Call Sign Chaos

by Jim Mattis

The first is competence. Be brilliant in the basics. Don’t dabble in your job; you must master it.

The last perfect man on earth died on a cross long ago—just be honest and move on, smarter for what your mistake taught you.

caring. To quote Teddy Roosevelt, “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

conviction. This is harder and deeper than physical courage. Your peers are the first to know what you will stand for and, more important, what you won’t stand for. Your troops catch on fast. State your flat-ass rules and stick to them. They shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. At the same time, leaven your professional passion with personal humility and compassion for your troops. Remember: As an officer, you need to win only one battle—for the hearts of your troops. Win their hearts and they will win the fights.

Competence, caring, and conviction combine to form a fundamental element—shaping the fighting spirit of your troops. Leadership means reaching the souls of your troops, instilling a sense of commitment and purpose in the face of challenges so severe that they cannot be put into words.

Never think that you’re impotent. Choose how you respond.

“If a fight breaks out,” I told them, “I’ll kill Janabi. You keep firing and empty your magazines until the others break in.”

Commanders don’t drive from the back seat. Credit those below you with the same level of commitment and ability with which you credit yourself.

He then has to trust that his subordinates know how to carry that out. Wise leadership requires collaboration; otherwise it will lead to failure.