Try A Little ‘Semper Fi’

By George Burk

FedEx founder and Chief Executive Officer Fred Smith is a former Marine (there are no “ex”-Marines) who pulled two tours of duty in Vietnam — as a platoon and company commander and later as an aerial observer.

“I never could have done what I did at FedEx had I not served in the Marines,” Smith has repeatedly said. That point is pointedly explained in The Marine Corps Way, by Jason Santamaria, Vincent Martino and Eric Clemons. The authors profile several businesses that “get” the Marines’ approach to leadership. But, it appears, that few CEOs have applied the U.S. Marine Corps philosophy as well and as pervasive as Fred Smith.

Among some of the lessons Fred Smith learned: Lead out Front. Smith expects from his mangers what the Marines demand from their leaders: a willingness to admit mistakes, to be available and visible during peak activity periods, and to earn the trust of their subordinates.  It is only through leading by example can you earn that trust.

“The real leader has no need to lead — he is content to point the way.” — Henry Miller, author

“People listen to what you say in the boardroom, but they watch what you do in the hallway.”  George Burk

Take care of your troops. Smith’s philosophy — "people, service, profit" — is the wheel that moves FedEx forward. From the get-go, Smith believed that if he took care of his people — and managers did the same — employees would excel at customer service, and profits would follow.

FedEx takes care of its people via company programs such as “People Help,” “Encouraging the Heart,” and “Survey, Feedback, Action.”

People Help offers counseling and support to employees facing work related issues or personal challenges such as substance abuse or financial setbacks.

Encouraging the Heart is a worker recognition system based on Marine Corps and Navy policies. Among the kudos are Five Star Awards, accompanied by stock options, and Golden Falcon awards for heroic acts performed during emergencies.

Survey, Feedback and Action is a yearly employee poll geared to improve the work environment.  As the name suggests, the focus is on interaction and follow-through.

Make leaders of those around you. Arguably, few organizations produce leaders more effectively than the Marines. As a retired officer in the United States Air Force, I have a built-in bias; the Air Force does a good job of producing leaders as well. In the Marine Corps, example-based leadership is the ultimate mentoring tool. At every turn, new leaders are coached, trained and drilled to reach their potential.

Smith has tried to emulate that environment at FedEx, devising a leadership-development program called Aspire. It’s a workshop series that’s become FedEx’s equivalent of the Marine Corps’ Officer’s Candidate School. And, dare I say it, perhaps a model from the Air Force’s Officer’s Candidate School, as well.   

Employees volunteer to attend the workshops or are recommended by front-line managers. Graduates then attend the FedEx Leadership Institute.  The continual goal: develop talent and promote from within. 

“Aspire to inspire before you expire.”

Surpass the ordinary.  In assembling the FedEx “Manager’s Guide,” Smith wrote that the manager’s main role is “to help employees exceed their customer’s expectations.” 

Smith considers every customer contact a “moment of truth,” an encounter that helps determine whether the client continues doing business with FedEx. In the quality genre, I’ve heard it called the “MOTO” — “Moment of Truth Opportunity.” It can be as simple as the way a client or potential client is treated when they call for service; the first encounter with an employees at the work site; for example, when an airline passenger walks to the gate to check in, enters an airline club, has a package to be delivered or picks-up a package up, or asks directions. Any event that occurs when a client interacts with any employee is a MOTO.

If the way you do business is turning enough moments of truth into bad experiences, you won’t see those clients again. An old adage: “Satisfied customer’s tell five people; dissatisfied customers tell ten,” is true. Moments of truth can and do become a way of life and a way of doing business and it becomes the organization’s credo and culture.

“When you stop talking, you’ve lost your customer.  When you turn your back, you’ve lost her.” — Estee Lauder, entrepreneur

Make those “MOTO’s” efficient, pleasant and memorable for the client, and you’ll build a loyal following.

How you think is everything. Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment. Your attitude equals your altitude.

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Captain George Burk, USAF (Ret), plane crash & burn survivor, motivational speaker, author and writer. www.georgeburk.com, Phone: 800-769-8568, Mobile phone: 480-212-6321