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Rating:  -
Extensive citations for sources and periodic disclosures over how the author observed and collected the info gives this effort a lot of credibility IMO. The format is also very focused, with short, readable sections detailing guiding principles and background, some example applications the author observed and then clearly boxed translations to how this might be applied elsewhere. That all makes for a book that delivers exactly what the title promises.
Although the accuracy and usage of these principles in the corp may be debatable, their value is still worth reading and applying where possible in any organization. No business fads here, just serious guiding tenets that are succinct and clear. You could probably gather even more or cut these down to a handful that you want to apply - the point is, the book collects these 30 in one handy place and demonstrates their application in an entertaining environment we can all understand.
The book is also worth keeping on your bookshelf after you read it. All 30 principles are repeated together as a list in the last chapter, making for a handy refresher or idea-generator when you want to re-examine your efforts to improve things in your organization.
Highly recommended.
Rating: -
"It takes a moment for it to sink in that this young man just said he admires his boss enough to die for him." - _Corps Business_.
There seems to be a dirth of real leadership in the business world today. We talk a lot about management but not much about leading and motivating people. The result seems to be a style of management that sees the bottom line as more important than the people who do the work. Our benchmarks for management are other companies like our own measuring "better than" rather than "best" in order to feed our self-deception. But consider the kind of loyalty and passion for work inspired by Marine Corps management as a benchmark. How is it that young men and women with low pay, horrendous hours, and some of the worst working environments imaginable, continue to demonstrate the dedication they do? This concise and clear guide uses examples from the Marine Corps and from recent business history to illustrate 30 principles the author gleaned while attempting to find the secret to the Marine Corps success.
It may be shocking to many to hear some of the principles espoused. The Corps has undergone extensive change as an orgnization over recent decades. The stereotyped brain-numbed drone is a thing of the past. Educational requires for entry and continuing education for even the lowest ranks chanllenges the old stereotype. And blind obedience and inflexible autocratic leadership structures are a thing of the past. Modern marines are expected to voice dissent in planning scenarios without being intimidated by higher ranks. The organization as a whole flexes to meet the each situation making a finely-tuned organization suited for the particular challenge.
Education is a key factor in creating the level of flexible and rapid response that has become part of the Corps as an organization. Further, the education makes the distinction of giving tools and principles rather than mandates or canned responses. Marines are taught to recognize patterns through continuous and extreme training scenarios so that they learn to improvise and adapt to quickly changing environments.
Some principles might be surprising, such as the principle of rewarding failure. Others are common sense but taken to extreme levels, such as obsessive experimentation. But there is method to the apparent madness and reasons why each are sound principles that are interrelated to well-thought and tried methods of leadership and leadership development. Every marine is treated as a potential and probable leader. The principle to focus on the lower ranks enhances the all marines as leaders approach.
This book is organized into 10 chapters on principles in planning, principles related to the view of the mission, principles related to education and development, principles related to directing and motivating people, and so on. The 30 principles are summarized in a final few pages for ready reference. Be aware, _Corps Business_ may even work to motivate you to be a part of that incredibly efficient and demanding organization.
All business leaders could learn a great deal from the Corps business principles. To implement these principles will require a change in culture for most but the rewards are certain to follow and make your business a true benchmark for excellence. Imagine the principles that could lead to people respecting their bosses the way marines respect theirs.
Rating:  -
That's not cause there's something wrong with analysis, but rather because journalists aren't trained for it. Who's Mr Freedman? A successful businessman? No. A Navy man? No. He's a journalist. Why should I care for his ideas on the Marine Corps/Business tactics? This overwordy book reads like a Time article, gibber-jabber; who's got time for that.
Anyway, if curious, go to a store and thumb through, don't go by positive reviews here (I doubt they're real; looks more like they're by friends/publisher's flunkeys). See for yourself. I practically read it right there -- and put it back on the shelf. Nothing evil about this book, but nothing worthy of your attention either; overall it is just another formulaic and gratuitous "business-advice" book, i.e., a waste of time, pollution of the brain.
Rating: -
I was born in the Corps. My old man was a jarhead. If what Freedman reports is true I dont believe my dad would recognize today's Corps from what it was during Korea. From what I know of the other services, Freedman may be telling the truth. But what he writes reminds me of the blarney bloviated by companies like...say...WAL-MART. I worked for WAL-MART, and what they practice aint what they preach. Theyre not evil but much of their PR is hype. And this book comes across as PR hype. The idea of the Corps being "Care Bears" blows my mind away. I mean, if theyre doing everything Freedman claims, can Hospice-work and wedding catering be far off? Freedman writes well. I love the Corps, so the topic is interesting, and the book is engrossing. But I dont believe a word of it.
Rating: -
This book will help you improve your results. It's filled with sound advice. But you can read the whole book and not understand the essence of what makes the Marine Corps great and if that's what you're looking for, this isn't the book for you.
What makes the Marines a great organization isn't 30 management techniques. It's a culture of excellence, inculcated first during initial training and then reinforced every day.
So you can use any or all of these techniques and not get the results that Marines get. Marines apply them with the leverage of tradition and culture which gives them a big advantage.
Let's consider principle 13: "Manage by end-state and intent. Tell people what needs to be accomplished and why and leave the details to them." Marines will respond to this because of their training, their experience and 230 years of tradition and war stories.
But, start applying this principle in an organization where employees have never been allowed to make their own decisions and the results are more likely to be confusion and fear than improved performance.
This book has good techniques but misses the Marine culture. That may be OK for you if you're looking for a list of good management techniques with examples of how they're applied in the US Marines.
But if you really want to know about how Marines get great results and how you can apply those principles to a business, I suggest Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way by Dan Carrison and Rod Walsh.
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