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Part One
Throughout the Marine Corps, there are impactful, impressionable, and motivating leaders who continue to inspire the greatest potential in those whom they have a privilege to lead. These leaders are transformational as they set more challenging expectations as organizations continue to achieve results above the standard.1 Transactional leaders are much more common within the Marine Corps; however, it could be argued they are more effective for a warfighting organization. Transactional leadership focuses on the exchange (transaction) that takes place between a leader and a follower.2 Leaders give subordinates direction, orders, tasks, or guidance, and if these are not achieved within standard, a punishment is associated; on the contrary, if accomplished, a reward could follow. Transactional leadership limits the growth potential of followers. In today's society, young men and women literally have the world at their fingertips, accessible through a phone, which is an unlimited gateway to knowledge. Leaders at all levels within the Marine Corps need to exploit and adapt to an ever-evolving and changing societal culture. In order to create a new culture within the Marine Corps-one that maximizes innovation, increases resilience, and adapts to the ever-changing characteristics of war-the transformational leadership approach needs to be applied at all levels of leadership.
I have served in the Marine Corps for 21 years. It took me almost ten years to truly embrace transformational leadership, and that is far too long, as I let too many opportunities to influence and impact Marines pass me by during those earlier years. In 2009, I was asked a question that forever changed my views and approach to leadership. At the time, I was serving as the SNCOIC of the Sergeant's Course at the SNCO Academy aboard Camp Pendleton. Then, MSgt Frank Puebla came İn to my office and asked me, "Mike, what defines you?" I hesitated for a minute, expecting him to elaborate, but all he did was re-ask it: "What defines you?"
I looked around my office and was mesmerized by all my plaques from previous assignments, especially the ones I received just three years earli when I left the drill field. I respondí to him with sure confidence, "I was a drill instructor!" With no response, he gave me the most disappointing look I...