What the Army Taught Me About Leadership

Lessons from the Field That Still Apply in Business and Life

“Leadership is the process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.”— U.S. Army Definition of Leadership

During my four years in the U.S. Army (1993–1997), I served as a 75B — Personnel Administration Specialist. My job wasn’t glamorous, but it was essential. I made sure soldiers got paid, got promoted, got recognized, got evaluated, and got where they needed to go. If a soldier was assigned to our battalion, I tracked their orders, their progress, and their status every single day.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that leadership wasn’t about rank or authority — it was about responsibility. It was about people. And some of the most important leadership lessons I’ve ever learned came not from the field, but from the desk where I made sure the mission — and the soldiers — were taken care of.

1. Purpose: Know the Mission — and Make Sure Everyone Else Does Too

The Army never does anything without a clear mission statement. Everyone knows why they’re there and what success looks like. Whether it’s a combat operation or a change-of-command ceremony, there’s always clarity of purpose.

In business and community life, that clarity can be the difference between confusion and momentum. Too many organizations drift because no one can clearly define the mission. Does your business or organization have an up to date mission? The Chamber's is "...to advance greater Harrison County by being a catalyst of growth and development for our business community."

Good leaders don’t just hand out assignments — they inspire alignment. They make sure everyone knows what they’re working toward and why it matters. What's your mission?

2. Direction: People Want to Be Led, Not Pushed

The best leaders I saw in the Army gave clear direction, set expectations, and then trusted their people to execute. They didn’t hover. They didn’t bark orders to feel powerful. They gave you the tools, the training, and the trust to get the job done.

Bad leaders, on the other hand, tried to control every move. They confused fear with respect — and usually got neither.

Leadership isn’t about being in charge; it’s about helping others get where they need to go. When you set direction and then step aside, you don’t lose control — you gain commitment.

I had some great leaders in the Army, and some that I couldn't wait to process their orders to another assignment. When I first arrived at my first duty station, a brand new soldier just completing training. I pulled up with my family and everything I owned in a u-haul and had no idea what I was supposed to do. I didn't know where to go, what my life was going to be like in this new place, and didn't even have a place for us to stay. I checked in, was chastised for showing up at the end of the workday by some civilian and waited for someone from my unit to show up and get me. A SFC, S-1 Supervisor showed up, introduced himself and then spent the next two days trying to help me find a place to live (all the base housing was full so I had to find an apartment to live in off base). When I found a place, he came and helped me unload the U-haul and get settled. He didn't have to do any of that and I met many Sergeants who wouldn't have. But he did and I found out he would go above and beyond for any soldier assigned to him. And his soldiers would in turn go above and beyond to carry out every assignment or mission he gave us.

3. Motivation: Take Care of the People, and the People Will Take Care of the Mission

As a personnel specialist, my “customers” were the soldiers. If their pay was wrong, their orders delayed, or their awards missing, morale suffered — and that affected the mission.

I learned that when you care for your people, they’ll give you their best effort. They’ll go the extra mile because they know you have their back.

Motivation isn’t about speeches or slogans; it’s about service. Great leaders lift burdens, not add to them.

4. Accountability: Everyone Counts — and Everyone Counts on You

The Army runs on accountability. Every piece of equipment, every weapon, every person — all accounted for, every day. It’s not about paperwork; it’s about integrity.

If one soldier wasn’t properly tracked or processed, it could ripple across the entire mission. That taught me that details matter. Leadership isn’t about perfection, but it is about stewardship — being worthy of the trust others place in you.

Accountability isn’t punishment. It’s protection — for your team, your reputation, and your mission. Too few people today are willing to take responsibility for their own actions and their own failings. If you run a business, every single person in your organization matters. How your waitress treats the diner at your restuarant, how your receptionist answers the phone, how your marketing team presents your product or service...it all matters.

5. Example: Leadership Is Modeled, Not Announced

In the Army, you know immediately who the real leaders are. They’re the ones who don’t have to remind you of their rank — because they’ve earned your respect.

I saw leaders who led with integrity, humility, and strength… and I saw others who led through ego and fear. Both taught me something: people will always remember how you made them feel.

My first morning on Fort Jackson, my first duty station. I was trying to get to where we were supposed to be meeting for PT (that's physical training). I had no idea where I was going and I turned onto a road I wasn't supposed to be on. An older soldier (everyone around was wearing grey PT clothes so you couldn't tell rank) was running by so I rolled down my windown, stopped him and asked him to help me. I assumed he was a sergeant so I called him "sergeant" and told him I was new and had no idea where I was going. I told him my battalion and he pointed me in the right direction. I expected to be yelled at and berated for my ignorance because coming just out of training, that's how the drill sergeants treated us all. But he treated me with kindness and helped me get to PT on time. Imagine my surprise later that day when the Brigade Colonel (not a sergeant) came into the Battalion HQ and I ran into him. He instantly recognized me as the lost private and welcomed me to "his" Brigade. He was a leader who didn't have to point out that he was a Colonel to the lost private that I was. But I knew he was a leader from the way he carried himself and the way he helped.

In business, titles might impress, but example inspires. Leadership is caught, not taught — and the people around you are watching every day.

6. Improvement: Leave It Better Than You Found It

The last line of the Army’s leadership definition is easy to miss — “improve the organization.” But that’s where legacy lives.

Leadership isn’t just about getting through today’s mission; it’s about making tomorrow’s mission easier for the next person. It’s about building systems, relationships, and culture that will outlast you.

That applies just as much to small businesses, Chambers, and communities as it does to the Army. The goal is always to leave your post, your people, and your town a little better than when you arrived.

Final Thought: The Uniform Comes Off, but the Leadership Stays

When I left the Army, I hung up the uniform, but not the lessons. I carried them into every role since — as a business owner, trainer, community leader, and now Chamber Executive Director.

Those four years taught me that leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about listening. It’s about lifting. It’s about taking care of people and trusting them to rise to the occasion.

To my fellow veterans — thank you for your service and your leadership. And to everyone reading: you don’t need a rank to lead like a soldier. You just need a mission worth serving, people worth investing in, and the courage to lead by example.