Hiring Former Military Personnel into Executive Positions

Aubrey Gladstone
Image: gladstoneconsulting.com

As the president of Gladstone Consulting Inc., Aubrey Gladstone directs the organization in providing services to companies needing assistance with corporate liquidation, problem resolution, and litigation support. As a business owner, Aubrey Gladstone recognizes the benefit of hiring individuals with military experience for executive positions.

When considering new executive talent, many large corporations are turning to people with military training. Unlike their civilian counterparts, young officers receive extensive leadership training and are frequently engaged in situations that require them to apply that training in intense, real-life situations. These skills can transfer to civilian employment in the corporate realm.

Though highly experienced in the art of leadership, former military personnel often need additional finance and business training to supplement their military experience. Many colleges and corporations recognize the potential of these individuals and work to fill in the knowledge gap.

In addition to receiving excellent, practical experience in leadership, former military personnel are known to be team players who actively work to motivate, organize and direct their teams toward accomplishing the end goal. Because of the value the military now places on creative and adaptive thinking, individuals with military training can also draw on those skills in corporate environments to overcome complex problems.

Finally, veterans are often very skilled at setting goals and creating measurable steps to reach those goals. As part of normal operating procedure, military personnel are required to regularly analyze their performance and honestly assess their mistakes in an effort to learn from them and ensure they are not repeated.

The Career of William E. Boeing

William E. Boeing
Image: boeing.com

The recipient of an engineering degree from Lehigh University, Aubrey Gladstone has over 35 years of experience as a commercial pilot. Aubrey Gladstone taught his daughter Brooke to fly when she was 16 years old. She now works for Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace enterprise.

Boeing’s decorated history began July 15, 1916, when its founder, William E. Boeing incorporated Pacific Aero Products and started testing planes out of a University of Washington wind tunnel. The following year, after the United States declared war on Germany, Mr. Boeing enrolled in the Navy Reserve and renamed the business the Boeing Airplane Company. In its early years, the company made furniture and phonograph cases, among other products, to supplement its aircraft production. By 1928, however, it had become the largest aircraft manufacturer in the country.

A member of the Aviation Hall of Fame, William Boeing attended Yale University, but left at age 22 to pursue a career in logging. He established the Greenwood Timber Co. in 1908, shortly before he became interested in airplanes, and continued to run the business up until 1954. He died in 1956.