3 Benefits of Military-Style Leadership Training

A retired lieutenant general in the US Army is teaching healthcare workers how to be better leaders and says the training is having "an unbelievable team-building effect."

There's been much discussion about leadership lessons healthcare can take from other industries, including both hospitality and entertainment, but one field that is often revisited is the military—and for good reason.

The military is known for taking directionless young people and instilling in them qualities any employer would want, including a strong work ethic, cultural competency, and that elusive thing we call grit.

But perhaps the strongest area in which the military offers preparation is leadership development, says Mark Hertling.

He is senior vice president of global partnering, leadership development and health performance strategies at Florida Hospital, which has 26 locations throughout the state of Florida and is headquartered in Orlando.

Hertling, a retired lieutenant general in the US Army, says that his experience in the military taught him much about growing leaders.

He has written a book on applying military philosophies to healthcare leadership and created a training program for healthcare workers at Florida Hospital. Students are taught the following:

• The characteristics of leaders and how leaders think
• Dyadic leadership: One-on-one leadership within the organization, influencing and engaging others
• Leading up: Leading managers and other leaders
• Team building, team dynamics, and how to assemble a team
• The organization: What does it do for you, and what can you do for it?

Of the 250 healthcare workers at Florida Hospital that have received the training, 180 are physicians, 50 are nurses, and 20 work in administration.

"It has an unbelievable team-building effect. Participants walk away speaking a common language and better understanding their colleagues. It allows for the development of trust, and breaks down the 'us versus them mentality.'"

Outside of military-accented training, there are other benefits to incorporating strategies borrowed from the military or hiring veterans, including:

1. Consistency in Culture

Over a career that spanned almost four decades, Hertling says he saw few changes in leadership technique during his Army service. The consistency is by design.

"The military has put over 200 years plus into studying and research into leadership in order to generate [positive] effects on the battlefield."

Healthcare is different. It needs to be more flexible in order to keep up with the changing business climate. But ensuring that key values and the culture of the organization remain intact will be noticed, both by employees and patients.

2. Purposefully Developing Leaders

The military ensures every soldier is equipped to lead at a moment's notice if necessary—a skill Hertling aims to have all of his training alumni acquire.

Physicians, nurses, and frontline workers all may have the experience and knowledge to lead and create policies that will better serve patients—they simply lack the leadership training and experience.

Increasingly, there is recognition that "just culture" in hospitals, which encourages employees to openly give feedback without fear of retribution, improves both patient and worker safety.

An employee that has been trained to "lead up" might feel more comfortable saying something if they observe a behavior that could become dangerous, such as a supervisor that engages in unethical behavior.

3. Courageous Communication

The military teaches soldiers to listen with more than their ears, says Hertling.

Soldiers are taught to observe and understand what people are telling them and respond with empathy. These are skills that might save their lives when in enemy territory.

"It's more than just talking and listening—it's how you communicate, the methods of communications you use, how you're empathetic when you communicate, and how you pay attention when you communicate," says Hertling.

Improving internal communication in a way that maximizes empathy can include policies that ask workers to discuss matters face to face rather than via email or text, and to engage in active listening.

These skills will serve clinicians, administration, and frontline workers well in their interactions with patients and each other, says Hertling.

"When you're dealing with other people, whether it's your patients or other members of the team, you have to be empathetic and understand that all people contribute things to the organization."

All of these qualities combined with training that emphasizes putting these learnings into action can help set your organization apart, says Hertling.

But the action part is important. "Leaders have to act. They can't just talk, they must do."