VetNet Global Solutions: The Only Business Partner You Need to Grow your Business

By Mike Brooks

Grow your Business-Blog

When I retired from military service after more than two decades in uniform, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do long-term. The value connection between my military experience and the ability to grow small businesses was not on my radar at the time, but I would soon realize the enormous parallels and opportunities.

The ability to continue to serve and give back to my community (and country) in the same meaningful way as when I was in uniform, is particularly important to me. While the path was not always quite clear, over time and through a journey of self-discovery, I’ve figured out exactly how best to do that.

One piece of advice I can share with you, after 20 plus years as a military officer and business leader, is that ANYTHING is possible with the proper planning, preparation and commitment.

When you step out in service to a cause much larger than yourself, there are a variety of valuable lessons you absorb.  

The Value of Military Leadership  

How does the US military maintain its standing as the number one organization in the world? The answer is simple. Leadership. What they accomplish, they accomplish very, very well.  

It’s no secret the military creates and develops world class leaders who can take care of their people and build adaptive, resilient, high performing organizations in the face of any challenge on Earth. That’s pretty powerful stuff. Our freedom as a nation depends on this critical leadership capability and the military is indeed a national treasure. 

How valuable is military leadership experience, specifically when we look at the more senior ranked officers, in business once the uniform comes off 

Did you know 31 of our 45 U.S. Presidents have been commissioned officers in the military? That’s 68%. Is it a coincidence military leadership experience is in high demand when it comes time to select the Chief Executive of the US Government? I think not. Leadership is an unbelievably valuable skill for any organization, and senior military leadership skill and experience is some of the highest in demand 

A Korn Ferry report titled, Military Experience and CEOs: Is there a Link?, found military officers are three times more likely to become a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Additionally, the report discovered military experienced CEOs delivered higher than average returns, once in the seat. Hmmm… 

Yes, these facts are a testament to military leaders in general, however, it’s important to look at the institution they were created in. It’s one that has mastered a proven method of developing and growing world class leaders who can build and run fast paced, global organizations.  

Military leadership enhances success in corporate life due to six key traits:    

  1. Knowledge and experience to build high performance teams  
  2. Adept at planning and effectively managing resources 
  3. Superior communication skills 
  4. Goal oriented and inspirational  
  5. Possess highly developed character and ethical sense 
  6. Remain calm under pressure and keep sight of the big picture  

What happens when highly accomplished and talented senior leaders end their military careers? Companies line up to hire them and bring them on board, right? No, not really.   

Many go back to work for the government, most look for jobs with big companies and some decide to start their own businesses. For many, the transition is a challenging one. 

One factor that contributes to the difficulty of military transition is that vets are accustomed to remarkably high standards of performance and quality of leadership. Because of this, the United States military remains the most trusted organization in the U.S. and the world’s most capable and advanced fighting force.  

Military leaders spend their entire careers developing skills they need to serve at the next highest grade. Promotions are less about performance and more about potential. It’s a continual and deliberate development approach that produces a leadership pedigree unmatched by any other institution.     

The Big Opportunity – Business Partnership  

There is a leadership gap in the corporate world today as many business leaders are not formally trained. Perhaps they’ve taken a class, hired a coach, or are self-taught. While there are many great business leaders currently, most are not specifically developed to become a senior leader from their front-line days. This lack of deliberate development stunts most business leadership growth, which in turn prevents them from reaching their full potential.    

These circumstances intrigued me, and I embarked on a two-year journey to study and work with Fortune 500 companies, mid-size enterprises and small businesses to determine exactly how the knowledge, skills and abilities of senior military leaders could be offered and integrated into the business world. My goal was to discover how to serve the greatest need for our country and economy.  

What I found was fascinating and surprising. While there are many great partnership opportunities that exist for military and business leaders across numerous sectors and industries, there is one opportunity that caught my attention; one that holds tremendous promise and potential.  

Partnering senior military leaders with visionary small business owners and entrepreneurs is an extremely effective way to accelerate growth and high performance for these companies and our local economies. BOOM. 

This unique approach pairs leaders from the top two most trusted institutions in America, the military and small business, and seeks to build a strong partnership to empower, grow and sustain economic prosperity for our country.   

I believe this to be the perfect opportunity for military leaders and business owners to work together to create mutual success and dynamic, learning organizations and cultures 

This is precisely why I’ve rounded up some of the brightest minds I’ve worked with over the last two decades in uniform to start VetNet Global Solutions Group 

Who are we? VetNet is a consulting and coaching firm that is designed to bring the value of military leadership to the marketplace in a way that can help small businesses flourish and create world class leaders, teams and organizations. Together we can grow, develop and serve in a bigger way!  

Military leaders and entrepreneurs are like minded. Both are passionate and creative, both look to capitalize on every opportunity to grow, win and advance, and both are remarkably familiar with managing risk, leading effectively, and making decisions in a complex and uncertain operating environment with the vison and end goal in mind. Persistence is inherent and the molecules of passion and purpose are dominant within their DNA.  

Partnering together, we can build better companies, build highly skilled leaders and strengthen our economy to provide a more prosperous future for the next generation.  

Isn’t that what it’s all about?  

We think so and this is the ideal way for the VetNet team to continue to serve alongside our business partners, long after our military uniforms have been tucked away in the back of our closets.    

How Can we Help YOU? 

  • Are you a business owner who wants to improve and grow your business in a way that can help you reach your full potential that you know is possible?  
  • Do you need to assemble highly effective leaders and teams that can keep your business humming along, generating higher profit and more revenue?  
  • Are you looking to build a world class organization with a culture that is focused on continual improvement and driven by the possibility of the next BIG idea? 
  • Do you wish you could find a value partner you can trust and grow long term with?  

If this sounds interesting to you, I’d encourage you to check out our website vetnetglobal.com, for more information on our services and partnering opportunities. 

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Get ready to encounter, military precision, accelerated growth and sustainable success to bring your business to the next level and beyond. CONTACT US to experience increased value through partnership.  

Grow Mike Before and After