Applying Military Discipline and Leadership Skills to Franchising

Many military veterans find that the skills learned serving their country, such as respect, patience, initiative, teamwork, organization and risk tolerance, apply directly to running a franchise business.

By Lt. Col. Mike Mullins, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)

I came across some figures recently that were interesting, but certainly not surprising. Did you know that one in seven franchises is owned by a veteran, according to IFA? Or that during a recent three-year period, more than 5,000 veterans became franchise owners?

Count me among their ranks. I enjoyed a 20-year military career, retiring from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel in 2011. In September 2015, I became a franchise owner in San Antonio with Pillar To Post Home Inspectors.

If you were to ask random people what nouns they associate with the military, I’m guessing “discipline” and “leadership” would be mentioned quite frequently. And they are right; those values serve me every day. They are the reason why only seven months after becoming an entrepreneur, I was already a preferred vendor for a major San Antonio real estate firm and making plans to hire five additional employees.

The following are some of the military skills that were instilled by military training that also transition well to being an entrepreneur in franchising:

Respect

The single-most important trait any franchise owner can apply to day-to-day business activities is respect. In the military, respect is expected from Day One. Respecting your superiors, but also your subordinates, is essential to mission success. In business, respecting your clients, respecting your work, and more importantly, respecting yourself is vitally important. Respect comes in so many different forms during the course of a day — respecting a client’s time, respecting a client’s payment and respecting their status — really goes a long way toward ultimate business success.

Patience

“Hurry up and wait” is a humorous phrase used by military members who have been herded along only to sit and wait for hours for their next order. But this saying is just as relevant in the franchise environment. Initially, franchise success typically occurs at a slow pace. Hard work, persistence and patience are extremely important, since sometimes it can take months to recruit a client and convince them to believe in your product.

Initiative

Taking initiative is ultimately what gets the job done in military operations or franchise ownership. Initiative in the military is the difference between mission success and mission failure. Likewise, having initiative in franchise ownership can be the difference between setting yourself apart from your competition or struggling to stand out in a competitive business environment.

Organization

Whether large or small, a franchise operator is leading teams; the only difference from the military is that the individuals are no longer in uniform. When working with homeowners or homebuyers, I like to think of us as a team, striving to get the best outcome for my clients. When it comes to employees, leaders need to be organized and have well-conceived plans so that the company can prosper while also ensuring success on a personal level.

Risk Tolerance

Although the stakes are much larger in the military, it teaches the critical importance of weighing risk failure vs. risk reward. We are empowered as small-business owners and much like I took pride in serving my country, it’s important to take pride in the ownership of your company and spend the necessary due diligence when it comes to important decisions. Bad decisions can prove costly while great decisions can be extremely rewarding.

Teamwork

This might be one of most important skills from serving in the military. I earned a Bronze Star for heroic service in a combat zone in Iraq. When you are in such difficult situations, nothing is more important than the lives of those beside you.

Later in my career, I was able to serve in another special way: as commander of the mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where I was assigned the solemn duty of overseeing the transfer process when fallen heroes returned home in flag-draped caskets.

Successful teamwork includes participation and communication among everyone involved; it makes no difference whether the organization is the military or a small business. My military career shaped the person I am, and in so many ways, the lessons learned there help shaped the franchise I run today.

Mike Mullins is a Pillar To Post franchisee who retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2011. Find him at fransocial.franchise.org.