The Habits of a Marine Corps General

“I finish 3 or 4 books a week.” -General William Mullen

Last month, a friend sent me an article written by a two star general from the U.S. Marine Corps. It was so refreshing. I served in the Navy and a few leaders were a big part of my decision to leave. As hostage negotiator, Derek Gaunt told me in our interview, “People don’t quit jobs, they quit bosses.” Yet, here was a very established military leader who shared my love of reading and good conversation. He’s even writing a book. So, I reached out to set up a podcast.

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” -Annie Dillard

General William Mullen generously agreed to do the interview. I was pleasantly surprised, because a general with 33 years in the Marine Corps has a lot of demands on his time. General Mullen is different from many career military officers that I knew. He’s not playing games to make his next rank. In a service with the slogan, “The few, the proud, the Marines,” he has managed to stay humble. His time is devoted to serving the people around him.

“I’ll never be smart enough.” -General William Mullen

The activity that quickly sets General Mullen apart from most people is his reading habit. He told me, “I finish 3 or 4 books a week,” and he’s often in the middle of 15 books in audio, electronic, and hard copy forms. Why read so much? Because he believes, “I’ll never be smart enough,” and he is hungry to be ready for situations that come his way. As we discussed the importance of reading and humility, Mullen shared the cautionary tale of General William Westmoreland. After being quickly promoted, Westmoreland turned down opportunities to further his professional education. He went on to lead forces through tragedy in the Vietnam War. In contrast, Mullen aims to keep enhancing his professional toolkit through constant study. Robert Greene, author of The 33 Strategies of War, shared similar advice for aspiring strategists in our interview. The trick is to have a rich vocabulary of approaches to a problem and experience with actual problem-solving. If you just work without studying you’ll get into ruts and run out of ideas.

When Mullen isn’t reading, he’s working out every morning. Of course, he likes to read during exercise whenever possible. He even uses a waterproof iPod to listen to audiobooks while swimming laps.

He does put the books down for his Marines. He’s clearly driven to serve his colleagues. Many flag officers (Generals and Admirals) use their aides to protect their schedules, but General Mullen’s aide knows to open up time slots for Marines seeking one-on-one mentorship with the General. Mullen explained his mentorship philosophy with a book reference, as big readers often do, Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek.

General Mullen prioritizes mentorship because he believes it makes lasting change. He charges his fellow Marines to do the same, reminding them that they will get the Marine Corps that they mentor. And when it comes to the sad behaviors that are too common among military members, such as suicide and drunk driving, Mullen says he just wants to, “Get em to think.”

You can hear the determination in his voice when we discuss his desire to influence people and save lives. He’s trying to get people to think before they act in every way he can, one-on-one, giving speeches, writing articles, doing podcasts, and now writing a book.

In talking with the General and several people who work for him, it’s clear that he embodies what he preaches. The reading, the exercise, and the commitment to his work are expressions of his thoughtful approach to life. His intentionality is the meta-habit that pulls it all together.

To learn more about General William Mullen, check out his article on A Warrior’s Mind and the What it Means to be a Man Speech