What Kind of Leaders Will Be Your Legacy?

Note: This article is based on a chapter in an upcoming book that will describe how I effectively utilized Marine Corps leadership concepts and techniques while serving as a C-Level executive in a publicly-traded professional services firm.

As a young Marine Corporal being trained for combat operations, I was taught that I was expected to be able to take over the duties of my squad leader, platoon sergeant and our platoon’s officer should they become casualties during a firefight.

Each of these Marines had been taught the same thing – to be ready to step up and execute the duties of those several levels higher than them, should the tactical situation call for it.

Years later, as a new Infantry officer, my battalion commander – a battle-hardened Vietnam veteran – told me, “Mike, your job is to ensure that your platoon is so well-trained that it can continue to fight and accomplish the mission after you’ve been killed. If we ever get into some serious fighting, there’s a very good chance that this will happen.”

Sobering words, for sure.

The concept of “stepping up in the face of adversity” permeates the entire ethos and culture of the Marine Corps. It is the main reason why the institution places so much value on the training and development of its young leaders.

I continued to practice this aspect of leadership development when I transitioned into the corporate world. I taught the leaders in my teams that I placed great value on a leader’s ability to train and develop other leaders, including those capable of replacing them in their current roles. I invested a lot of time mentoring and developing my leaders and expected them to so the same with those in their teams.

While we obviously didn’t have to contend with casualties of the type I faced in the Marine Corps, like all organizations, we experienced various kinds of attrition within the leadership ranks of the company – people being promoted, transferred, leaving for other opportunities, etc. Our goal was to have a “leadership bench” that contained people willing and capable of “stepping up” when called to do so.

I always encouraged my leaders to spend a great amount of time building their leadership legacy. I emphasized this by telling them, “The true test of your leadership begins when you’re gone.”

Invest in your leaders.

Build a leadership legacy that will “continue the fight” for decades after you’re gone.

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” ~ Pericles

Thank you for reading my post. What other advice would you add to it? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments below.

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