CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES -- Signing paperwork to join the Marine Corps is a daunting task. As any prospective Marine brings pen to paper, multitudes of emotions flood throughout their body. That moment is one those who have claimed the title will never forget; it is also just the beginning of an exceedingly challenging but rewarding life. Prospective Marines are thrown into boot camp or Officer Candidate School fresh and ready to be molded into men and women that will preserve the legacy and traditions of the Marine Corps. After what is known to many as the most grueling entry-level training available, graduating Marines achieve the right to march “left foot first” into not just the Marine Corps, but a family.
The Marine Corps is a family of leaders, and leadership in the Corps is coveted. Marines are expected to be leaders from day one; but what does that look like?
“At the end of the day, leadership to me is the ability to command others to get things done under all circumstances, whether they be tough, easy, mundane or complicated,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Joshua Peters, a clerk with 1st Marine Logistics Group disbursing office. “That is to say, once a decision is made, one should be very wary of going back on it, for it may destroy morale or one’s belief.”
Marines thrive on leadership at each level. From “small unit leaders,” such as Lance Cpl. Peters, to commanders, each leader's decisions and actions can significantly affect mission success. Still, defining leadership in-depth is an exceptionally hard task. Views on what leadership entails change from person to person.
“The first thing people get wrong about leadership is that it is not management,” said Col. Daniel Whitley, the assistant chief of staff for Marine Corps Installations West. “We lead people, we manage things. People think on their own, and more importantly, they have feelings.”
Just about every public figure has a quote on what leadership is, but none know it as well as the Marines. The Corps gives Marines vast experience on what leadership is and is not. At the end of the day, leadership comes down to the impact that one has on the individuals around them.
As Col. Whitley said, people think on their own and have feelings. Leaders model good behavior in a contagious manner and can influence others to optimize their performance. Good leaders inspire people to attain accomplishments and meet goals that they wouldn’t have been able to without that leader's guidance. This is precisely what Marine Corps leaders are exemplary at, leading Marines.
Marines aren’t leaders in the Corps alone; they live, involve themselves, and lead in the surrounding community. Marines like Lance Cpl. Peters and Col. Whitley are both leaders in the Corps and the community. Col. Whitley spoke on military leadership during an Oceanside Leadership Academy seminar at the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, April 27, 2023. At the seminar, Col. Whitley spoke to aspiring community leaders about effective organizational leadership. After the seminar, community members embarked on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and toured the Amphibian Assault School.
Leaders empower those around them, translate visions into realities, influence and optimize output, and make a difference. Marines are leaders from the first day they wear the uniform. Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, said, “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don’t have that problem.” Strive to make at least one positive daily impact, and make a difference.