I’ve learned a thing or two about hospitality and the food & beverage industries over time. I spent nearly twelve years covering the spectrum from working as a bag boy sacking groceries with a large corporate grocer to making pizza in a corporate restaurant chain. Then stepping into the gourmet catering industry which set me up for high end steak house restaurant chains that followed. Eventually I made my way into hospitality serving in the banquet departments of medium to upscale hotel chains.

Those experiences led me to more upscale restaurant concerns until I landed in five star dining rooms. I often quip that I’ve done just about everything from pizza to five star dining. Along the way I’ve been introduced to many approaches to leadership, largely due to my personal belief that we are all leaders in one capacity or another. As long as we are influencing others to follow our lead, in those moments we are essentially leading others who chose to follow. It’s a dance between those who aspire to lead and those who chose to allow us to do so by following.

How one manages the terrain of leading people effectively boils down to one overarching concept, credibility. Without which we have little to support us and less to back us up in the eyes of our followers. In the book, Credibility, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner the authors dive into leadership from the perspective that most people are driven by many of the same things. Essentially, people are energized by values and visions that give life meaning and purpose. Kouzes and Posner further note that we all vote for something even in the event it may not appear as clear cut as pulling a leaver, checking off a box with a candidate’s name or to support or not, an initiative or ideal whose time may have come.

You might think of your vote as something you stand for and are committed to, that serves as your NorthStar. In that light, the 14 leadership traits and 11 leadership principles of the Marine Corps provide us with guidelines. A set of ideals worth considering as we look at their impact in shaping our thoughts about effective leadership in any culture or industry.

The fourteen leadership traits can be remembered with the acronym, JJDIDTIEBUCKLE.

1. Justice
2. Judgement
3. Dependability
4. Initiative
5. Decisiveness
6. Tact
7. Integrity
8. Enthusiasm
9. Bearing or the carriage and movement a person possesses that leaves a favorable impression on others.
10. Unselfishness
11. Courage
12. Knowledge
13. Loyalty
14. Endurance

The eleven Leadership Principles are:

1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement
2. Be technically and tactically proficient
3. Know your people and look out for their welfare
4. Keep your personnel informed
5. Set the example
6. Ensure that the task is understood, supervised and accomplished
7. Train your people as a team
8. Make sound and timely decisions
9. Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates
10. Employ your command within its capabilities
11. Seek responsibilities and take responsibility

As we transition to a new year, I will take a deeper dive into how each of these principles and traits play out and how you can tap into their genius to create your Leadership Advancement Plan (LAP). Click the button below and schedule a strategy session with me to determine how best to approach the next phase of your leadership journey and let’s map out your individual needs to round out a path that serves you and your people.