Leadership and us…

I spent most of my adult life in the Marine Corps. I was fortunate enough to have an NROTC scholarship to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. The Marine Corps, as all branches of the United States military, stresses the importance of leadership. What is interesting is the Wharton School also has a linkage to the Marine Corps by way of a leadership program.

http://leadership.wharton.upenn.edu/l_change/trips/Corps.shtml

The leadership program is interesting because the Wharton School, as a business school, uses the military to provide its MBA students with an immersion experience for a few days at Quantico Marine Corps Base where I retired as the Director of Institutional Effectiveness in 2004. There are a lot of articles of MBA students discussing the leadership venture program.

In the Marine Corps I also worked with members of the other Armed Forces. I also worked as a Director of Education for a non-profit in Washington D.C. and have worked twice as a Defense Contractor and twice as a Certified Financial Planner as I employment in the civilian sector between tours on active duty and since retirement from the military.


I have witnessed both extraordinary and disappointing leadership in both the military and the civilian communities. There is nothing more satisfying than working with a good leader and nothing more draining than working with a poor leader.

One of the most gratifying things I have observed is how a team of men and women work together under adversity. I think we, as a class, know what the traits of leadership are from the discussions in class last Thursday. What I hope to learn is how to be a better leader and help others on their leadership journey.