What exactly does it take to not only be a CEO, but a successful one? Abilities like discipline, courage, teamwork, routine, coordination and communication all come to mind. Which is why it may be not-so-shocking to learn that some of the most successful CEOs in history often learned their most valuable business skills from the steel-enforced institution of the United State military. Some were drafted for war, others volunteered as a right of passage – but rest assured, just about all of them learned some of their most valuable business cunning from their time serving their country.
Even all these decades after discharging, many of today’s top Fortune 500 leaders continue to reflect on lessons learned while serving in the armed forces. From skills as simple as teamwork building and schedule-keeping to intense strategizing, the various branches of the U.S. military served as curious training grounds for some of the most successful business minds of the modern era. Their reflections reflect deeply not only on their love of country; but also on the very core of what it means to be a serious leader capable of forging a successful company.