LtGen Greg Newbold USMC (Ret) – DILLICLAP & Competency are Never Out of Date
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Description
This episode is a look towards the past and how the core of a good leader is timeless. Lt Gen Gregory Newbold, the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) commander of Operation Restore Hope and later on the Director of Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is a leader with an unwavering desire to be responsible to those he leads.   This episode provides a glimpse behind the curtain into a oft misunderstood, or even mysterious, selection process of being selected as a Marine Corps general and the gut wrenching decisions that must be made to ensure only the very very best are selected for that rank.     Lt Gen Newbold discusses the acronym ‘DILLICLAP’ (Do I Look Like I Can Lead A Platoon) and how that sets the baseline for how leaders can begin to model themselves to their units. Conversely, Newbold also provides examples of how those who don’t measure up to the standards of the organization or the unit can still be learning experiences for others. The cornerstone of DILLICLAP is for someone to try hard to learn both the art and science of the job and perform in both the actual job and in taking care of subordinates.   Upholding and clearly stating standards will imbue an organization full of subordinates more likely to push further than they might have on their own. They are not looking for friends, they are looking for structure, standards, and setting the example.  These dictums are seen as nearly universal, even with a unit that previously burned down their company headquarters. The ability to give people focus and goals is critical as a milieu in which to set structure, standards, and the example.    Dealing with friction with leaders is an oft-forgotten aspect of being in charge. Leaders can and do disagree, it is how to handle those situations from policy disagreements to an incoherent and sleep deprived Regimental Commander, whilst maintaining professionalism and the interests of those you lead that helps in forging a true leader. Speaking truth to power and being imaginative with limited resources provides outsized effects to the overall mission, as Lt Gen Newbold discusses when talking about his experiences with the 15th MEU and Operations Restore Hope, to include the fabled live ‘secret’ beach landing in Somalia.    Along with the structure of leadership is the moral courage to stick up for those being led. Lt Gen Newbold provides several examples of this from his time as a Battalion, MEU, and national level staff officer, particularly his decision to resign in the face of his beliefs over the invasion of Iraq in 2003.   Thank you for supporting the project (below)   Please consider supporting this project on Supercast: https://mil.supercast.com   Want to support the project AND look cool at the gym or when you take your blouse off for a working party? Grab a cool tee shirt here from Mission Essential Gear, where every order supports this project AND donates back to Patrol Base Abbate    Relevant Resources & Other Mentioned Episodes:   Moments In Leadership Supercast Support:    Listen to EP 18: SMMC Troy Black, USMC – How to Perform at Every Rank, Why Courage Can Be Seen More in Peacetime Than in Combat, and How Listening Is a Powerful Leadership Skill https://tinyurl.com/2p82n924    Listen to Ep 22: 1stSgt Shamus Flynn, USMC – From Motor T Mechanic to MARSOC – What Emerging Leaders Need to Know About Setting the Example, Admin, and Awards http://bit.ly/3Z2UjDj   Listen to EP 25: LtGen David Furness, USMC – Rather than Yelling and Hazing, Try Focusing on Leadership Through Building Personal Connections, Rapport, and Culture https://tinyurl.com/ycxksac7    LtGen Greg Newbold Articles The Night of the Generals | Vanity Fair https://bit.ly/4214WHM Third Retired General Wants Rumsfeld Out - The New York Times  https://bit.ly/3q1LUE6 What Tempers the Steel of an Infantry Unit https://bit.ly/3MLG2aW   What is Moments in Leadership? Moments in Leadership is a podcast where you will
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