General James “Mad Dog” Mattis served in the United States Marine Corps for 44 years. Ask a Marine about him, and you will likely hear the reverence in their voice.
His book, Call Sign Chaos1, provides a glimpse into his style, life, and perspective. Love him or hate him - there is something simple about his approach. Unapologetic, authentic, responsible, and relentlessly focused on better.
His “Three C’s” of Leadership are worth considering as you lead. They are:
Competence
Caring
Conviction
Competence
Out of the gate, Mattis drops a wonderful “ism” I’ll take with me always - “Brilliance in the Basics.” He says plainly,
“Don’t dabble in your job. Master it.”
We applied this to our business. We were clear on the functions that drive success and said, “we will be brilliant in these before all else.” Ignore the noise—Focus, focus, focus.
There is something liberating in this. Take a moment and write down the basics of your job. Are YOU delivering on those brilliantly each day, or are you walking down distraction alley?
If you want to be able to show up ready for your team, whether at home or work, live brilliantly in the basics too. Prioritize sleep, what you eat, and your relationships.
We don’t need fancy apps or self-cooling blankets - we need more time in bed and less time in the drive-thru. Most of all, we need time to learn, love and explore with our humans.
Caring (and Communication)
Mattis says,
“In a family, you look out for your younger brother. You are interested in him, how he grows, how he learns, and who he wants to be.”
Leaders care deeply about those they lead with soul-spying care. They take action to help with struggles and strengths without submitting an invoice - the only payment they expect is a life lived to potential.
Mattis goes on,
“When your Marines know how much you care, you can speak bluntly to them.”
Sandwiching a critique between two compliments is accepted as best practice. Do you know what best practices get you? Everyone doing the same thing. There is a word for that, mediocrity.
When they know you care - dare I say, love - you can be direct. No dancing. No pretending. Just reality. At that point, it can go something like this:
“Hey, you need to fix this. I’m telling you because I love you. You might not like it. You might want to quit. But I’m the only one who cares enough to tell you. Now let’s get to work to fix it together. Are you in or out?”
Conviction (and Consistency)
From Mattis,
“This is harder and deeper than physical courage. Your peers are the first to know what you will stand for and, more importantly, what you won’t. State your rules and stick by them. They shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.”
Good leaders have two essential leadership traits - conviction and consistency. There should be no surprises from you, the leader. The battlefield is unpredictable enough, don’t make it worse. Be predictable.
When people know the rules, they can execute against them. If they don’t like the rules, they can quit. But if they stay, clarity lets them go after it aggressively. If you want a “fear-full” team, keep them guessing. Fear is a product of the unknown. That said, balance conviction with open-mindedness. We must constantly challenge our beliefs and biases.
Mattis addresses this by saying,
“Balance your professional passion with personal humility and compassion for your troops…”
Soulful Leadership
Mattis says,
“Remember: You need to win only one battle — for the hearts of your troops. Win their hearts, and they will win the fights...
Leadership means reaching the souls of your troops and instilling a sense of commitment and purpose in the face of challenges so severe that they cannot be put into words.”
When you practice soulful leadership, they know you will always put them before yourself. Tread lightly. Soulful leadership isn’t faked, only felt. It’s energy. It’s a deeply human connection.
We send Marines because they will do whatever it takes. It’s about the mission AND those to the left and right - they feel it in their soul. They live and die, “We, Not Me.”
While Mattis focused on warfighting, don’t let that dissuade you from considering the applicability to your leadership. Masters of great change like Gandhi, King, and Mandela leaned on competence, care, and conviction as they changed the world - you can too.
Live brilliantly, friends.
Mattis, Jim; West, Bing. Call Sign Chaos. Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
During his time leading the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Afghanistan, he earned the call sign “CHAOS.” It stood for “Colonel Has Another Outstanding Solution.” No small amount of sarcasm in this term of endearment.
Cover photo by
Soulful Leadership