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The Corps teaches Harvard

Harvard Business School recently touted the Marine Corps’ leadership philosophy as effective not only on the battlefield but in the office, too.

The Sept. 1 “Management Tip of the Day” on Harvard Business Publishing’s Web site summarized Marine Corps leadership principles and encouraged corporate executives to rethink theirs.

The post, titled “3 Things You Didn’t Know About Marine Corps Leadership,” says contrary to popular misconceptions, the Marine Corps is not a place where people mindlessly follow orders. “In fact, the Marine Corps is a highly effective organization that thrives by empowering” Marines, the post reads.

The three tips are:

First, communicate the mission by explaining what needs to be done. Let your employees figure out how to do it. Second, earn respect. Don’t rule by rank alone, and your employees will excel even when not monitored. Third, trust them. Push decision making downward and have confidence in your employees’ expertise.

The online post was adapted from one of site’s recent articles written by Doug Raymond, a former soldier who works for Google.

“What I and many of my fellow ex-military leaders at Google have found is that military leadership experience has prepared us well to succeed in a fast-moving, innovative environment,” he wrote.