— To follow is a bullet of wisdom on leadership. It comes from Tom’s rifle, named Shot, who has seen it all. You’ll get the drift by clicking Blog in the menu at www.tomnewhouse.com. —
MARINES HAVE CREEDS. One is in regard to one’s rifle. Of course, I value it. Included are the words, “My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.” You like it? There’s more: “My rifle and myself know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count.”
Some who claim to be leaders are not really leaders. They fail to deliver results—only hits count. When you think about the Marines, you may come to the three unarguable characteristics of leaders: They lead themselves, they have followers, and they lead to a destination. That last one implies reaching a destination–most of the time. Yes, results matter.