I was listening to the Jocko Podcast, and Jocko was reading from a U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) publication titled "The Squad Leader Makes a Difference". Jocko relayed the story of Corporal Gregory, who served with the USMC in Vietnam. I thought that Corporal Gregory was an outstanding example of a leader who focused on training, and I wanted to relay his story to you today. You can read the excerpt from "The Squad Leader Makes a Difference" below (the emphasis is mine), or you can listen to Jocko’s telling of the story. Following the text will be my thoughts on the Corporal Gregory’s example.
Jocko’s Reading
Excerpt from "The Squad Leader Makes a Difference"
Cpl Gregory was a squad leader assigned to the 1st Combined Unit Pacification Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. This unit was the northernmost Marine unit in Vietnam. Cpl Gregory’s combat experience had made him an extremely proficient infantry leader. He placed strong emphasis on training in the field. He took every chance he had to conduct opportunity training with his Marines.
There were numerous duties required of Cpl Gregory’s squad. Each day, Cpl Gregory assembled the squad and instructed them in a single practical infantry skill. While in a patrol base, Cpl Gregory instructed his men in such skills as helicopter medevacs, close air support, and call for fire. Cpl Gregory required that his squad members continue their professional development. Every day, after returning from patrols, Cpl Gregory’s squad would work on their Marine Corps Institute correspondence courses. PFC Kirby, a member of Cpl Gregory’s squad, finished his Marine Corps NCO MCI in the field, in Vietnam.
Cpl Gregory took the initiative to train his Marines in skills required by his unit’s mission and environment. His training exceeded the basic requirements established by the Marine Corps and created a squad that was particularly well prepared for combat. The corporal used scenario-based training to run his men through multiple repetitions of probable combat situations. He made sure that each Marine in his squad understood their commander’s intent, their role in the missions, and how each man affected the outcome of events during battle.
It was not long before Cpl Gregory’s training proved vital. On the night of 14 February 1971, Cpl Gregory and his unit came under heavy attack. Cpl Gregory was killed. Yet, because the squad was so well trained and understood what had to be done, the squad was able to meet the challenge and skillfully engage the enemy. Cpl Gregory’s exemplary leadership in the weeks prior to the attack had prepared his Marines for this firefight. The enemy was repulsed and the squad held its position. In the morning, over thirty dead NVA were found in the area surrounding the squad’s position. Every Marine in the squad realized that it was Cpl Gregory’s training emphasis that had won the battle and saved their lives.
Lessons
- Cpl Gregory displayed outstanding initiative in training his Marines. He assumed the responsibility for preparing his Marines for the demands of combat. This training greatly exceeded the established standards of the Marine Corps and directly contributed to the combat success and survival of the unit after Cpl Gregory’s death.
- Cpl Gregory used whatever time was available to instruct his Marines and hone their professional skills. This aggressive opportunity training was necessary because few units could conduct formal training in the combat zone.
- Cpl Gregory realized that combat is a dynamic environment, which takes a heavy toll on leaders within an infantry company. He trained his subordinates to be able to assume his role. This saved the lives of his men during the chaos of battle.
- After his death, the men of Cpl Gregory’s squad performed well because they had confidence in their training and in themselves, a confidence that was instilled by Cpl Gregory’s leadership.
“The very worst night of my tour in Vietnam, when we were involved in a major firefight and we were losing Marines, our squad survived as result of the Corporal’s training . . . We are alive today because of him.”
— SgtMaj R.B. Kirby 1998
Analysis
Our work is not as dramatic or pressing as warfare, but the lessons still apply. In most engineering and programming teams that I’ve been a part of or observed during my consulting work, training was not a priority and usually neither performed nor encouraged. We hire people and then expect them to work on the product for 40+ hours a week. If they’re going to learn and improve, they better do that on their own time.
The most common reason given is "we don’t have time to train!" We get it, everyone is busy, and there’s always a rush to market. But that is not a valid excuse. Cpl Gregory certainly didn’t use that as an excuse. He performed training in small chunks, one skill a day, while still performing their normal duties. He expected his people to keep up with continuing education.
Cpl Gregory used whatever time was available to instruct his Marines and hone their professional skills. This aggressive opportunity training was necessary because few units could conduct formal training in the combat zone.
As a leader, it is your responsibility to make sure your team is getting the necessary training. You don’t need to carve out significant amounts of time for it. Training in your organization can happen every day, in whatever small amount of time is available. You might only have 20 minutes a day to teach them something. Think about what you can squeeze into this amount of time:
- Run through a probable scenario and make sure the team knows how to respond:
- What happens when a nightly build fails?
- What happens when the update rollout fails?
- What happens when someone from another team comes to you with an urgent issue?
- What happens when a customer contacts you in a panic?
- How do you translate engineering talk so the executives can understand what’s going on?
- How do you prepare an update for cross-team meetings?
- How do you create a presentation for the customer?
- How do you prepare a time estimate when asked for one?
- Review how a critical piece of equipment works
- Review a new product feature that was discussed among management
- Review how products are assembled in the factory
- Teach a single programming/engineering skill
- Tell a debugging story from your past
And, as Jocko points out in his analysis, another benefit of these training sessions is that your people will likely retain more than they would from a formal training session (e.g., a five-day course). Observe your team’s operations, and don’t be afraid to step in and show them some tricks you have used to solve similar problems in the past, highlight a basic principle that was overlooked, or simply say to the new hire, “hey, when this happens, here’s what’s going on, and here’s what we do.”
You have so much knowledge that your people do not. It is your duty to pass that knowledge on to them.
On top of the training that Cpl Gregory ran on a daily basis, he expected his people to invest time into their own professional development. As engineers, we have a duty to do the same: we need to stay on top of our field and focus on continuing education so we do not fall behind. If this expectation could be satisfied in a combat zone, surely it can be satisfied in your organization. Check on your people. Encourage them to focus on continuing education opportunities. Ask them what they are studying in order to advance their career.
We must go even further than simply teaching our people skills they need to improve at their job. Just like Cpl Gregory, we must make sure our people understand the work they are doing, why they are doing it, and how they are individually contributing to the success of the company.
He made sure that each Marine in his squad understood their commander’s intent, their role in the missions, and how each man affected the outcome of events during battle.
We also serve our teams by training them to take on our responsibilities as leaders. That’s the best thing any leader can do to help the organization: train your team so that they are in a position to succeed even when you aren’t around. They can cover for you if something happens (we all need vacations or sick leave). You can even look at it selfishly: the best way to get promoted is to train yourself out of your current job. Don’t be naïve enough to think that not having someone who can replace you means you’re irreplaceable.
He trained his subordinates to be able to assume his role. This saved the lives of his men during the chaos of battle.
Remember Cpl Gregory. Every day, find the time to teach your people one thing. Just one thing. You can do it. There is so much that you can teach them. Start today.