A Different Kind Of Soldier

July 26th, 2009

by John R. Sedivy

iStock_000008869306XSmall While reading “Horse Soldiers” by Doug Stanton I was intrigued by the nature of Army Special Forces. Throughout the book special forces were described as a different, free-thinking type of soldier, one who can operate independently, but also function as a team. This aspect is unique to the special forces soldier and not a characteristic normally found in the regular military.

A Military Perspective
This is not meant to ding the regular military, quite the contrary, our armed forces are the best in the world. However, the regular military and special forces have different missions and therefore different training and development tracks. The regular military seeks to lessen individualism in order to strengthen the team. Questioning orders, although allowable, is generally discouraged as one is expected to submit to the higher ranks in order to keep the “machine” well oiled with structure and discipline. Regular military, for the most part, are told what to do and how to do it and expected to obey legal orders to the letter.

Special forces have the same structure and discipline as the regular military, however their individualism stands out to a greater extent. Their training emphasizes their individualism and hones their ability to problem solve. They are told of their objective, but not necessarily how to do it – and are expected to problem solve along the way. They push themselves and their equipment to the limit – performing near superhuman feats – they constantly redefine what is achievable for others to follow in their footsteps.

There were many examples in “Horse Soldiers” of the individual mindset and unique problem solving abilities of the special forces soldiers. One interesting story was that of a helicopter pilot accustomed to clearing his own landing zones through densely packed pine trees – when there wasn’t a suitable cleared area – the area was cleared with the landing helicopter. Another fascinating example was that of the helicopter pilots and crew pushing their way to high altitudes, beyond the low cloud ceiling of Afghanistan where the helicopter performance testing had not been accomplished – one instance resulted in the oxygen system breaking and only one crew member could use the oxygen mask, with the remainder of the crew and passengers passing out or being delusional – yet the mission was accomplished – this occurred on multiple occasions.

One last note concerning regular military and special forces. Generally the very thing that makes the special forces soldier good at what they do in the special forces environment makes them ill equipped to serve as a regular soldier. The same can be said for regular soldier in a special forces environment.

A Business Perspective
A similar comparison may be made between the entrepreneur and the employee. Similar to the regular Army soldier, the employee is expected to follow orders, is generally told how to accomplish their objectives, and generally expected to follow directives from superiors to the letter. In general, an employee may question their boss, but it is generally frowned upon – and structure and discipline keep the company machine well oiled.

On the other hand, the entrepreneur is a different kind of soldier. The entrepreneur may be likened to the special forces soldier in that their individualism is their greatest asset. The entrepreneur, in pursuit of their dream pushes themselves and their assets to the limits, sometimes redefining what is possible in the business world. Once defined, other businesses and employees will follow their lead. For more on the importance of individualism and why this is a trait worth cultivating, refer to my article “Individual Importance.”

As with the regular and special forces soldier comparison – the entrepreneur is generally a poor employee. The same can be said for an employee attempting to succeed in an entrepreneurial environment. A shift in thinking and an adaptation to the new environment must occur.

Plan To Problem Solve
One of the many things I had learned from reading “Horse Soldiers” was that it is human nature for things to go wrong. Any time that you involve people and a desired objective, something will go wrong – regardless of how much you plan. So goes it with business. You can plan for everything (or so you think), but something will surprise you. What is important is not necessarily your planning skills and knowledge, but your ability to solve problems. Your ability to successfully overcome the unexpected. As the special forces soldier has to successfully overcome unexpected difficulties, so to must the entrepreneur.

Do you plan on starting a business? If so, drop the plan and get good at problem solving!

-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding