Taking the workforce into battle? Leadership advice from the military world

There are times in the world of work when it can seem like you’re fighting a battle. As a leader, there’s multiple parties to coordinate, strategy to be defined, and ultimately, victory offers a light at the end of the tunnel.

It seems relatively logical for those tasked with motivating and inspiring others to look to the military world for advice. If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Get ready for action

“When the mission becomes difficult or overwhelming, a leader must take action and calmly guide their team through the challenges. Effective leaders do not get overwhelmed by a challenge, they develop solutions and take action,” explained R. Alex Urankar, an active-duty captain in the US Marine Corp, as noted by Business Insider Australia.

The takeaway here is that you should address issues as they arise, rather than shy away from difficult decisions. In doing the latter consistently, problems are likely to be compounded and become harder to solve in the long run. Consequently, tackling stressful situations head on is the mark of someone well versed in advanced leadership.

Embrace diversity

An army will be made up of a whole raft of different ranks and positions, but the most successful ones will typically function as a collective on their way to success.

Things should be no different in the workplace. Leaders who can take people from different departments with varying skill​ sets and get them to collectively perform will find success. Doing so isn’t easy, but deadlines and targets will be easier to meet when everyone’s best assets are being utilised.

Don’t over think

In an interview with Fortune, CEO of insurance company MassMutual Roger W. Crandall explained that one of the best pieces of leadership advice he received struck him when visiting a US Marine Corp training facility.

By its very nature, the military world is the ideal source of effective and creative leadership advice.

Mr Crandall found that their leadership mantra revolves around the ’70 per cent solution’. On the battlefield, this is the practice of assessing the majority of information without getting tied down, making it easier to make decisions quickly.

Applying this in the world of work centres on not over-analysing processes. While it’s important to be well informed before taking any major action, there are times when going with a gut feeling will not only produce the best results, but also save time too.