First things first, I have not served in the armed forces but I know plenty of friends who have. I often pick their brains on how owning and managing a business is similar to military life. And notes I did take.
Life in the military has given many men and women the “stuff” to be able to be successful entrepreneurs. And I believe we all can learn some great things from military veterans as well as those who are still serving.
One other thing, to all you who have or still serve in the military, thank you. After all, it is because of you that we have the freedom to start a business and live a life of freedom.
Here are 5 military entrepreneurial lessons.
Military Entrepreneurial Lessons #1: Lead From The Front
Some of the greatest military leaders of all time led their soldiers from the front…
- General George Patton
- General Douglas MacArthur
- Ulysses Grant
- and General George Washington
These military leaders had no issue with doing the same thing they would ask a soldier to do. They would fight as hard, if not harder.
Believe me, when your tribe sees you are willing to do, they will want to do too.
Don’t just tell them, show them!
Military Entrepreneurial Lessons #2: Be Accountable
Blaming is not the answer in the military, nor should it be in business. So there was a hiccup in communication between your staff and a client. Is it the staff’s fault? Maybe you want to blame it on the internet service or cell phone company.
The best leader… The wise entrepreneur owns the blame and does everything in his/her power to solve the issue.
Military Entrepreneurial Lessons #3: Discipline
The military are trained to have discipline in all areas:
- Physical
- Mental
- Emotional
- and Spiritual
Physically, you may need to drive your body hard and keep going. I understand this even more when I am traveling for weeks overseas and just feel like staying in bed but I know that isn’t the answer.
Mentally, we come across negative people at all times. We must be mentally disciplined not to fall into a negative mindset.
Emotionally speaks for itself. Failure could occur; will we allow it to take us down into emotional instability?
And Spiritually, no matter your opinions on religions, how is your moral convictions? Do you fear the unknown? These are questions you need to answer to be strong spiritually.
Military Entrepreneurial Lessons #4: Self Awareness
This lesson goes right along with discipline.
The military leader needs to know his/her strengths and weaknesses, and so does the entrepreneur.
By knowing, you will also realize who on your team can take on the areas where you are weak.
Military Entrepreneurial Lessons #5: Take Value In Your Health
Military leader know that if their soldiers don’t eat healthy and get sleep, that soldier could be a danger to themselves and others.
While you may not endanger others if you are not eating healthy or sleeping much as an entrepreneur, you are hurting yourself. And how will that business run properly if you are in a hospital bed? Not to mention, many mistakes can be made if a person does not get proper sleep.
Conclusion
Another thing that my military friends have pointed out is, when teaching, it does no good to overload someone with information. It all may be great info, but if it is overloaded, they are liable to forget it all.
So I do plan on writing more on this subject in the future.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.
As one last message, you may want to check out the Home Business Success Kit. You can get 3 tools in 1 to help you build that successful business you desire. Check it out here.
Have a great day!
To The Top!
