Harvard Business School, USA.
Harv Bus Rev. 2010 Nov;88(11):80-5, 149.
Americans have long believed that U.S. military officers--trained for high-stakes positions, resilience, and mental agility--make excellent CEOs. That belief is sound, but the authors' analysis of the performance of 45 companies led by CEOs with military experience revealed differences in how the branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps) prepare leaders for business. Those differences reflect the trade-off between flexibility and process that each branch of the armed services must make. Army and Marine Corps officers operate in an inherently uncertain environment. They define the mission but then give subordinates the flexibility to adjust to realities on the ground. This leadership experience tends to turn out business executives who excel in small firms, where they can set a goal and then empower others to work toward it. Navy and Air Force officers, who operate expensive, complex systems such as submarines and aircraft carriers, are trained to follow processes to the letter, because even small deviations can have large consequences. In corporations, these leaders excel in regulated industries and in firms that take a process approach to innovation. The larger lesson that the military can offer the business world is that fit matters. Different circumstances demand different leadership skills. Hire the person who fits the job.
美国人长期以来一直认为，美国军官——受过高风险职位、韧性和思维敏捷性的训练——是优秀的首席执行官。这种信念是合理的，但作者对 45 家由具有军事经验的首席执行官领导的公司的业绩进行分析后发现，各军种（陆军、海军、空军、海军陆战队）在为领导者做好迎接商业挑战的准备方面存在差异。这些差异反映了武装部队各分支在灵活性和流程之间的权衡取舍。陆军和海军陆战队的军官在一个固有的不确定环境中运作。他们定义任务，但随后给予下属灵活调整以适应实地的现实。这种领导经验往往会培养出在小企业中表现出色的商业高管，他们可以设定一个目标，然后授权他人为之努力。海军和空军的军官负责操作昂贵、复杂的系统，如潜艇和航母，他们接受的训练是严格按照程序操作，因为即使是微小的偏差也可能产生重大后果。在企业中，这些领导者在受监管的行业和采用流程方法进行创新的公司中表现出色。军队可以为商业世界提供的更大教训是，适合很重要。不同的情况需要不同的领导技能。聘请适合工作的人。
