The Stories of Creative Leadership: Raphael Hernandez

By Tony Vengrove

Welcome to Episode 2 of The Stories of Creative Leadership. Our latest conversation features Lt. Col. Raphael Hernandez, Chief Marketing Officer, Marine Corps Recruiting Command. We invited Raphael on the show to discuss how military leaders foster creative thinking in a highly-constrained and order-centric environment.

Many might think the military is purely a strict, command-and-control culture that relies upon a strong adherence to the chain of command. While there are certainly elements of that, Raphael explains to us that independent thought is integral to how the Marines operate.

Interview highlights include:

• How the military utilizes Commander’s Intent to foster creative thinking and empower soldiers to make decisions.
• Why trust is so critical and how leaders can build trust.
• What “Espirit de Corps” means to the Marines. What are you doing to build pride, fellowship, and loyalty in your organization?
• Learn about the interesting work of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum.
• “Can’t really means I won’t.” Why you won’t hear many Marines complain, “I can’t do that.”
• How many USMC mantras, such as “Make it Happen,” are applicable for all leaders in all organizations; how they can help drive motivation.
• “Change doesn’t happen until change happens.”

It was an honor to have Lt. Col. Hernandez share his thoughts about creative leadership with us. He’s a great, generous leader and human being. Please be sure to follow him on Twitter–I’m sure he’d love to hear your perspectives about leadership.

We have a lot more exciting guests coming down the pike. Be sure to bookmark our new series landing page so that you never miss an episode!

Miles Finch Innovation helps companies navigate the messy territory of corporate innovation. We’re strategic thinking partners who can help you get unstuck and identify creative solutions to your toughest challenges. We also love to train and speak on the subject of Creative Leadership. Email us or call us at 860-799-7505 to learn how we can help you you unlock the creative potential of your employees.