Introduction
According to military principles, all leaders are considered mentors and that is why all soldiers are given equal treatment during training sessions. Such trainings ensure constant and steady circulation of prepared leaders capable of handling numerous strategic situations within the military. Mentoring processes starts at the top leadership within any organization. This ensures that all leaders share same values of the organization as planted in them by their seniors.
It calls for high discipline levels since the end results are identified inform of reduced costs and improved services within various sectors (Nyberg et al, 2011). Such demonstrations of high values grants organizational leadership some sense of reprieve since effective performance is assured from every individual.
However, business organizations should avoid the habit of promoting individuals to levels which are above their performance levels. This ensures smooth transitions and continuity since communication system is kept mature through flow of creative ideas within the management system.
The military style of leadership ensures that employees receive values capable of producing success. These include ability to influence the whole organization into defined actions. Military leadership requires individuals to be firm when faced with unpredictable and rapidly changing circumstances within unfamiliar environments.
The conditions for success include unconditional non-indulgence and careful application of aptitude and management skills alongside peculiar adaptability and excellent control mechanisms (Pearsall, 2007). These abilities are mandatory for the success of small businesses within the current concentrated economic global market.
Abridged Literature Review
Within the current turbulent economic environment, small businesses require strong and focused leadership to succeed. Every business leader has deep concern on how their businesses could flourish within the market. Modern management style borrows most of their core ethics from the military kind of leadership, which also involves command and control mechanisms.
According to Small Business Association Office of Advocacy, most of businessmen with previous active experience within the military are successful with self-employment compared to those without.
There is necessity of infusing business with an element of military leadership experience to enable efficient execution of business objectives within the market environment. Having business leaders with experiences similar to those of military officers is considered a necessity for business success (Rate of Small Business Failure in the U.S., 2011).
Military considers communication to be an integral concept for victory to be realized. Effective communication between team members determines success of any mission.
This is also true application within businesses since the basics starts with clear communication and understanding of business’s key vision and mission statements. This is corollary to military missions which is always planned based on a set of core objectives. This enables team members within the enterprise to be more equipped for the purposes of dealing with any form of shortcoming.
Development of a strategy is crucial for the purposes of developing clear and sound strategy. This is alignment with effective military plans which normally follows detailed proposal capable of achieving all the elements required for reinforcing the overall strategy. In this case, businesses are developed around business plan which comprises, marketing, financial, operations and human resource plans (Howard, 2006).
Each of the plans requires clear communication to enable deep understanding of fellow members and their required contributions towards the success of the intended plan. Military is associated with command, control and discipline. This enables easy focus on accountability within every operation segment of the business.
According Headd (2003), placing right things at right place within the recommended time is one of the most valuable qualities of military style of leadership within businesses. Every partner and member of the business premise should be accountable to some processes and at the same time evaluated based on every action enabling greater control and effective management of business objectives.
According to BMN News Team (2010), the nature of turbulence within the global economy will continue for fairly a long time, calling for the necessity to adopt military tactical theory towards business management. The news unveils the fact that small decisions with tactical execution ultimately leads to success.
This is compared with the current doctrine being used by the Marine Corps as well as improved tactics applied by fighter pilots in post Korean and Afghanistan war. Communication also played a role in winning these wars especially on the ability to question and translate strategy into profitable action. Such actions are considered superior especially when markets are facing uncertainties.
Military leadership experience demands that an individual should have the ability of making quick decisions whenever faced with unfamiliar challenges within the market (Silzer and Dowell, 2010). They should be able to convert limited information into applicable skills capable of operating the available machinery and resources in combating enemy troops whether in Iraq or Afghanistan. Such is also required for the success of small business leaders.
According to Senor and Singer (2009), on the story of Israel’s economic miracle, objective missions are one of the valuable factors in economic success. The author argues that, Isreal’s economic success is based on their strategy of recruiting individuals with military leadership experience within most business enterprises. The skilled military personnel are capable of navigating through turbulent business environments based on their prior trainings.
According to them, America has failed many times in the business field due to their ignorance on the value of military leadership experience required within companies. The authors asserts that based on the battlefield entrepreneurial experience achieved in Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the military personnel are more than prepared to run effective businesses. Experiences of the officers can be of benefit to America’s businesses especially during such tough economic times (Santamaria et al, 2004).
Military is considered to be in business of leadership the same as corporate world. The difference comes in the fact that they have dominated the field of leadership for fairly longer time than other organizations. It is mandatory for military personnel to be trained on means of tackling unpredictable enemies and to basically adapt faster to different environments and cultures (Useem, 2010).
Such trainings enable the officers to face courageously different kinds of competitors within the market. When such attitude is adopted by small businesses, they would be able to generate powerful responses amidst their daily encounters using available tools. This would enhance future economic growth since small businesses are major contributors towards U.S. annual GDP (Glen and John, 2010).
Leaders within the corporate world at times fail due their unwillingness to take challenging responsibilities as indicated by their titles. Stronger leaders develop stable leadership within any organization. Research reveals that cognitive bias is a contributor towards leadership failure (Keil et al, 2007).
It should be noted that poor business leadership is associated with improper training and this causes chaotic management within organizations (Adhikari, 2010). This shows the reason as to why small businesses require military leadership practices capable of managing peculiar precision systems. Military basic principles can be used in helping managers apply techniques capable of producing results within competitive market environment.
At the same time, the use of multi-channel recruitment in military can be utilized in business multi-channel marketing and involving potential individuals at different points of supply chain especially retail outlets. Creating strategic partnerships may enable exploration of hidden opportunities within the market hence allowing the business to gain competitive advantage.
Effectiveness in promoting corporate success revolves on the nature of work force within the enterprise. Small business should develop concrete support system with the ability to attract potential individuals for strategic positions within the business. Such individuals with military background are capable of assimilating adequately within the business world including un-explored markets. These produce best leaders for such like small business ventures within the country (Serwer, 2005).
It is good to note that America can actually benefit from the vast numbers of officers with military experience by using them to convert improve the economy by great utilization of their skills in appropriate business sectors. Multinational organizations should build strategies on how to accommodate such individuals owing to their management skills amidst hard situations within the market.
They have enriched exposure towards goal setting as well as communication skills capable of motivating colleagues into action. Such skills are basically born out of hard military experiences not theoretical as taught in business management schools. This creates an element of firmness in individual decision making concerning critical conditions.
References
Adhikari, H. (2010). Power Dynamics in Leadership: Decentralized Power Sharing Leadership and its Impact in Business. Globsyn Management Journal, 4(1/2), 93-96.
BMN News Team. (2010). Military Lessons for Your Business: The Small Business Resource for Urban Entrepreneurs. Web.
Glenn, A. V., & John, L. W. (2010). The study of leadership in small business organizations: Impact on probability and organizational success. The Entrepreneurial Executive, 15 (1), 47-71.
Headd, B. (2003). Redefining business success: Distinguishing between closure and failure. Small Business Economics, 21(1), 51-61.
Howard, L. J. (2006). Small business growth: Development of indicators. Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal, 12(1), 73-88.
Keil, M., Depledge, G., & Rai, A. (2007). Escalation: The Role of Problem Recognition and Cognitive Bias. Decision Sciences, 38(3), 391-421.
Nyberg, A., Holmberg, I., Bernin, P., Alderling, M., Akerblom, S., Widerszal-Bazyl, M., & … Theorell, T. (2011). Destructive managerial leadership and psychological well-being among employees in Swedish, Polish, and Italian hotels. Work, 39(3), 267-281.
Pearsall, S. (2007). Spotlight on Leadership Lessons from the Military – Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business Review Magazine, Blogs, Case studies, Articles, Books, Webinars. Web.
Rate of Small Business Failure in the U.S. (2011). Small and Medium Business Trends. Web.
Santamaria, J. A., Martino, V., & Clemons, E. K. (2004). The Marine Corps way: using maneuver warfare to lead a winning organization. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Senor, D & Singer, S. (2009). Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Serwer, A. (2005). The Education of Michael Dell. Fortune Magazine, 151(5), 3-9.
Silzer, R., & Dowell, B. (2010). Strategy-Driven Talent Management: A Leadership Imperative. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Useem, M. (2010). Spotlight on Leadership Lessons from the Military: Four Lessons in Adaptive Leadership. Harvard Business Review, 10 (1), 21-27.