Quantico

This year I participated in a Wharton Leadership venture known only as "Quantico". Participants spend 24 hours at a Marine base in Quantico, Virginia, where they spend a day-in-the-life of Officer Candidates School. I won't go too much into the details of Quantico, because it's meant to be unpredictable and a surprise to participants. I will say, however, I learned more about leadership at this event than anywhere else at Wharton.


One of the key leadership lessons was the 70% rule. When you have 70% of the information you need to make a decision - you make the decision. Now, this doesn't apply in all situations, but it is a good rule of thumb and a good way to encourage taking action rather than deliberating. Course corrections can usually be made. For decisions that can't be undone, if there's time, then it makes sense to take more time on the decision.


The second key leadership lesson was leading from the front. Marine leaders lead by example. This is related to the concept of a servant-leader, a concept that the marines embrace. Servant-leaders try to serve the people they lead.

After the training on the base - which was more grueling and tiring than I expected, we had a reception at the Marine Museum in Virginia. This was an awe-inspiring museum. Below you can see some of the most famous quotes uttered by marines.

I came away from Quantico with more respect for the marines (and all veterans), and a desire to adopt a more decisive leadership style. I also thought that if I were 21 again, 4-5 years in the military might have done me well and taught me some key skills that would serve me in the rest of my life. But, at least I have my Quantico experience - something that you can't pay money to get. Semper fi!