Quantico : A Lesson in Leadership and Teamwork
Verushka Cruz, WG'07
Issue date: 9/26/05 Section: Insider
I envisioned adventure, pain and perhaps a little mud when I signed up for the Quantico Leadership Venture. I had figured that the experience would be tons of fun and would give me something to discuss with recruiters during interviews. What I got, though, was a lesson in leadership and teamwork under stressful and challenging conditions courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps. In just a day and a half, the Corps taught me how to lead by following, build camaraderie quickly, and overcome obstacles with my team.
In Officer Candidates School (OCS), the Marines' "interesting" way of teaching candidates leadership is to have sergeants bark orders at them all day long! We were subjected to the same treatment by two female sergeants. During our first night at Quantico, they tested the ability of Wharton women to "follow" by yelling commands at us. We, of course, weren't very good at following directions, so we paid for our mistakes by completing over 200 push-ups during our stay! The sergeants compared this exercise to being out on the field during war: if one team member doesn't follow directions, the safety of the entire team is at risk. That put the menial tasks we were doing into a different perspective.
The tone set on the first night carried over to the next day's event. Although we went through the second day's exercises with a different team, we had learned how to build camaraderie quickly under stressful
situations the night before. During the second day, my team had to solve a number of challenges while being observed by one of the Marines. This was a great opportunity to put (what I thought were) my great leadership skills to the test. Turns out, I need more work at this leadership thing. I can thank my time at Quantico for calling my attention to these areas that need to be addressed.
The best part of Quantico was the most physically challenging. Up to that point, the Marines had tested our "soft skills" - now it was time to test our bodies. Needless to say, most of us, me included, are not in great shape, so it took us four or five times longer than what it takes the Marines to compete the obstacle course. We needed to finish as a team, so we found it essential to encourage and push each other along the way.
I am glad that I went out on a limb and signed up for this Leadership Venture. It looked a little intimidating at first, but now it is at the top of my "Greatest Wharton Moments" list. The yelling, the sore muscles and the bruises were all worth it, as I now share something special with very few other students at this school. It was also an effective way of testing how I would react in a challenging situation in my future career - would I step up to the plate to handle a dilemma, or would I shy away in a corner? Quantico gave me some great tools to conduct leadership of my team during a crisis.
In Officer Candidates School (OCS), the Marines' "interesting" way of teaching candidates leadership is to have sergeants bark orders at them all day long! We were subjected to the same treatment by two female sergeants. During our first night at Quantico, they tested the ability of Wharton women to "follow" by yelling commands at us. We, of course, weren't very good at following directions, so we paid for our mistakes by completing over 200 push-ups during our stay! The sergeants compared this exercise to being out on the field during war: if one team member doesn't follow directions, the safety of the entire team is at risk. That put the menial tasks we were doing into a different perspective.
The tone set on the first night carried over to the next day's event. Although we went through the second day's exercises with a different team, we had learned how to build camaraderie quickly under stressful
situations the night before. During the second day, my team had to solve a number of challenges while being observed by one of the Marines. This was a great opportunity to put (what I thought were) my great leadership skills to the test. Turns out, I need more work at this leadership thing. I can thank my time at Quantico for calling my attention to these areas that need to be addressed.
The best part of Quantico was the most physically challenging. Up to that point, the Marines had tested our "soft skills" - now it was time to test our bodies. Needless to say, most of us, me included, are not in great shape, so it took us four or five times longer than what it takes the Marines to compete the obstacle course. We needed to finish as a team, so we found it essential to encourage and push each other along the way.
I am glad that I went out on a limb and signed up for this Leadership Venture. It looked a little intimidating at first, but now it is at the top of my "Greatest Wharton Moments" list. The yelling, the sore muscles and the bruises were all worth it, as I now share something special with very few other students at this school. It was also an effective way of testing how I would react in a challenging situation in my future career - would I step up to the plate to handle a dilemma, or would I shy away in a corner? Quantico gave me some great tools to conduct leadership of my team during a crisis.