 BEARING
is this week's Marine Corps leadership trait, and it's
defined as, “the way you conduct and carry yourself. Your
manner should reflect alertness, competence, confidence, and
control.”
This trait is stressed by drill instructors
continually throughout recruit training. I remember hearing
tall tales of experiments resulting in the creation of sand
fleas just to test recruits' bearing at MCRD Parris Island,
S.C. Of course they aren't true, but the fact remains they
do a very good job of teaching recruits to maintain their
BEARING.
It is those times of maintaining BEARING
that I use to frame my understanding of this trait. A leader
must keep their composure by controlling their mind and
their body no matter the circumstances.
Which would
be more effective: a leader hysterically shouting orders OR
a leader calmly directing his assets? The calm, cool, and
collected leader will prevail where the hysterical fails
every time.
All of us have had to maintain our
BEARING at some point in our career, whether it was recruit
training or getting a good ol' fashioned ass-chewing from
the first sergeant!
Being able to maintain your
BEARING in a stressful situation is part of what sets
Marines apart from “lesser” services... where they crumble we
prevail!
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