A Life Time of Service

I always wanted to be a Marine

When I was seven years old, my Dad, when watching a presidential speech, said, "See Thomas John, you can be President someday." I responded, no, Dad, not president, maybe Commandant of the Marine Corps."

Does a kid know what they want to be?

Does a seven-year-old know what they want to do for the rest of their lives? Does a sixteen or seventeen-year-old understand their life's work when they must start preparing and applying for the Naval Academy or other commissioning programs like my daughter and son? The answer to both is no. I don't know that my daughter and son will serve a long career in uniform, but I know they will forever be leaders. I observed that they both chose that path at a young age in school and sports. I know that they made that commitment consciously when they swore their oaths.

Being a leader is a lifetime challenge and commitment

However, being a leader is a lifetime challenge and commitment. Parents can't decide if their children will be leaders, but we can choose to prepare our children to lead if that is their penchant. That's what my parents, my wife, and I did. It wasn't all conscious. My Dad wanted us to be prepared, and the Boy Scout motto, which he lived as an Eagle Scout, is Be Prepared, so we were Scouts, likewise with the Scout Oath and Law, which espouses powerful virtues of faith, honor, duty, patriotism, fitness and more. We wanted our kids to have solid core values and capabilities, so we used the opportunities in sports, church, school, home, and neighborhood.

If you decide to lead, you must live the life of study, action, reflection, and refinement

Now that my kids have become adults and decided to lead, they must live a life of study, action, reflection, and refinement focused on inspiring their Marines to transcend to something greater than self. They must develop their personal strategic plan, including their values, vision, mission/purpose, unifying principles, goals, habits, and routines. That life, this life, has many phases and stages, from apprentice to master leader. With every duty assigned, change in technology or organization, and other life changes, there will be challenges to master. That means there will be courses to take, books to read, experts to consult, and critical thinking about how it impacts their organization and leadership. Hopefully, their failures will be small but significant enough to learn from. Then, they will need to take action to grow and lead their Marines.

Leadership is the objective

I can't predict the rank they will attain or how long they will serve in uniform. However, if they stay committed to the life of a leader, they will be successful. I can also say unreservedly that my daughter and son will always be Marines.

Likewise, I can't predict you will be a CEO or multizillionaire. However, if you commit to a life of study, action, reflection, and refinement and build your personal strategic plan, you will be a successful leader.

Remember, all things are possible through prayer and heavy deadlifts. ™

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