Veterans In Business

Action Oriented, Skilled Project Managers, Expert Trainers, People and Team Oriented, Skilled Communicators, Technology Oriented, 24/7 Work Ethic, Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. Making sense of chaos, seizing the initiative, staying dedicated. What do YOU bring to the table?

 In 2016 I had the opportunity to speak at Veterans in Business Conference in Arlington Virginia. That 30 minute talk is here. I shared some thoughts on Vets in business, more specifically entrepreneurs and small business owners, and talked about the three characteristics I think Veterans make ideal entrepreneurs. But, just in case you don’t have 30 minutes here is some of that advice I shared in a 5 minute read…

 What do Sam Walton, Dave Thomas, Barry Gordy, Bob Parson, Fred Smith, Phil Knight, Charles Walgreen, and Jim Kimsey all have in common?

 The founders of WalMart, Wendy’s, Motown Records, FedEx, AOL, GoDaddy, Nike, and Walgreens were all Veterans. They are all veterans who started their own business after their service to the nation. Not to mention Ross Perot, Roger Staubach and even Yankees legend George Steinbrenner. The list goes on and on. Here are just a few of the large publicly traded companies currently or recently run by a Veteran; 7-Eleven, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Foot Locker, Procter & Gamble. 

Whether you served just a few years, 20+ years, had many combat tours or none, you may not know it – but trust me when I tell you that you have what it takes to not only survive in the business world but thrive. That includes doing your own thing.

I found this definition of Entrepreneur about 5 years ago. Can’t find the source, but give a read. 

What is an Entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is someone who takes on the risk of operating a new business.

An entrepreneur is a risk taker, a leader, an organizer, and one who isn’t afraid to take on uncertainties. 

An entrepreneur has the drive, confidence, and determination to succeed.

An entrepreneur does not allow others to stand in their way when they try to achieve goals. They have a desire to achieve, are hard working, accept responsibility. 

Entrepreneurs used their drive and determination to achieve goals and ambitions.

Entrepreneurs didn’t let anything stop them but kept on going even if someone said they couldn’t succeed. They saw success in their future and they strived to achieve it.

Entrepreneurs saw their projects through to the end and never gave up on themselves. They expressed confidence in their abilities as well as in their projects.

Entrepreneurs’ determination, optimism, and spirit are inspirational.

…Now replace the word “entrepreneur” with “Veteran”…

What is an Veteran?

A Vet is a risk taker, a leader, an organizer, and one who isn’t afraid to take on uncertainties. 

A Vet has the drive, confidence, and determination to succeed.

A Vet does not allow others to stand in their way when they try to achieve goals. They have a desire to achieve, are hard working and accept responsibility. 

Veterans use their drive and determination to achieve goals and ambitions.

Veterans didn’t let anything stop them but kept on going even if someone said they couldn’t succeed. They saw success in their future and they strived to achieve it.

Veterans see their missions through to the end and never give up on themselves. They express confidence in their abilities as well as in their missions.  

Veterans’ determination, optimism, and spirit are inspirational.

Three Things: Leadership, Grit and Flexibility.

Kelly Perdew a serial entrepreneur, Airborne Ranger, and former Military Intelligence Officer was the winner of ‘The Apprentice Season 2’. He wrote in his book “Take Command” 10 things he learned in the military that make him successful as an entrepreneur; Duty, Impeccability, Passion, Perseverance, Planning, Teamwork, Loyalty, Flexibility, Selfless Service, and Integrity.

Without dismissing integrity and loyalty, here are the three key reasons I think Veterans make great employees for businesses, especially small, start-ups and should consider entrepreneurship.

The first is leadership. A recent study highlighted in Harvard Business Review concluded that only 34% of Americans want to lead or manage others. Only a 1/3 – WOW. But that does mean that they are open to a talented and dedicated person of integrity to lead them. Veterans are trained to be that person. From the day we enter basic training to our last assignment – we are taught what good leadership look like. In fact the US Army developed 11 Principles in 1948 still taught unchanged in bootcamps today over 70 years later. 

1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement

2. Be technically proficient

3. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.

4. Set the example

5. Know your people and look out for their welfare

6. Keep your people informed

7. Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished

8. Develop a sense of responsibility among your people

9. Train your people as a team

10. Make sound and timely decisions

11. Employ your work unit in accordance with its capabilities

If there are two privates raking leaves, one of them is in charge and held responsible and accountable. Two privates scrubbing toilets – one is the leader of the bathroom detail. From the earliest military days leading one or two teammates to your final leading dozens or even thousands – you have been asked to step up and take care of others.

The second characteristic that makes us suited for business and especially small business ownership is resilience. This is my favorite quote:

PERSISTENCE AND RESILIENCE

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

-       Calvin Coolidge

Being in the military is not just a job, it’s a lifestyle, and it’s a big commitment. People join the military not just to get a paycheck, but to be part of something larger than themselves. In the same way, being an entrepreneur requires a sense of mission. The best entrepreneurs aren’t in it just for the money, they’re trying to build something, create something, or solve a problem better than anyone else. They stick with it until they are successful. Veterans know that you must stick with it until the mission is complete.

Angela Duckworth, Ph.D. UPenn professor and founder of The Character Lab has conducted research of this trait and has proven it is the number one indicator of success. More than IQ, EQ or education she proved it is GRIT. Those who are resilient and able to focus on long term goals will be the most successful. I have written about this research and her book many times before. Gen Dempsey during his time as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff talked about how the Army is making a more concerted effort in training school and training events to force leaders to face failure. Having resilience and demonstrating grit means being able to handle those setbacks and short term failures and still focus to drive toward your long term goals or mission.

The third and final characteristic that I think allows Veterans to stand out above their peers is flexibility and adaptability.

Any person who is inflexible — who can only operate in one manner — is not likely to survive very long. Problem-solving requires flexibility.

A lot of people are surprised when I say “flexibility” is a key leadership principle I learned in the military. Hollywood frequently portrays military personnel as rigid and inflexible. That is unfortunate and, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. When an infantry unit is told by the commander to take a hill, or secure a city block, or clear a mountain cave complex they aren’t told how to take it. That is where the problem-solving comes in. The unit has to figure it out on its own. Especially when the plan goes sideways and the bullets start flying. That complex problem-solving is something every ex-military person takes with them into the civilian workforce.

I asked Buck French, my West Point and Ranger School classmate and now a successful serial entrepreneur for his thoughts. He founded one of the original e-commerce platforms in the late 90’s, OnLink, and sold it to Seibel system for $609M and then as CEO of Securify sold it for $64M in 2008 to Secure Computing (McAfee). “Pretty simple, in my humble opinion. In the military you have to conduct operations with incomplete/imperfect information with limited resources. Despite that, you are expected to complete the mission. Same as an entrepreneur. You have incomplete/imperfect information about the market, customer needs, etc. yet still with your limited resources, you are expected to figure it out.”

“Dealing ambiguity all the time. Yes, we have a hierarchy and chain of command and rank but I don’t think you can show me anyone better at making sense of chaos than a Combat Vet.” Nick Palmisciano, Founder and President at Ranger Up Military Apparel, said…”We’re the most flexible, creative, and adaptable people on the planet…We have been forced to operate in demanding, high-stress, non-artificial environments and succeed. In the military, things are often crystal clear – we know whether we won or lost – whether we did well or failed instantly. We don’t have a boss arbitrarily deciding if the mission was completed. This makes us our own harshest critic, which is essential as an entrepreneur, where blaming others (including luck) is a quick path to failure.”

Adaptability include learning new skills. Evolving. Learning. Growing. Most people mistake Darwin’s findings as “survival of the strongest.” Or “only the strong survive”. It is actually “survival of the fittest” and his definition of ‘fittest’ – is those that can adapt and evolve the quickest. The military instills in their people a sense of constant learning and skill acquisition. Constant growth, studying, practicing, and periodic stops to attend formal training that can last weeks, months or even years to get to the next level of responsibility are the norm. 

One caveat in this regard, being flexible does not mean compromising your integrity. Always maintain your integrity.

Call To Action. America NEEDS YOU !

A recent YouGov survey of voters under 30 found they actually had higher opinion of socialism (43% in favor) than they do of capitalism (32% in favor). So please for the sake of America’s future – Veterans in Business we need to step up and lead and follow the example set by Greatest Generation and help drive America’s economy forward. We need women and men of character, integrity and drive to help Millennials and all Americans understand and appreciate capitalism and set the example showing them what responsible and ethical companies look and behave like.

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I could have just as easily chosen making sense of chaos, seizing the initiative, and staying dedicated as my three reasons, or any of the dozen I listed up front. So perhaps I will write about those next time. If you enjoyed this you may enjoy other articles:

https://www.dhirubhai.net/today/author/tomdeierlein

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