Leadership Lessons from the Battlefield to the Boardroom

While leading a corporate team can look quite different from leading a team on a battlefield, some principles still translate. MX welcomed decorated Green Beret Jason Van Camp to MX headquarters in honor of Veterans Day to share leadership lessons from his 15 years of military service.

Start with your passion. Growing up, Van Camp knew he wanted a career he felt connected to and that complemented his skillset. As he reflected, he realized serving and helping others had remained a consistent passion through his life. This led him to serve in the military, become a Green Beret, and eventually found Mission Six Zero, an organization dedicated to coaching to optimize performance through self-awareness.

Officers eat last. United States military officers are taught to let all soldiers eat before them, and in some cases, help serve their meals. This principle of making sure your team is resourced and equipped ahead of yourself fosters a foundation of trust.

Accountability is key. Anything you do, or fail to do, is your responsibility. For leaders, this extends beyond yourself to your team as well. If an incident occurs, the leader is responsible. 

Build a “I have your back” culture. Creating a cohesive team at scale requires that each team member be bought in, both to the mission and the team. Leaders can do this by focusing on what each individual team member values and cares about most. Team performance significantly improves when members communicate well on a human level.