Page 225 - The extraordinary leader

202 • The Extraordinary Leader

For example, aspiring leaders are given the challenge of getting a wounded
comrade across a small river, reported to be mined, with only a few boards
and some rope.
Other assignments are more cerebral. A challenging mission is defined for
them and they must come up with three detailed alternative courses of action
in the next six hours and then choose the best alternative from the three.
At the conclusion of a project, the group engages in an “after action review”
that focuses on what went well and how it could have been improved. This
is one of the most powerful learning devices the Marines and other military
services use. It is a perfect example of team-based leadership. In this process,
everyone involved in a mission comes together and psychologically takes off
their stripes, and they conduct a totally open, candid discussion of what went
well and what could have been improved. These detailed reviews provide an
extremely valuable learning process and emphasize the democratic nature of
the organization. The format for this review involves a detailed discussion of
questions such as:

● What was our intent?
● What actually happened?
● Why did that happen?
● What can we learn from those events?
● What actions should we take now in preparation for future, similar
events?

Action Learning Projects
The bulk of the entire development process includes a variety of extremely
engaging activities, and their power comes from the fact that they are highly
practical, relevant to the job the Marines will actually be performing, and
require a physical or visceral involvement that replicates the actual missions
they will later perform. During a 10-week-long development program, learn-
ing teams carry out a mind-boggling 27 missions, ranging from setting up a
humanitarian aid station to a more traditional assault.
Contrast that with the pattern of many executive development programs,
in which the participants listen to lectures, are given extensive lists of books
and articles to read, see videotapes, and discuss cases presented by the faculty.
The level of action required, and the emotional engagement with the activi-
ties, is extremely different from the Marines’ approach.