Page 228 - The extraordinary leader

A Case Study in Leadership Development–The U.S. Marine Corps • 205

having his personal interest in the process, and the emphasis that his presence
gave the program, made an important difference.
No one pretends that these senior leaders are more effective in the class-
room, if judged by presentation skills, facilitation skills, or knowledge of the
theory. However, they bring credibility and practical know-how. They can tell
powerful stories of their personal experiences.
The Marines choose their instructors from the top 25 percent of noncom-
missioned officers. To become a noncommissioned officer (staff sergeant)
takes between 8 and 12 years and then an additional 4 to 6 years to become
a “gunny” (gunnery sergeant). It is from this group that the drill instructors
are chosen. And of this group, only 80 percent get through the demanding
development process. However, the impact they have on impressionable
recruits is incalculable.
Tom Clancy wrote in his book, Marine, about the graduation ceremony
from the final phase of recruit training. He descried how the new Marines
rushed to introduce their family and friends to their drill instructor. “Thanks
for getting me through Boot Camp” was a frequently expressed sentiment. He
then noted watching parents express profound thanks to the drill instructors
for the change they saw in their sons and daughters. Clancy writes, “I defy you
to watch this moment and not shed a tear or two. I did.” 11
These lessons learned by the Marines can easily be migrated to the private
sector. Over a year’s time, senior “trainers” can have an indelible impact on 100
to 500 people. They do it in different ways. Roger Enrico, a former CEO of
PepsiCo, spent one week with groups of younger executives, both sharing his
ideas and seeking their views about how to develop the business. He attributed
that process with producing many of the best ideas for developing PepsiCo’s
success. He testifies that this was some of the best time he spent as CEO.
For many years, Andy Grove, who was then the CEO of Intel, participated
in the company’s supervisory development program. When asked how he
could take time to engage in that activity, he told the inquirer, “Where else
could I spend time that would have that much lasting impact on the people
who make our organization succeed?” It is a powerful message when the
senior-most person in a firm takes people development seriously.
Unfortunately, those are more the exception than the rule. In general, we
observe that while the chairmen and CEOs of large organizations are the ones
who seem most worried about the development of their people, the amount
of time they spend doing that is sometimes miniscule. Worse yet, the rest of
the senior leadership group seems generally uninvolved in any organizational