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Developing Ethical Leaders, Better Decision Makers

Features, On Target  //  June 26th, 2012  //  By Daniel Wetzel

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ronald Valdez (left), a corpsman with 1st Platoon, India Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and 30-year-old native of Waipahu, Hawaii, extends a helping hand to Lance Cpl. Patrick Mireles, a team leader and 23-year-old native of Austin, Texas, as Mireles jumps a stream during a security patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, April 30. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Reece Lodder)

The Marine Corps has a history of implementing new ideas and teachings to better equip Marines for success. From the use of new technology such as helicopter insertion during the Korean War, to recent policy modifications, including uniform changes and appearance standards, the Corps has continually sought to improve both physically and mentally. As the Corps moves forward to respond and adapt to the next generation of war fighters, Marine leaders will reflect on our proud history while looking to the future – ensuring Marines continue to develop as quality citizens.

| More: Read about changes |

In June, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James F. Amos ordered a stand down: a one-day ethics training event for all Marines to help them understand the value of developing a deeper code of values to bring the Corps to higher standards.

“The Marine Corps is a wonderful institution,” Amos said. “When we look at the Corps and tell the Marines to correct themselves and get on true north, they do it.”

Amos said it is important for the Corps to get back to true north.

The Marine Corps University now provides all lieutenant colonels and colonels in command a new ethics course, “Developing Ethical Leaders.” These leaders will bear the responsibility for ensuring the Marines under their charge receive and understand this course as well.

Marines and corpsmen train at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joshua Young)

“This isn’t a training to show the difference between right and wrong,” said Dr. Paulo Tripodi, professor of ethics and leadership Marine Corps University. “This is about crafting Marines into better decision makers.”

Tripodi said, senior leaders in the Corps have been developing and providing ethics training for years, to give Marines a better understanding of acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

“In 2003, we were teaching very little about ethics in the Corps,” Tripodi said. “Since then … we increased ethics awareness on a greater scale. Now is a good moment in the natural progression of the Corps to introduce ethics into training.”

With such a large-scale approach to this, Tripodi stressed it goes beyond what is usually instilled in Marines during boot camp.

“We want to go beyond ‘Marines don’t steal, cheat or lie,” Tripodi said. “We want to have that well established and then ask under what circumstances someone might be stealing and if so, why?”

Ethics training will help Marines be better decision makers and avoid engaging in unethical behavior.

“Junior Marines will have a better understanding of how to make decisions in a stressful environment or in a group under peer pressure,” Tripodi said. “What we want to do is discuss right and wrong and see where our understanding of right and wrong can be compromised.”

Once such situations are identified, Marines can then plan their actions ahead of time and make the appropriate decisions.

“We’re going to educate [the Marines],” Amos said. “We’re going to make sure every general officer is grounded in truth as well as all commanders and their top enlisted.”

Helping Marines to understand and act on what is right can also affect the rest of the nation, Tripodi said.

“When you have better decision makers as Marines, you have better decision makers as American citizens,” Tripodi said. “When they go back to society, they will have this extra ethical element from the Corps.”

This training is not about creating greater consequences for those breaking the rules – this training is about ensuring Marines know what the right thing to do is and have the moral strength and character to do the right thing, Tripodi said.

“We have the right policies in place right now,” Amos said. “We just need to be disciplined enough to follow not only the letter of the law but the spirit and intent of the law.”

The culture of the Corps and the mindset of Marines are powerful forces in ensuring our Marines do their very best, for their Nation, its citizens and their Marine Corps family.

Lance Cpls. Ryan Snyder, a 21-year-old team leader from Kapolei, Hawaii, and David Lambert, a 21-year-old mortarman from Granbury, Texas, assigned to the 81mm Mortar Platoon, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, talk while providing security from their defensive position as the sun sets during Operation Shahem Tofan (Eagle Storm) in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Feb. 11. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Reece Lodder)

  • Anonymous

    I thought we had this covered with Core Values. What if we reinforce the basics of Core Values like we reinforce our history/heritage – I submit our Core Values are a part of our heritage. The wheel has already been chiseled round; do not reinvent, only polish. Marines will live up to the expectations we as leaders provide and clearly communicate. We leaders must also emulate. This is not rocket science or PhD material, it is foundational Marine Corps.

  • JAS, USMC, Ret.

    Ethics in decision making can be grouped into two most remembered categories:
    1) Right vs Wrong = normally obvious decision to most, if person is ethical and has integrity and a strong moral compass
    2) Right vs Right = sometimes a very difficult decision even for the more experienced senior leaders. Requires a strong moral compass and courage to do the right thing even over self and own organizational interests. This is the decision group that needs a lot of training and exemplars for more junior personnel. The bottom line: Right vs Right for the greater good……

  • momof2marines

    Ethics are something a person is raised with – or not. I have to wonder how successful this program will be when dealing with adults whose moral compass was never operational growing up. But then again, American youth is drawn to the Marine Corps because of its reputation and higher standards so one can hope.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=569531689 Daniel Garner

    I do miss the Corps.

  • christina roberts

    Well said Sir. Thank you for your service. God Bless.

  • Anonymous

    Hmmm. Ethics can be derived from politics; what’s ethical to one may be unethical to another and this, unfortunately, could create more doubt than decisiveness. Seems to me that if Marines follow the UCMJ, they’ve got nothing to worry about. If they have to decide whether the suspicious person in a combat zone is a threat based on some added layer of ethics, he’s adding an element that takes additional time and requires and infusion of emotion. Both could result in another dead Marine.

    “Junior Marines will have a better understanding of how to make
    decisions in a stressful environment or in a group under peer
    pressure,” Tripodi said. “What we want to do is discuss right and wrong
    and see where our understanding of right and wrong can be compromised.”

    These aren’t children, “Professor of Ethics” Tripodi,  these are Marines.

    Sad day for our Corps.

    bk, USMC Veteran, ’86-’92

  • Gunny Estrada

    Lead – Train – Guide your Marines in their MOS skills and Infantry skills, the more you sweat in peace time the less you will bleed in war. I am a 65 year old Gunny, All the leaders I was exposed to in 1966 trained their Marines to be successful. God Bless the Marine Corps. We are blessed with a History of love for our Country – GOD – and Corps. Gunny OUT!!!!!!!!! 

  • Motov8er

    I think along with this they should teach what different cultures, ethnic groups, and religions are about so Marines aren’t looking down on each other. I saw this to much while I was in and would quickly pull Marines aside about it. Let’s get our minds on straight about each other so helping each other isn’t a problem making us look bad. Also for those who aren’t looked upon greatly due to sexual orientation, maybe some simple rules asking them to dress more appropriate in civilian attire not showing themselves as being differen’t would help. I don’t mind them but with them showing up to events dressed in certain fashion or with inappropriate attire on doesn’t make others feel comfortable being near them. Your personal life is just that so at function events, showing in a little less “fashionable” attire might help greatly with others thoughts and feelings.

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