How Veterans Can Translate Military Skills to Entrepreneurial Success — Chuck Schmalzried | Stories of Heroes

Chuck Schmalzried
2 min readAug 13, 2024

--

Veterans possess unique skills and experiences that can be highly valuable in the entrepreneurial world. The discipline, leadership, and problem-solving abilities honed during military service are often precisely needed to navigate the challenges of starting and growing a business. Here’s how veterans can leverage their military skills to achieve entrepreneurial success.

One of the veterans’ most significant advantages to entrepreneurship is their leadership experience. In the military, leadership isn’t just about giving orders; it’s about inspiring and motivating a team, making tough decisions under pressure, and ensuring everyone works together towards a common goal. These are all critical business skills as well.

Veterans understand the importance of building a strong team and leading by example. They know how to create a vision, set objectives, and drive a team toward achieving them. This ability to lead and manage people effectively is a crucial component of entrepreneurial success, especially in the early stages of a business when resources are limited and challenges are abundant.

The discipline ingrained in veterans during their military service is another valuable asset in entrepreneurship. Starting a business requires long hours, dedication, and a relentless work ethic-qualities that veterans are well-acquainted with. The ability to stay focused on goals, maintain a high standard of work, and push through adversity is essential in the entrepreneurial world.

Veterans also understand the importance of structure and routine. While entrepreneurship often involves uncertainty, establishing a disciplined approach to daily tasks can help maintain momentum and keep a business on track. This disciplined mindset enables veterans to execute their business plans precisely and efficiently.

In the military, veterans are trained to think on their feet, adapt to changing situations, and solve problems under pressure. These problem-solving skills are invaluable in entrepreneurship, where unexpected challenges and obstacles are a given. Veterans are adept at assessing situations quickly, identifying solutions, and taking decisive action.

Adaptability is another key trait that veterans bring to the business world. The ability to pivot and adjust strategies in response to market changes or unforeseen circumstances is crucial for long-term success. Veterans’ experience in adapting to new environments and overcoming challenges gives them a unique advantage in entrepreneurship’s fast-paced and often unpredictable world.

Strategic planning is at the core of military operations, and veterans are experts at developing and executing plans to achieve objectives. This skill translates directly to business, where strategic planning is essential for growth and sustainability. Veterans know how to set goals, develop actionable plans, and execute them efficiently-a formula crucial for any successful business venture.

Originally published at https://chuckschmalzried.net on August 13, 2024.

--

--

Chuck Schmalzried

Chuck Schmalzried is the Co-Owner of Michelle Construction. Proud Veteran of the United State’s Air Force. Lover of hard work and people. ChuckSchmalzried.org.