{"id":51258,"date":"2019-11-25T22:11:36","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T22:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/11\/25\/the-root-of-enthusiasm-and-why-its-vital-for-successful-marine-leaders\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:47:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:47:38","slug":"the-root-of-enthusiasm-and-why-its-vital-for-successful-marine-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/opinion\/2019\/11\/25\/the-root-of-enthusiasm-and-why-its-vital-for-successful-marine-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"The root of enthusiasm and why it\u2019s vital for successful Marine leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1944, 44 Marines landed on the beaches of Roi Namur<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/newsletters\/daily-news-roundup\/2019\/06\/26\/graves-of-world-war-ii-marines-sailors-likely-found-on-remote-pacific-island-of-tarawa\/\" target=_blank> in the Marshall Islands.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seven survived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marine Pfc. Joseph P. Nicoletto, my grandfather, was one of those seven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After being wounded in combat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2019\/11\/13\/remains-of-wwii-marine-killed-at-battle-of-tarawa-to-return-to-iowa\/\" target=\"_blank\">and returning home<\/a>, he asked my \u00adgrandmother, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/11\/01\/marine-believed-to-be-oldest-known-surviving-marine-from-iwo-jima-dies\/\" target=\"_blank\">Why did I deserve to live<\/a> and they didn\u2019t?\u201d He never received an answer to this question.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2019\/11\/18\/an-open-letter-to-the-leaders-of-marine-aviation\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"161\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4918886-1.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">An open letter to the leaders of Marine aviation<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Dec. 6, 2018, midair collision is, sadly, a damning indictment of the leadership at every level of Marine aviation, this retired Marine colonel says.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, God blessed him with being one of the seven, in turn blessing me with this life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2019\/11\/08\/not-just-a-rifleman-anymore-marines-must-self-sustain-in-the-high-end-fight\/\" target=_blank>Only a mathematician could \u00adcalculate the odds <\/a>of me being here today. Even so, I know that those odds are minuscule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although Pfc. Nicoletto was one of seven to survive in his platoon, he was almost killed every time he took a breath on Roi Namur: He almost drowned when he jumped off the side of his landing ship and swam to shore \u2014 sniper rounds buzzing his head as he swam. Once on the island, a blockhouse exploded, knocking him unconscious. He also was wounded in the battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An inch to the left or a few feet \u00adcloser, and I may not be here today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My life is a gift. So is yours. How can we not be enthusiastic about that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Internal enthusiasm is vital to being a successful leader \u2014 especially as a Marine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLeadership is the sum of those \u00adqualities of intellect, human \u00adunderstanding, and moral character that enables a person to inspire and control a group of people successfully,\u201d according to Gen. John A. Lejeune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without these qualities, the task likely will not be completed \u2014 at least to the best of the team\u2019s ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leadership is a precursor to \u00adbecoming a Marine. The Marine Corps instills 14 leadership traits and 11 \u00adprinciples in all Marines. Enthusiasm \u2014 one often relegated to an afterthought \u2014 is one of those 14 key traits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I understand the natural instinct to overlook enthusiasm, or focus on other leadership traits such as courage or integrity. In fact, I assume that most of us search for books on Amazon about courage before we do about enthusiasm. But I believe that\u2019s only because we view enthusiasm as an external characteristic, not also as internal one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We see enthusiasm as the \u201c\u00adrah-rah\u201d speech given by our boss. Or a \u00adcolleague who exclaims \u201cAbsolutely!\u201d in response to a simple request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes this type of enthusiasm is effective, usually it is not. But internal enthusiasm is always effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As one\u2019s internal enthusiasm decreases, so does their appreciation for their employees and work. In contrast, when we appreciate how blessed we are, even in our most difficult times, our internal enthusiasm permeates our actions. This enthusiasm is what a leader requires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Internal enthusiasm is not always easy to find. Personal issues, waking up early and long days at the office all attempt to stifle our enthusiasm for our mission, whatever it may be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But our internal enthusiasm cannot be controlled by the ebbs and flows of everyday life. If it were, and you turned on the news for more than five minutes, it would be hard to be \u00adenthusiastic about anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, our enthusiasm must be pinned on something else: on the idea that life is a gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although not everyone has a story like Pfc. Nicoletto, we all have a reason to believe that life is a gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ability to walk, think and breathe air are gifts. But, instead, we often focus on the issues in our lives and the world and ignore these blessings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes we acknowledge them, but even then, we label them as \u201csmall\u201d gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How can we diminish them so easily?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the 37 Marines that perished at Roi Namur, they no longer can breathe air, hug their loved ones or walk this Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To them and their families, to have those moments again would be no small gift. This reality should fuel our internal enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we think this way, it is \u00adimpossible for others not to recognize our appreciation for them, our work and our life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There will be pain, grief and struggles in all our lives, some more than others. But, no matter our circumstances, we must not lose our internal enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This task is simple, not easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You will likely fail; I most certainly will fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But as any good leader understands, perseverance is the only option. And when you experience failure, maybe recall those 37 Marines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Marine 1st Lt. <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/StevenJArango\" target=_blank><i>Steven Arango<\/i><\/a><i> is currently clerking for U.S. District Judge \u00adFernando Rodriguez Jr. After completion of his clerkship, he will return to active duty in the Marine Corps as a judge advocate. <\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Marine Corps Times, the U.S. Marine Corps, Department of the Navy, Department of Defense or the U.S. government.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Internal enthusiasm is vital to being a successful leader \u2014 especially as a Marine, this Marine says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":58116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":17,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"coauthors":[8450],"class_list":["post-51258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"X3QSHHFPENCILEMIXR2EV7UBKA","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinion\/2019\/11\/25\/the-root-of-enthusiasm-and-why-its-vital-for-successful-marine-leaders\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The root of enthusiasm and why it\u2019s vital for successful Marine leaders - Military Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Internal enthusiasm is vital to being a successful leader \u2014 especially as a Marine, this Marine says.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The root of enthusiasm and why it\u2019s vital for successful Marine leaders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Internal enthusiasm is vital to being a successful leader \u2014 especially as a Marine, this Marine says.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/opinion\/2019\/11\/25\/the-root-of-enthusiasm-and-why-its-vital-for-successful-marine-leaders\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Military Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-11-25T22:11:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T20:47:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Marine 1st Lt. 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