An American example of a leader leading a group.

Way back in the mid-1970’s a fellow American made a courageous decision. The Commandant of the Marine Corps decided to impose quality standards, and let the chips fall where they may. The probable impact was a loss of about 20,000 Marines out of something around 200,000 Marines. The decision was pretty simple. You either packed the weight or you didn’t. Until then the Marine Corps believed it could take any American and turn him into a Marine. Well the idea failed, and the Corps spent an inordinate amount of time on the low life problems. The Commandant then, Louis Wilson, did two things. He announced standards, and he announced an expeditious discharge program to make it easier to evict these low life problem Marines.

Well, the results took time, but the effects where almost instantaneous. The remaining good Marines, all 180,000, saw what was happening to the bad Marines, 20,000. And the good Marines liked what the saw and observed, went home and told their family and friends, and recruiting numbers went up. Things have been better since then.

The point of the story is based in fact. How an organization takes care of its good people tells more than how it wastes time on its bad people. And the good people are always watching and evaluating. And a later Commandant, Al Grey, focused on the professional military education of these same good people. Now most American militaries have emulated all this since it is a no-brainer to many.

Americans are smart as exhibited by these stories based in fact. Sometimes it just takes leadership and force to make it happen.