“Without exception, the CEOs interviewed emphasize that the military offers an early opportunity to acquire hands-on leadership experience that cannot be found in the corporate world or at a similarly early stage in people’s careers.”
-Korn/Ferry International
Does Military Service Help an Executive Become More Successful in Running a Corporation?
This is the question Korn/Ferry International, in cooperation with the Economist Intelligence Unit, sought out to find in a 2005 report called: Military Experience & CEOs: Is There a Link?. Korn/Ferry International is one of the leading executive recruiters in the world, while the Economist Intelligence Unit is a leading research organization focusing on country, industry and management analysis. When these two prestigious organizations come together to discover the relationship between military service and executive effectiveness, you better get your highlighter out.
6 Leadership Skills Learned in Military Training Which Enhance Success in Corporate Life
The report does a great job revealing how the share price returns of S&P 500 companies headed by CEOs with military experience outperformed other S&P 500 companies in three and five year periods, leading up to the interviews in September 2005. This is fascinating, but somewhat dated, information.
What is more interesting for military service members transitioning now is the leadership link the report identifies between military leadership skills and success in the business world. Here are 6 leadership skills that have served the ex-military CEOs exceptionally well in the boardroom.
Why reinvent the wheel when trying to position yourself and translate your skills and strengths? These are timeless traits you can begin applying now to your personal marketing plan.
1. Learning how to work as part of a team. The military’s continual emphasis on teamwork corresponds closely with the daily requirements of the business world. “Everything you do you are doing as part of a group. The benefit of working in teams was made evident and is a big part of what I value in business,” said Clayton Jones of Rockwell Collins.
2. Organizational skills, such as planning and effective use of resources. I’ve talked about the importance of on-time, on-target execution in Part 2 of the Heroic Journey Series. Here is how the late CEO of EDS (now part of HP), Michael Jordan makes the link: “What the military is really good at doing is teaching you to plan and program,” he says. “The essence of being an officer is to figure out how to deploy forces and resources to get something done. From a management standpoint, that is one of the really great lessons.”
3. Good communication skills. One of the most practical skills learned in the military is good communication. Most civilians think that the military teaches directive, one way communication. What’s less obvious to the non-military folks is the importance of listening. The CEO of American Electric Power, Michael Morris, says he learned “the willingness to listen and formulate an opinion that incorporates as many people’s ideas as possible.”
4. Defining a goal and motivating others to follow it. “Something that you learn in the military that is fundamental in business is a sense of mission,’’ says ITT’s CEO Steve Loranger. “You get very, very focused on your objectives. It was clear what the objective was and what constituted success and failure. I think all too frequently people underestimate the impact of articulating a compelling vision and aligning people laser-focused around those priorities.” Amen Steve.
“At a very young age, you get a chance to be in leadership positions of significant magnitude,” says Rockwell Collis CEO Clayton Jones. “You become comfortable in a leadership role.” This chance is unparalleled in the corporate world, where an employee may need five-to-ten years to reach a position of management.
-Korn/Ferry International
5. A highly developed sense of ethics. “Doing the right thing” or a “harder right versus an easier wrong.” This common mindset and higher sense of ethics and integrity is often taken for granted in the military. But in the world of business, where too often corporate scandals make national headlines, the ethical leader is truly esteemed. “One of the things I appreciate about the military is that these value systems do guide your daily actions and decisions. It’s not just winning that matters in the business world; it is how you win,” says ITT’s Loranger.
6. The ability to remain calm under pressure. Calm, cool and collected! Did you think that only James Bond has these traits? 
Look in the mirror and guess again. Keeping cool under fire is one of the most valued military skills. “One of the essences of a being a CEO is risk management. Hardly anything you do is without risk, and the military makes you more comfortable in taking risk,” said Rockwell Collins’ Jones, himself a former fighter pilot.
In my business experience the most important aspect of risk management is being able to make effective decisions with incomplete information. “Some people want to know more and more information before making a decision,” says Jones. “In the military you don’t have that luxury. I have found that in business it is incredibly important to be quick to market, or to deal with a crisis.”
Having problems translating your military skills? Look no further than this fantastic report. Your intention may not be to sit in the boardroom. But if you’ve served in a leadership position in the military, and are formulating your personal brand and marketing plan, make sure you use these six traits. What may seem like normal and accepted skills in the military are highly transferable and able to be directly leveraged in the business world.
Begin Your Heroic Journey!
Related Posts:
- Heroic Journey Series, Part 2 – Initiation: Discover the World of Business and Align to Your Skills, Strengths and Passions
- Learn the Language of Business: Before You Translate Your Military Skills You Need to Speak Your Customer’s Language
- Duty, Honor, Planet: Why Sustainability May Be the Best Business Opportunity in the 21st Century for Military Veterans