Marine Corps Leadership Traits: Judgment
Candidates, this is the second in a series of leadership posts relating specifically to the Marine Corps Leadership traits–the most basic introduction to the Corps’ philosophies that you will learn about at OCS. Study the leadership traits and other lessons ahead of time on our academics page.
Judgment Definition
Judgment is your ability to think about things clearly, calmly, and in an orderly fashion so that you can make good decisions.
Good decision-making basically boils down to decisiveness and good judgment. When those decisions are life-and-death, the importance of judgment is magnified. Judgment comes with experience. However, the young Marine should not despair that he cannot exercise judgment until he has been through years of service. One’s judgment is informed by his ethics, and can be educated by the experiences of others. Value, guard and develop your own ethical backbone. Appreciate the value of mentorship and learn from the experiences of others. Mentorship is crucial to developing the next generation of Marine Corps leaders.
Suggestions for Improvement
You can improve your judgment if you avoid making rash decisions. Approach problems with a common sense attitude. Develop ethics. Pursue relationships with more experienced mentors.
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See all leadership posts here, and check back often as there are many more to come!
Reference: Marine Corps Leadership Traits
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