Compass Points - The Secret of Marines

At the heart of the Marine Corps.

Compass Points - The Secret of Marines

At the heart of the Marine Corps.

January 6, 2024

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Are there secrets to being a Marine?

Are there secrets to Marine leadership?

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What would a civilian say is the secret to being a Marine?

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Some civilians might say the secret is, "yell a lot."

Others might say, "wear awesome uniforms."

Still others might say, "boss people around."

Or, "use cool weapons and equipment."

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Civilians tend to focus on things on the outside, tangible things like uniforms and equipment, or simple outward actions like yelling or giving orders.

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There are many things that make up a Marine, including uniforms and equipment, and living in a disciplined culture of orders, duties, and responsibilities. All those things and more are accurate, but they are not secrets. After all, as Marines know with pride and other services know with envy, Marines do have the best uniforms!

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Even though Marine uniforms are great, that is not the secret of Marines. To look for the secrets of being a Marine, to look for the secrets of Marine leadership, it is necessary to look, not on the outside of a Marine, but on the inside.

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Civilians rarely use the word "ethos" to describe anything, certainly not a Marine, but they should. The definition of the word "ethos" is the essential character or nature of a person or organization. Ethos is on the inside. It is the hidden heart of a person that motivates all decisions and all actions.

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In the recent Compass Points post, "Marine to Marine" readers were asked to send in their own secrets of Marine leadership. There have been a wide variety of wise and insightful responses, but so many readers emphasized the same thing. See a handful of excerpts from readers below. Comments have been edited for length and content. Although the word "ethos" was never used, so many readers pointed to the very heart of what it means to be a Marine.

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Steven Morgan

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No matter how HARD, do the RIGHT thing . . . .

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. . . . .

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Palmer Brown

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One thing I learned is about doing the right thing vs. doing things right. One can easily do things right (i.e. follow the letter of the law) but sometimes doing the right thing is harder.

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Alfred Karam

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. . . The other leadership lesson I learned is to do what is right no matter the consequences. I learned to stand on principles, so long as those principles aligned with regulations and policies. I learned to speak truth to power on issues related to our mission until a decision is reached and follow the decision makers’ intent . . . .

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Experienced Marine

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In 2004, I visited the base in Kuwait where the remains of Marines and Sailors killed in Iraq were taken awaiting transport to the military mortuary in Dover. I wanted to make sure the remains of the fallen were being treated with the dignity and respect they deserved. Upon arrival, I was met by a Navy chaplain who took me to the small building where the remains were placed awaiting return home.

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The building was without windows and dimly lit. It was clean and air-conditioned but devoid of any furnishings, a stark reminder of the human cost of war. The chaplain explained that an Air Force cargo plane would depart the adjacent airfield each night around 0230 for Dover with the remains.

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The chaplain said he got up each morning after midnight, put on his dress white uniform, and accompanied the transfer cases with the remains to the waiting aircraft. I asked him why he did this since it was not a requirement and, given the wee hours of the morning, no one was watching or knew what he was doing. He said, "No general, you are wrong. God knows." The takeaway: always do the right thing, even if no one is watching.

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Marines are not perfect, far from it. And the Marine Corps is a human organization which means it is not perfect either. But because of the Marine ethos of "always do the right thing" Marines tend to get back on track. It might take just the helping hand from another Marine to get one Marine back on track. To get the Marine Corps as a whole back on track, it takes help from the entire Marine community.

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What is the secret of the Marine Corps? The secret is Marines! Compass Points salutes all the Marines who may not use the word "ethos" but who, in every challenge, live the Marine ethos and keep the Marine Corps moving in the right direction.

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Compass Points - Marine to Marine

Share your leadership lessons.

Dec 31, 2023

https://marinecorpscompasspoints.substack.com/p/compass-points-marine-to-marine