Learning Leadership from the Military
“The military makes you a man,” is a phrase that I had learnt at the age of 17 before I went on to join the army. Upon entering the military, I was taught something completely different, “Ever High is My Head”(Chiro Unnoto Momoshir). Currently in my early 40s, I reminisce about my journey and how grateful I am to the military for teaching me such essential life lessons. I served in a wide range of military positions that included a cadet, second lieutenant, captain of operational areas of CHT, a peacekeeper in war inflicted zones in Western Africa or as an intelligence operative or liaisons officer for foreign diplomatic missions. Every experience helped shape me into the person I am today. Among the many valuable traits that I have developed in the Bangladesh military, the most important are my leadership skills.
The combined 35 year tenure of my service along with that of my father’s, accounts for the strong presence of the military way in my life. However, I had chosen to voluntarily retire from military service due to personal reasons. I wanted to make progress outside the military by exploring options outside my comfort zone. The discipline and mannerisms of the military allowed me to gain a significant degree of success within 5 years following my decision. My accomplishments included managing the administration of a workforce of 28,000 people, developing an international business for textile pre-consumer waste upcycling with the European markets for the first time and emerging in the supply chain profession. I established my own start-up in Europe, consulting with European companies about the supply chain sustainability; my 40 member supply chain team is one of the top supply chain companies in the world. I express the utmost gratitude to the military for teaching me a number of priceless attributes and lessons regarding leadership that I have applied for the success of all my future ventures.
Setting personal example:
As a leader, asking for results from your followers is a common practice that must be discontinued. A true leader only asks for results after they have shown what potential outcomes are and setting the standards of achievement. These actions initiate momentum and aspirations on a much higher level. Additionally, this allows for the leader to take a more active part in the hardships while eradicating the idea that they are not a person of action. The military has taught me to set examples through actions and act as a mentor in order to motivate one’s subordinates.
Endurance:
Darwin’s theory, survival of the fittest, is something that all leaders must incorporate into their ideology because it teaches the necessity for endurance. When any situation seems as if it will result in a severely dismal outcome without any room for improvement or damage control, the guidance of a leader serves as the key-surviving factor. Facing hardships on a daily basis and handling crisis in some of the toughest part of the world is a necessary criterion. Maintaining composure and the ability to keep calm during the most stressful situations will allow one to ascertain the most optimal achievement in a rather hopeless situation. This mannerism can be applied within the corporate field, in a military situation or during conflict resolutions in everyday life.
Self confidence:
Every leader needs to perform his responsibility to assign tasks, ask for feedback and resort to corrective measures in conformation with corresponding circumstances. This includes using promotions, rewards or applying authority to implement objective change. This balance of authority and ability to command will only persevere through self-confidence. During my handling with international companies and workforces from different cultural and social background, my confidence acted as a strong benefactor in my handling of any new situation. The military allows for one’s confidence to flourish by allowing them to tackle a vast array of situation in order to fully understand their own potential and strengths.
Situational Awareness:
Being in the ordeals of combat assignmentsm, both at home and abroad as a Military leader develops higher level of situational awareness in an individual. A person with such situational awareness becomes more vigilant, agile in response time and more psychologically balanced. This is essentially needed to keep the team members driven without losing faith and bring out the best in the worst of situations. Such leaders are more likely to perform better with a team and achieve organizational goals.
Courage:
“Courage is not absence of fear, rather moving with dignity in presence of it,” an articulate phrase that reminds us of how it is demarcated between acting logical and reacting inappropriately to situations. This helps in the development of a more practical approach blending common sense and capitalizing opportunities. Courage is not instinctive; it is developed over years of experiences through different situations. In the military, we learn to break open mental barriers and display courage. It makes an individual to set a target and complete it without fear. This is similarly applicable for life as a leader outside the military. A leader’s courage remains the follower’s inspirations and builds the bridge of mutual respect between them.
Taking ownership and acting responsibly:
This is one leadership trait, which has a lot to do with developing trust between the leader and his followers. A good leader always takes the ownership of his team, protects them unconditionally to allow learning through mistakes and growth. This creates convenient learning environment without the fear of losing, where achievements are prime and mistakes are considered valuable experiences. Taking the responsibility for their team, a military leader knows how to conduct the entire group and take responsibility for the mistakes that were made under their supervision. Similarly, a business or corporate leader performs better when they take ownership of their team and protect the members from consequences. The output is optimum when the members are allowed to think freely and act without confusion.
Quick learning and adaptability:
Wherever I have worked, my capability to learn the functional criticalities quickly and adapt myself to the existing environment has always made differences while leading any team. It primarily demonstrated my competence to deliver rapid results and earn respect from higher, parallel or lower levels in the hierarchy. Furthermore, it helped me secure a firm position as a leader among my team members. The ability to learn quickly and adapting to different situations comes entirely from the instinct to survive. Facing many sink or swim situations during my time in the military has uniquely developed this capability within me.
Leadership isn’t a gift presented to us celestially by birth. It is a combination of nature and nurture. Having walked a versatile path from the jungles of Africa to the marvels of the western world, I have been able to capitalize my leadership skills that I have acquired from the military. The valuable lessons I have learnt through the cognitive process while performing my responsibilities in the military have solely contributed to develop my leadership skills. There is no denying the differences in the psychology and attitude of the military. A sensible approach to polish and fine tune those experiences to effectively apply them to my life outside the uniform has helped me secure my success as a corporate or supply chain leader. Human beings react and express themselves in surprisingly similar way everywhere in the world, regardless of race, color or country.
The writer is is currently working in Europe and is a senior consultant regarding Supply Chain Sustainability and Textile pre-consumer waste Upcycling.
