Leadership program draws lessons from Marines

By: Jason Santamaria, WG '01

Posted: 3/5/01

There is no arguing that leadership is a crucial determinant of success in business. But teaching this intangible attribute, especially in an academic setting, is a challenge that requires an innovative, hands-on approach.

In response to this challenge, Wharton, led by the Center for Leadership & Change and the Veterans Club, has embarked upon an effort over the past two years to integrate lessons of military leadership into its management curriculum. The latest development in this campaign is the Wharton Leadership Ventures’ first leadership and teamwork building event: “Leadership and Decision Making Under Uncertainty and Complexity: Lessons from the Marine Corps.”

This two-day visit to Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia on April 19th and 20th will use the same programs and facilities that the U.S. Marine Corps uses to train its officer candidates. Drawing on its famed Leadership Reaction Course, used by the military for over fifty years, the event provides an intense, hands-on learning experience that emphasizes fast decision-making, team-based problem solving, and effective strategic thinking.

There is much more to the United States Marine Corps than commonly held Hollywood stereotypes such as the Drill Instructor from Full Metal Jacket. This is an organization that has a proven track record – over 225 years – of motivating its members to achieve superior levels of performance under adverse conditions. Wharton graduates may not consider their work to be of life-or-death importance, but the same leadership skills that Marines employ – leadership by example, bold decision-making under uncertainty and stress, and demonstrating genuine concern for fellow members in one’s organization - can be used to successfully run a business of any size.

In the spring of 1999, Wharton was fortunate enough to have three marines as part of its Zweig Speaker Series: Marine Corps officers General Charles Krulak, Brigadier General Tom Draude, and Colonel Bobby Lee. Their inspiring speeches on character, compassion, and commitment were well received by a full audience and marked the beginning of Wharton’s relationship with the Marines.

Seeking to learn more about the applicability of military leadership to the business world, Professors Mike Useem and Monica McGrath led small teams of Wharton students on visits to the United States Military Academy at West Point and the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. Both visits yielded rich insights on leadership instruction in a formal university setting.

In the Fall of 2000, Peter Pace, Marine Corps Four-Star General, visited Wharton to speak to Professor Mike Useem’s MGMT 652 classes about leadership in the corporate environment. In a brief presentation followed by a spirited question and answer session, General Pace offered his insights on making sound decisions, selecting the right organization, dealing with moral dilemas, and taking care of those in one’s charge.

On December 8, 2000, a team of Wharton MBA students, faculty, and staff visited the U.S. Marine Corps University at Quantico. Firsthand observation of the schools where the Marines train their front-line leaders identified four practices especially useful for teaching leadership at Wharton: (1) the usefulness of small discussion groups, (2) the value of a learning-by-doing approach, (3) the importance of feedback and self-evaluation, and (4) the effectiveness of the simulation of real-life leadership situations. Our own completion of one of the problems in the Leadership Reaction Course (LRC) brought home all of these issues. Consisting of a series of 20 problem-solving exercises – each contained in a walled-off area the size of a racquetball court – the LRC evaluates an individual’s ability to guide a small group in the solution of a difficult problem in an uncertain environment.