(Not sure if this is the proper place to ask this question. If it's not, then please delete it).

Anyway, I'm trying to write a paper for work for my "graduation" to team leader. One of the questions I have to answer is "Who inspires you?" I would like to write about Chesty Puller and have been reading a lot of stories about him. He seems like he had a lot of courage, was very brave, and was an excellent leader. My only problem is that I don't know how to tie all of the stories in with a job in the civilian world, where I don't have people shooting at me. Anyone have any ideas of how I can tie some examples of his leadership in with some of the things that a leader in the civilian world would face?

Are you asking us to do your freggin homework!? Then you aren't worth graduating to the next step. You better think again Sally!

"I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery. But I'm pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you fu<k with me, I'll kill you all."
-Marine General James Mattis, to Iraqi tribal leaders-

Jeez,,

Just think if you had to do this like we did pre-internet,,, hours in the library,, reference cards,, hand written,,,no spell check,,the horror stories I could tell ya!!

quote:

Originally posted by HollywoodMarine:
Are you asking us to do your freggin homework!? Then you aren't worth graduating to the next step. You better think again Sally!

I will ultimately be the one who writes the paper. I was just looking for some help on what direction I should go in with this. Sorry if it looked like I'm looking for someone to do the work for me.

Allright kid take this direction,,

If Chesty Puller was the CEO of a major Fortune 500 company he would ????????????????????????

Every department of that Fortune 500 company is now a division.. air-wing,, etc!!

The "enemy" is EVERY competitor of that Fortune 500 company! (like Walmart vs Sears)

Chesty still has to answer to POTUS,, Congress,,etc

The CEO of this Fortune 500 company has to answer to stockholders,,,shareholders,,etc

Turn to and post it here when you get done. Curious to see what you come up with!!!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: davecerami1965,

He (Chesty) would call in air strikes on the competing companies....

No air strikes allowed Tom,,,,Chesty is now a civilian.

Chesty the CEO would replace air strikes with???

quote:

My only problem is that I don't know how to tie all of the stories in with a job in the civilian world, where I don't have people shooting at me.

Every hear of "police". You think they don't have an opposition force that shoots back occasionally.

I'm going to have to go with Hollywood on this one. You just want someone else to do your homework.

I think you jumped the gun on your screen name. futureusmc_not might have been a better choice.

quote:

I think you jumped the gun on your screen name. futureusmc_not might have been a better choice.

It's an old screen name.

davecerami1965
Thanks for the help. Unfortunately I had already written the paper before I checked back in on here to see what other responses I received besides the first one. I have a book called "Chesty Puller's Rules of Success" by Bill Davis, Col, USMC. It describes 20 "rules" that Puller lived his life by. I took a few of those and described how they could be used by a leader in a retail environment. (Unfortunately, I kind of misunderstood the assignment. I showed up to the "graduation" and everyone else had handwritten like a paragraph, and I showed up with this 2 page paper. Oh well. I guess that's the way it goes sometimes.) Here it is if anyone's interested.

I am inspired by: Lewis Burwell Puller, better known as “Chesty.” Chesty Puller was a Marine for 37 years, from 1918-1955. During that time he held ranks from Private (the lowest enlisted rank) all the way up to Lieutenant General. He fought in Haiti, Nicaragua, Korea, and also during World War II. He is the only Marine to have earned five Navy crosses, which is one of the highest military awards, second only to the Medal of Honor. There were 20 “rules” that he lived by, which use the acronym PULLER RULES OF SUCCESS.
His first rule was “Perfection- I strive for it in everything that I do.” He believed that whether a person was on the frontlines or “in the rear with the gear,” one should keep striving for perfection in everything that one does. He also believed that every Marine officer should want to become Commandant of the Marine Corps, and that every enlisted Marine should strive to be the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. Every person should strive to reach the top, whether they are in the military or in a civilian job. No matter what job you have been given, you should put everything you have into it.
Another one of his principles was “Ultimately- I do more than I am expected to do, at all times.” He commented that “No matter what task these Marine officers handed me, I marched myself, my men, and my mules faster and further than anyone ever expected.” This is a very good rule to live by. You can’t get very far in life by simply meeting expectations. You have to want to achieve more for yourself.
Another rule that he lived by was “Leadership- I use it with great vigor, but I follow when the situation demands it.” Leaders need to realize that sometimes we need to follow. There will be times when someone under me will know more than I do about something, and I will need to trust their expertise. It’s good to surround yourself with people who know more than you. That’s the only way you can learn anything.
Another one of his rules was “Enthusiasm- Is what I practice all of the time (even if I have to fake it). Chesty said that “If I was really tired or not too happy with the tasks that I had been given, then I had to fake it, to give the troops the impression that this particular mission was the most important that we ever had together.” It is extremely important for a leader to show enthusiasm. Team members will pick up on the attitude that their leader is displaying. If the leader is displaying a bad attitude, the subordinates will soon also be complaining about the task. If, on the other hand, the leader is enthusiastic about completing the task, his subordinates will also soon be showing enthusiasm. It’s better for everyone to have a good attitude.
His last principle that I will talk about is “Self-control- is what I must have in all situations” He said that “You have to do the right thing at the right time in the right place, here and now! This is what being a Marine, being a person of honor, no matter what your job, in or out of combat, is all about.” It is important for a leader to do the right thing, no matter who is watching, or not watching. Doing the wrong thing has consequences, even if you never get caught. You have to be able to have the courage to always do the right thing, whether or not there is someone there “making you.”

How can I impact the Customer Service Survey (“friendly”) at my store?
The Marine Corps has eleven leadership principles, many of which I can use to increase “friendly” at my store. The eleven leadership principles are: 1) Know yourself and seek self-improvement, 2) Be technically and tactically proficient, 3) Know your subordinates and look out for their welfare, 4) Keep your subordinates informed, 5) Set the example, 6) Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished, 7) Train your subordinates as a team, 8) Make sound and timely decisions, 9) Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates, 10) Employ your command in accordance with its capabilities, and 11) Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.
I have used many of these principles when promoting “friendly” at my store. I know myself, my strengths and weaknesses, and have been seeking self-improvement. I am technically and tactically proficient. I know how to be friendly and how to promote it among my team members. I know the customer service principles and use them on a regular basis. I also keep my subordinates informed. I look up our friendly score and make sure that I tell my team members what it is. I also make sure they know how to provide customer service to our guests and train them if they don’t.
I also make sure I set a good example for my team members. I want them to be able to know how to provide excellent customer service just by watching me. I always try to provide the best customer service because your people are always watching. I could talk until I’m blue in the face, but unless I’m providing a good example, it won’t do me, or my team members, much good. I also ensure that the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished. I make sure that my team members know what they are to do to provide the highest level of customer service, and I occasionally observe them to ensure that they are doing what they have been taught. I also train my team members as a team. I teach them to call me or someone else if a customer has a question that they don’t know the answer to, or if they need help with anything else, such as getting a bike down for a customer. These are the ways I have promoted friendly at my store. The founder of our company said that “every manager in our company has only one job – it’s to help the people who report to them to be successful.” I will strive to do this for as long as I am in a position of leadership.

quote:

davecerami1965
Thanks for the help. Unfortunately I had already written the paper before I checked back in on here to see what other responses I received besides the first one. I have a book called "Chesty Puller's Rules of Success" by Bill Davis, Col, USMC. It describes 20 "rules" that Puller lived his life by. I took a few of those and described how they could be used by a leader in a retail environment. (Unfortunately, I kind of misunderstood the assignment. I showed up to the "graduation" and everyone else had handwritten like a paragraph, and I showed up with this 2 page paper. Oh well. I guess that's the way it goes sometimes.) Here it is if anyone's interested.

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Two page paper?? I would rather have too much instead of not enough!!

Do you see now how a Major Fortune 500 compamy is almost parallel to the USMC???

You also applied the"Pullers Rules Of Success" to your job!!


What was your grade??

I didn't receive a grade. It was for work, not school. We had to go to a "graduation" type thing for completing all of the leadership training and becoming team leaders. It wasn't that great of a curriculum for leadership though. They need to consider modeling their training after what the Marines use to train their recruits on leadership. The best two leadership books I've read have been written by Marines.

5 Navy Crosses ! ! !

Five...

Admired by Many, Hated by some.
"Someone" did not like this Man! (CMH)

A United States Marine Corps LEGEND & HERO !

A Humble E-5 (88~96)
AWildEagle26
Semper Fidelis

The only difference between the military and corporate worlds are that you sleep over and food and lodging are provided. Other than that the cultures are basically the same with their own uniforms - dress code, conduct of behavior and plans of attack to defeat their competition.

Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller was a very aggressive leader who believed in taking calculated risks to accomplish his objectives. His true claim to fame was "leadership from the front" where he actively participated in command without interfering with his subordinate commanders out of respect and trust in their judgment.

In the mid-late eighties we found ourselves involved in an economic "war" global power struggle with Japanese Corporations who were dominating global markets. Our American Corporations read the same books and adapted their strategies like Sun Tze's "The Art of War" to counter.

In essence, modern business is exactly like territorial war where each side is out to wrest market share based on intelligence gathered in the form of population demographics of proposed consumers. Much like the process of warfare, each side comes up with an idea, study it's impacts and ramifications, sets up policies and procedures, manufactures, advertises, markets and then follows up.

Chesty would have made a great corporate CEO because he instinctively knew that taking big calculated risks meant big rewards.

Listen Crazy one! If things dont go as Planned at your workplace, as a ~ "team leader"...,
don't get Too Motivated and tell your General Manager at Walmart to go FARK Him or Her self over a $6.75 cent an hour job! "YOU" are No "Chesty" Puller"!

AWildEagle26
Semper Fidelis

Nice copy and paste son, even I could have done that.....Son, your talking about our Marine of Marines, the best ever. If it was not for his health he would have been CMC. PVT to CMC, the most decorated Marine ever and you you copy and paste info we already know?...PINK BELLY.....


Dave you asked, I told what Chesty would have have done....

quote:

Originally posted by AWildEagle26:
Listen Crazy one! If things dont go as Planned at your workplace, as a ~ "team leader"...,
don't get Too Motivated and tell your General Manager at Walmart to go FARK Him or Her self over a $6.75 cent an hour job! "YOU" are No "Chesty" Puller"!

1) I never claimed to be like Chesty Puller. I just said that He inspires me.
2) I don't work at Wal-Mart
3) I'm not making $6.75 an hour. I'm making $575 a week

, exactly!

AWildEagle26
Semper Fidelis

This message has been edited. Last edited by: AWildEagle26,

quote:

Originally posted by futureusmc_at:
I didn't receive a grade. It was for work, not school. We had to go to a "graduation" type thing for completing all of the leadership training and becoming team leaders. It wasn't that great of a curriculum for leadership though. They need to consider modeling their training after what the Marines use to train their recruits on leadership. The best two leadership books I've read have been written by Marines.

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Step up and tell your boss that!! Be prepared to point out how,,,why,, etc that your plan/ideas are better than what they use now!!


"I'm not making $6.75 an hour. I'm making $575 a week"

One point for the kid on that one!!

I asked the kid to post it here because I was curious what he would come up with.

If the kid posted it in the wrong forum,,, I accept 100% responsibility!!