What advice do you have on leadership in the civilian sector vs. the military? How should I prepare for leading in this new culture?

SrA Johnathan Kropke — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 13:33:22 -0500

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 1:35 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 13:35:44 -0500

Be ready to reinvent yourself

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 1:54 PM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 13:54:26 -0500

SrA Johnathan Kropke When you entered the Air Force you faced an entirely different culture and set of rules. You passed that test. Now you will once again enter an entirely different culture with a new set of rules. You can do it again.

I will say that there are many different paths in the civilian life, and they differ greatly. One major difference you will find is that the rules are not usually written. You have to observe and learn.

Again, that said you went through a change before and you will do so again.

Good luck in whatever you pursue.

Response by 1SG Dennis Hicks made Mar 9 at 2018 2:09 PM

1SG Dennis Hicks — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 14:09:10 -0500

All joking (Ok not all)aside the Air Force is the closest to mirroring civilian leadership and operations believe it or not. So you have a head start over an angry Infantry NCO in dealing with the pitfalls of substandard work ethics in the work force. Depending on your personal leadership style its best to dial it back some until you get the rhythm of your supervisors and directors. Your co workers will have a fit if you treat them like they are military, specially if they are union. The best advice I can give you is to observe whats normal and modify it to your style. I still scare some of my workers when I slip into old habits :)

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Mar 9 at 2018 2:10 PM

SSG Carlos Madden — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 14:10:06 -0500

Hi Jonathan,
Thanks for posting. What's your question specifically?

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 2:21 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 14:21:30 -0500

SrA Johnathan Kropke In the military, you give orders and expect then to be carried out. In the civilian world, you need to be more creative and find what works best for you. I worked hard and gained the respect of those that I led. In a few instances, different tactics had to be tried until I found what worked with certain individuals. Some civilians have a very poor work ethic, and it can be challenging at times to try and motivate them to be productive. Everyone has their own leadership style. I tried to lay out the overall objective, the due date, and then let the individual(s) decide on the best way to accomplish the goals. This works well with some folks, while others need more supervision.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Mar 9 at 2018 2:35 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 14:35:43 -0500

Advancement in the private industry is similar to the military, work hard, show professionalism, learn to do your job with diligence, stay out of trouble. My relative success in the private industry has little to due with my technical expertise gained in the military, but what I learned about leadership. Leadership transcends the venue and is fairly standard in all operating environments.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Mar 9 at 2018 3:12 PM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 15:12:44 -0500

Woohoo! (my area of expertise)
From a scientific standpoint, the fundamentals are the same. The application is different.

The military is a hierarchical (pyramid based structure). The civilian world will often be a T-Shaped or lateral based structure. Basically that means you won't always know who your "boss" is, or your boss may be fluid.

So... Let's look at the definitions. Leadership is the ability to influence others to accomplish a specific mission.

Within the military, we use A LOT of positional authority. In the civilian sector, your will use a lot LESS of that. Rather than DIRECTIVE, you needed to be COERCIVE.

Check out this video by General McChrystal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7DzQWjXKFI

Stanley McChrystal: Leadership is a Choice

"Leadership is not a talent or a gift. It's a choice. It's not complex, but it's very hard." General Stanley McChrystal explains to a packed auditorium of 60...

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 3:13 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 15:13:54 -0500

1. Recognize that entre' to private sector "leadership" is very different from the progressive promotion within the military.
2. Be prepared for your hard earned military leadership experience to be less than perfectly understood or appreciated.
3. Unless accepting a position of equivalent experience, anticipate having to "work back up" to equivalency.
4. Realize that "leadership" in the civilian world is often subjective. For example, being a "manager" means you're responsible for a team's performance...not by necessity that the team "must" follow your lead.
5. Be prepared to experience institutionalized politics, in-fighting, manipulation, shirking, favoritism and ambiguity. The "core ethics" of the private sector are increasing profitability and avoiding legal liability.
6. Anticipate "risk" to become a "bad word".
7. Assume "letter of the law" policies being enforced randomly, and often disproportionately.

On the positive side?

a. Expect to be directly rewarded for performance.
b. Enjoy more freedom to determine your own course, and often outside of any typical "pipeline".
c. Expect to find people with vast expertise as your peers, the higher you climb.
d. Enjoy the right to change the scenery whenever it makes sense.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 3:39 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 15:39:25 -0500

In the civilian sector it is wiser to be a positive, influential type of motivating leader rather than act like "King Dingaling" as we are expected to act in the Army. That shit can get you fired in the civilian sector.

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Mar 9 at 2018 3:50 PM

Capt Brandon Charters — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 15:50:14 -0500

I think there is really a lot of relatable leadership experience you will keep from the military. One of the most important areas will always be focusing on your people...and this doesn't just mean your direct reports. Create strong working relationships at all levels of your team and even outside your specific department. Always keep your mind open and show you're ready to work hard, be accountable, and learn new things in the civilian world. As long as you maintain a high level of integrity and you are still 'eating last', you will be moving in the right direction when it comes to leadership.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 4:46 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 16:46:00 -0500

Patience. Patience. Patience.

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Mar 9 at 2018 5:20 PM

SPC Margaret Higgins — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 17:20:07 -0500

SrA Johnathan Kropke: Leadership in the military, is about the same as leadership in the civilian sector. (To me.) In the military, when I was a Squad Leader: I chose to lead by inspiring; to lead by example, and, to think of others' needs before my own....among other things.
I lead pretty much the same way; when counselling my seven Facebook groups' members. And, when I lead in life.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Mar 9 at 2018 6:44 PM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 18:44:44 -0500

I was thinking of using the "golden rule" yet still be cautious of back stabbers.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 9 at 2018 8:34 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 20:34:14 -0500

Do NOT come into a civilized an work place with a chip on your shoulder thinking you are God’s gift to the workforce because you spent a few years in the air force. I have seen that happen too many times and it always ends badly for the former service member.

Response by PO2 Peter Klein made Mar 9 at 2018 10:16 PM

PO2 Peter Klein — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 22:16:50 -0500

Be prepared for people who have no idea what the military is like and will not function like those who reported to you in the Air Force. Many have no self-discipline.
Network. Networking is not passing out as many business cards in a room full of people. It is trying to see how you can help others achieve their goals.
Some of your subordinates are job hoppers.
Help your people set goals that help you reach yours and then help them accomplish their goals.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Mar 9 at 2018 10:54 PM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 22:54:19 -0500

Private sector is. I thing like the military. Your skills however, do translate. You need to approach with caution, feel out your environment and then decide which tools apply. All sectors of society are equally variant in their management. In fact the monacer leadership does not translate into every facet of society. I recommend you read about the leader development strategy within the area of private sector you plan to join and approach as appropriate. Yhabk you for your service.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 10 at 2018 8:33 AM

CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 08:33:58 -0500

Leadership is a rare commodity in the private sector. Mostly managers, some better than others. Prior military are the exception unless they never figured leadership out.

Response by SGT John Wesley made Mar 10 at 2018 9:22 AM

SGT John Wesley — Sat, 10 Mar 2018 09:22:38 -0500

I have continued to lead by example even in the civilian sector. I see a lot of supervisors lead from their desks, but I continue to jump in feet first with my subordinates, to show them that I won’t have them do something I’m not willing to do as well. Delegate? Yes, but don’t be removed from the process because you’re “too busy” with the paper trail BS.

Response by Susan Foster made Mar 11 at 2018 9:48 AM

Susan Foster — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 09:48:19 -0400

LCDR Joshua Gillespie has an excellent summary here. Military leadership training and experience prepares you much better for leadership than civilians get at all. That's the positive side. The negative side is you have to deal with those civilian sector leaders who have no training or experience needed to be called one.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 11 at 2018 12:12 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 12:12:14 -0400

Don't change. You probably have the right idea now. Stick with it. Enforce standards, expect results, fix problems, make realistic plans with doable timetables and expect the situation to change, set the example, so on and so forth. Last thing the corporate world needs is for recently arrived veterans to trade in what works for what doesn't.

Response by CH (LTC) Robert Leroe made Mar 11 at 2018 6:00 PM

CH (LTC) Robert Leroe — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 18:00:08 -0400

I read a book about a man who worked for GE, and found that loyalty was a one-way street. The company expected it of employees, but didn't give much back. Not so in the military. I also think the chain-of-command is clearer in the military than in many civilian companies.

Response by CPO James Laskowski made Mar 12 at 2018 7:07 AM

CPO James Laskowski — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 07:07:12 -0400

Excellent list, LCDR. I would also add:
1. Leave your previous rank at the door. What you wore on your sleeve means NOTHING to a civilian.
2. Make peace with the fact that civilians have little "sense of urgency" while performing their jobs.
3. With safety, get used to the fact that civilian managers and workers alike are "all about safety" until it affects production (the bottom line), additional effort on the workers' part or their personal convenience. You WILL receive push back.
4. Unlike the military, the words "we've always done it this way," are perfectly acceptable answers in most corporate settings. In my opinion, those are the most dangerous words ever uttered on the job site.
5. When driving to work, be extra vigilant because in today's world, the other drivers' convenience (cell phone) is more important than your safety.