What the Marines Teach Us About Unity in Business

As we get ready to celebrate the 250th Marine Corps birthday, I couldn’t help but think of the similarities between what makes their esprit de corps so enduring and the cultures that define the best-run organizations.

In a recent Tampa Bay Times opinion piece, Marine Corps officer Steven Arango reflected on how the Marines draw strength from shared purpose in an age marked by division. He wrote that the Corps succeeds not because its members are identical but because they are united by mission, disciplined by values, and forged in commitment to one another. That idea, while rooted in the battlefield, has profound implications for today’s boardrooms, shop floors, and leadership teams.

Purpose: The Anchor in Uncertain Seas

In the Marines, no one doubts why they exist or what success looks like. Purpose is the compass that orients every decision, from the newest recruit to the Commandant. Businesses are no different. When an organization can articulate why it matters—and translate that into daily action—it achieves clarity that most competitors never find.

Purpose turns abstract goals into rallying cries. It transforms quarterly targets into missions worth committing to. It’s the difference between compliance and conviction.

Behavior as Culture in Motion

Arango reminded readers that Marine values—honor, courage, commitment—aren’t slogans on a wall. They are behaviors lived in barracks, on battlefields, and in daily decisions. In business, culture works the same way. A set of values framed in the lobby is inert until leaders and teams translate them into consistent behavioral habits.

When accountability and example are shared—when people “walk the talk” and hold each other to the same standard—culture becomes self-reinforcing. That’s how organizations earn resilience. They can absorb setbacks, adapt to change, and recover faster because the behavioral fabric is already strong.

Unity Without Uniformity

One of the most compelling aspects of the Marine model is that unity doesn’t mean sameness. Recruits arrive from every background imaginable. The Corps doesn’t erase individuality; it channels it toward a collective outcome. Likewise, high-performing companies don’t demand conformity. They harness diversity around a unifying purpose.

In a polarized age, socially, politically, even generationally, leaders who cultivate unity without suppressing individuality create a competitive advantage that algorithms can’t replicate. Shared purpose becomes the “common language” through which different viewpoints can productively collide and create innovation.

The Business Case for Shared Purpose

Research supports what intuition already knows: purpose-driven companies outperform. McKinsey & Co. reports that organizations with strong shared purpose are five times more likely to achieve above-average engagement and three times more likely to see faster revenue growth. Harvard Business Review studies show that teams aligned around a clear mission maintain higher morale under stress and make decisions faster with less conflict.

That’s the kind of unity that translates directly to the bottom line. It’s not about motivational posters—it’s about operational cohesion. When people know why they’re here, how their work connects to strategy, and how success is measured, they move together. That alignment reduces friction, increases speed, and compounds trust. It’s a force multiplier.

Leadership: From Command to Commitment

The Marines’ leadership model offers another valuable lesson. While hierarchy is clear, effective Marine leaders earn commitment through competence, consistency, and care—not just command. In business, authority can compel compliance, but only purpose can inspire commitment. Leaders who invite participation, model the organization’s values, and connect the work to something larger than profit create discretionary effort—the extra energy that separates good companies from great ones.

From the Battlefield to the Boardroom

Imagine if every employee understood their company’s mission as clearly as a Marine understands theirs. Imagine if meetings began not with departmental priorities but with a reminder of shared purpose. Imagine if decisions were tested first against a company’s core values before financial models. That’s not sentimentality; it’s strategy. Purpose is the new productivity. It is often why one decides to work for you.

As the Marine Corps celebrates its 250th birthday, we honor their courage, discipline, and unity of mission. But we can also borrow their lesson: that unity around shared purpose is not only noble—it’s efficient, resilient, and unbeatable.

The best organizations, like the Marines, understand that culture isn’t a soft issue. It’s the hard edge of performance. When people believe in what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with, they will go farther, faster, and together.

By John P. Foster, MBA, CBEC
Managing Member, Pathfinder Group
Helping business owners build cultures that drive growth, resilience, and transferable value.