Adaptability Under Pressure: Kellogg Insights on Why Military Service Leads to Workplace Success

Veterans make great hires—and great leaders. The Matt Caldwell Veterans Program at the Kellogg School of Management helps transform military experience into business excellence.

But what makes military service so valuable in the workplace? Kellogg’s world-class faculty and military fellows explain in Kellogg Insight, the school’s digital magazine for research and ideas.

Flexible expertise

From the moment they join the military, service members are expected to continuously learn and develop, says Col. Dan Friend, a former U.S. Army Chief of Staff Senior Fellow at Kellogg. That instills a lifelong mastery of adaptability, in environments where improvisation is key and individual roles constantly shift.

“The army is a learning organization,” Friend says. “So we end up with a group of people who, frankly, have a growth mindset.”

But hiring managers unfamiliar with the military often struggle to understand the various responsibilities service members hold during their careers.

Friend suggests that veterans become familiar with corporate terms and “civilianizing” their work history, becoming more proficient and assertive storytellers of their experiences.

Ethical leadership

Research by Kellogg professors Efraim Benmelech and Carola Frydman found that ex-military CEOs tend to make ethical, conservative decisions and are particularly adept at leading firms under duress.

The researchers found that CEOs with military experience commit less corporate fraud, make less risky investments, and perform better in industries undergoing decline.

“They perform better under pressure,” says Benmelech. “Our interpretation is that service in the military may prepare one to make tough decisions and show leadership in tough times.”

A steady hand

In the military, the demands of the day can shift suddenly. Soldiers must quickly learn essential skills of time management and preparation to avoid critical mistakes.

Similarly, in business, leaders and managers are responsible for creating a culture where tactical patience is prioritized—even when the unexpected occurs.

Keeping a cool head projects an awareness of the larger situation and the ways your actions may be interpreted by those around you, says Col. Michael Musso, a former U.S. Army Chief of Staff Senior Fellow at Kellogg.

“Every step you take shows your leadership, so don’t run in the Pentagon,” Musso says.

Critical communication

Whether you’re in a business or the armed services, nobody wants to make a high-stakes decision, then later discover key information that hadn’t been conveyed.

So military organizations have developed a robust protocol to ensure that people across the organization are aware of how they need to share information, says Robert Hughes, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and clinical assistant professor of executive education at Kellogg.

“Critical information flow is a leadership responsibility,” Hughes says. “As they approach the planning process, leaders need to ask: What’s important for me to know? When do I need to know it? And what decisions will this information help me make?”

Read more at Kellogg Insight, and learn more about Kellogg’s commitment to veterans.