The United States Marine Corps subscribes to the notion that leaders are made, not born. There are three fundamental categories that every Marine is instructed in: leadership objectives, leadership traits and leadership principles.
There are two leadership objectives. The primary objective of Marine Corps leadership is mission accomplishment. This requires a goal-oriented approach. A leader must identify long-term goals for the team and the short-term steps the organization needs to take to achieve those goals. The secondary objective of Marine Corps Leadership is troop welfare -- which can also be described as team welfare or individual welfare. This objective requires empathy on the part of the leader to make sure that the needs of those in the team are looked after. These objectives may be the result of a research program conducted by Ohio State University to identify the functions of leaders where the functions were categorized into initiating structure leadership functions and consideration leadership functions (Schultz & Schultz, 1994). There are 14 traits to which all Marines are encouraged to aspire: They are judgment, justice, dependability, integrity, decisiveness, tact, initiative, enthusiasm, bearing, unselfishness, courage, knowledge, loyalty and endurance. Marines are encouraged to exhibit these traits and are judged on their ability to do so.
OUTLINE. Leadership is intangible, hard to measure and difficult to describe. Its quality would seem to stem from many factors. But certainly, they must include a measure of inherent ability to control and direct, self-confidence based on expert knowledge, initiative, loyalty, pride and sense of responsibility. Inherent ability cannot be instilled, but that which is latent or dormant can be developed. Other ingredients can be acquired. They are not easily learned. But leaders can be and are made.