There are many similarities between military and corporate leaders. In both cases these leaders can either lead their troops/employees to victory or to defeat. Both types of leaders can stay engaged and instill confidence in their followers, or they can lose touch and loyalty as they gain individual power and prestige.
When you think of leadership, the concepts of vision, mission, core values, and teamwork are often discussed. These leadership ideas transcend both civilian and military occupations. The landscape may look different, but "each day can be a battle" is a common metaphor. Tapping into the energy of the people that you lead, evaluating the competition or enemy, managing the logistics of supplies and resources effectively and developing creative strategies to "win" are ingredients in the mix that make great leaders. Leadership is critical to winning battles and winning in the business world but its complexity makes it a challenge to define.
The military is considered a training ground for future leaders in business. Many firms recognize the value of our veterans and have recruitment programs. Military training focuses on leadership skill development. Skills are measured and repeated until they are ingrained. Team work is fostered as it is critical to survival. Communications is also considered a critical element to effective leadership. The recent change of command in Afghanistan shows the importance of appropriate communication at all levels. Effective communications transcend both military and civilian occupations and are the fundamental precept of command and leadership.
Thomas Jonathan Jackson, better known as Major Stonewall Jackson was considered one of the most skilled and admired commanders during the Civil War. Military historians believe him to be one of the most talented tactical commanders and his courage under fire was famous to both sides of the conflict. His life ended tragically when he was accidentally shot by his troops. Loyalty to a leader is the essence of great leadership yet is another concept difficult to define.
Peter F. Drucker who has been rightly given the title "father of modern management," promoted the concept of "Heroic Leadership". He has been cited as saying, "The Army trains and develops more leaders than do all other institutions together-and with a lower casualty rate." Retired General William Cohen stated that "Heroic Leadership entails-leading a group with absolute integrity while raising individual performance to a personal best, and building a team spirit of sacrifice for the common good. " This definition certainly applies to both military and civilian jobs.
When discussing heroes, the words honor, valor, courage and selflessness are commonly used. Unfortunately not all CEO's have practiced these traits. Those CEO's that excel and demonstrate leadership excellence do not always receive the headlines, but they certainly study the concepts of great leaders.
At a seminar a few years ago, I heard Colin Powell speak of leadership. General Powell was the first black officer to hold the nation's highest military post. He also wrote a book, The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell" which contain principles of leadership, five which are listed here:
1. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.
2. Never neglect details. When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant.
3. Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it.
4. Don't chase the latest management fads. The situation dictates which approach best accomplishes the team's mission.
5. Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand.
Powell's five principles can certainly be applied to business situations. In closing, here are some examples of how military and business institutions parallel each other in other ways:
Military Business
General= CEO
Troops= Employees
boot camp= employee training
medal = award/bonus
war games= simulations
Congress= SEC
Joint Chiefs= board of directors
Yes, there are similarities between the leaders in our military and in our civilian businesses. Each side can learn from the other.
