The Idea in Brief
Conventional wisdom says that military experience is an asset in the corporate world, but new research gives a more nuanced picture. The military is not a monolithic entity: Veterans from different branches demonstrate different strengths. The Navy and the Air Force engender a process orientation; the Army and the Marine Corps emphasize flexibility.
Some implications for business:
Former Army and Marine Corps officers depend less on familiarity with the firm as they transition to leadership roles.
Executives with Army and Marine Corps experience do better in small companies than in large ones.
Former Navy and Air Force officers perform well in highly regulated industries.
Executives with Navy and Air Force experience excel in firms with a process approach to innovation.
From Washington to Grant to Eisenhower, military leaders have long been recognized by Americans for leadership skills that are of great value outside a military environment. In Gallup’s annual poll asking Americans about their confidence in various public and private institutions, one has ranked first or second nearly every year since 1973, when the poll began, and has topped the list continuously since 1998: the military. In the 2009 poll, 82% of respondents expressed “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the military, whereas only 16% expressed confidence in big business.
