Three things that make Armed Forces Officers a better bet in Corporate jobs

Are you a CEO or an HR Head of a company, who needs true performers? Have you been recommended ex-armed forces officers, but aren't sure whether or not they will fit in? Here are three reasons why you should go ahead and hire them:

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Virendra Kumar Sinha, who runs a workshop in East Champaran in Bihar, was ignorant about the possibilities of his pollution control device that can be attached to generators or other diesel engines to reduce noise and air pollution. With emissions of carbon dioxide forecasted to touch 43 percent by 2035, Virendra's device could go a long way in making a big difference in the world, which requires a cleaner and greener environment.

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In February 2006, BBC.com had a good article on an DIY low-powered FM radio station operated out of a electronics repair shop. I'd be surprised if this was the only one in India (or Asia) like this. The owner-builder claims not to know that broadcasting required a license. The station, he says, just sort of grew from his junk and his interests.
"On a balmy morning in India's northern state of Bihar, young Raghav Mahato gets ready to fire up his home-grown FM radio station. It may well be the only village FM radio station on the Asian sub-continent. It is certainly illegal. The transmission equipment, costing just over $1, may be the cheapest in the world."

How Military Values hold Meaning for the Corporate World

Economic Times, an Indian National Daily, recently covered a news item on the rising popularity of recruiting military officers for leadership roles in the corporate sector. It is easy to understand how someone whose leadership skills were honed in combat would be more qualified for leadership than the candidate whose only leadership test could have been winning the school summer camp obstacle race.

The correlation between military service and leadership ability is well documented. Studies show that companies with military leaders outperform their peers.Many of our nation's most respected companies have discovered a source for talent that traditional recruiting methods often overlook - the men and women of our Armed Services. The leadership skills, core values, integrity, and work ethic of our military transition members provide a bridge to span the leadership gap in our current workforce.

Why the Military Produces Great Leaders - A Harvard Business Review Blog Post

The article below is orginally written as a blog post by Col Tom Kolditz. It is equally relevant to the Indian context today, where military leaders are getting prepared for the corporate roles.

One assumption at the core of this blog is that military service—particularly service in the crucible of combat—is exceptionally effective at developing leaders. Why? It's nurture, not nature.


First, in all services, military leadership qualities are formed in a progressive and sequential series of carefully planned training, educational, and experiential events—far more time-consuming and expensive than similar training in industry or government. Secondly, military leaders tend to hold high levels of responsibility and authority at low levels of our organizations. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, military leadership is based on a concept of duty, service, and self-sacrifice; we take an oath to that effect.

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For over a year now, Thunk In India, Suren Vikhash's Bangalore-based firm, has been pre-occupied with granting a glamorous afterlife to various such stubborn products that refuse to be recycled. Since January 2009, such non-biodegradable waste products as polythene bags, thermocole, and tetra juice packs have transformed into clutches, laptop bags and mobile covers in their pension phase.