follow but respect.