Marine Corps Warfighting Publication MCWP 6-10 Leading Marines August 2024 Since our 30th Commandant, General Carl E. Mundy, first published Leading Marines in 1995, it has positively impacted Marines throughout our Marine Corps. It has generated spirited discussions about what it means to be a Marine and how to lead Marines and is the base document for the leadership curriculum in all our resident schools. Our leadership philosophy, as described in this publication, is in consonance with our rich and storied past. That said, the time has come to update Leading Marines. As Marines, we lead by example, often instilling values using stories. During the past 20 years of continuous combat, Marines have added to our legacy, some of their stories superbly illustrating our leadership philosophy. You’ll recognize many of those stories herein. We speak in this publication about those timeless attributes that form the soul of our Corps; those attributes that carried Marines forward through the wheat fields of Belleau Wood to the strongholds of Fallujah and Marjah. Additionally, our core values, leadership traits, and leadership principles are given added emphasis in this edition. The intent of this revision is to better describe our timeless leadership philosophy. Simply put, this publication describes the leadership philosophy that distinguishes the U.S. Marine Corps. This publication is not meant to be a “how to” guide on leadership, rather, it provides broad guidance in the form of concepts and values. Additionally, Leading Marines is not designed as a reference manual; it is meant to be read from cover to cover. Its three chapters have a natural progression. Chapter 1 describes our ethos—who we are and what we do for our Nation. Building on that understanding, Chapter 2 covers the foundations of Marine Corps leadership and Chapter 3 addresses overcoming leadership challenges. Once you read this publication, I charge you to discuss it with your peers, subordinates, and seniors. As General Mundy laid out in his foreword to the original publication in 1995, leading Marines is the most important responsibility in our Corps, and thus, we must educate the heart and mind to prevail across the battlespace and in the barracks, in war, and in peace.
