Lessons on applying military skills to the world of technology from a 10-year veteran

I loved the Army, especially because I helped people understand what they were capable of.

But opportunities become more limited once you step into the role of sergeant. In 2007, I realized I had reached a point where I could no longer learn or progress.

After a five-day solo trip across the Alps, I decided to plan my departure.

I studied for my high school diploma for three and a half years at night school. When my friends were playing or going out in the evening, I sat there with my flashcards. In 2013, I completed my bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and then my master's degree in technical management.

After internships, a few jobs, and a bit of freelance work, I got a job at Customization Group, a company building a whole new e-commerce space. They hired me to build the whole thing from scratch, and now I manage a team of 30 people.

[merchOne is part of Customization Group.]

For a long time I didn't tell anyone that I was in the military. Everyone was very surprised when they found out.

But colleagues say that our team seems to have a completely different mindset than the rest of the company and I think that's because of the different skills I've picked up.

Finding the right people

New soldiers are deliberately put under a lot of pressure in their first few weeks to find out who is suitable and who is not. They are pushed to a psychological and physical limit where they can no longer keep up appearances.

Then you realize what people are really like. Some start screaming or crying, some help others and some just take care of themselves.

Of course, I don't restrict the sleep of all my new employees. But I want my team to be stress-resistant. I want them to support each other and be proactive team members, and I don't hire assholes.

Because of my experience with how people react in the most tense situations, I am able to understand them in interviews and recognize: “Okay, when we are in a stressful situation, is this someone who is yelling at others or is this someone who is really focused on helping?”

It helped me build a great team.

Army tactics

There is one big difference between the German army and all other armies in the world: mission tactics. We give the soldiers a core mission, but we don't tell them how to achieve it. They don't sit there and wait for orders; they work autonomously.

That is also the expectation I have of my team.

I always tell them the big picture and the North Star, but how they get there is completely up to them. The question is, where do we want to be as a team?

German soldiers are also trained from the beginning to fail alone.

I have to accept that when I give my team so much freedom, mistakes will happen. But when they fail on their own, they really think about what their individual contribution is.

Another lesson I learned in the military that helps with this is to always train people to one level above them in the hierarchy so that they can take over if someone is unavailable. In the military, this would be if you were wounded or dead, but the principle is the same. It allows my team to be proactive and flexible at work.

Eventually, I learned the hard way that I am responsible for everything that happens in my team. When the soldiers froze because they couldn't make a fire or put up a tent to sleep well, I got in trouble with my superiors for not informing them. That responsibility is always mine and I take it seriously.

I recently presented these thinking models at a leadership resilience training and the workshop expert fully agreed with my methods.

Career change after the military

My advice to other veterans looking to start a new career is that as a soldier, sometimes you have to have a certain mindset to get things done. But in the business world, it's different.

You have nothing, no track record. You're starting from scratch, so listen and learn.

In the military, your career path and training are predetermined. But here, it's up to you to continue your education – don't think anyone will make sure you're up to date.

The camaraderie of the army is unmatched, but you also don't have to spend weeks and months sleeping in a sleeping bag with your colleagues!

I miss that sense of togetherness. But in my new job, I can continue to work with people for people, helping them, empowering them and bringing out the best in them. In doing so, I create value for my company.