“In the survey, many employers said veterans are perceived as heroes and not necessarily as assets to the company ― a part of the study that jumped out to Lynch. She said veteran experiences are sometimes idealized and put on a pedestal. That makes it hard for veterans to be perceived normally…”

Though on the exterior, Veterans seem stoic and emotionless, stemming from a culture where rank or authority dictates execution, internally we are just as influenced by relationships and EQ. Our love for our fellow brothers-and-sisters-in-arms goes deeper than just emotions – it’s a respect and devotion that enables us to be capable of sacrificing ourselves for one another. Veterans have fought in the trenches together, and hence, have formed deep bonds with our teams that are sometimes more unbreakable than the mission on hand.

And this all starts with how we feel about one another and how how intelligent we are to one’s emotions.

Whether by choice or retirement is not important, but all of us face the need to transition our identities from being professional badasses to now being members of society. We were once at the tip of the spear, having led hundreds or even thousands of troops or foreign militaries in combat, and now need to find completely new professions to raise our family and loved ones.

As business leaders and individuals, if we choose to pursue excellence in our professions, it should also be reflected in Every. Thing. We. Do. There is no room for mediocrity. This is only a crutch and can bring on a domino effect of a “good enough” culture in our work and lives, which can spread like cancer and seep into the very essence of your organization. This was what Caslen challenged and reversed, driving the necessity to start winning again, and forever cementing his legacy as the beloved “Supe Daddy.”

“Do you want to run the company?”

Asked my CEO offering me my first real job. He had just given me a role to be the president of a small manufacturing subsidiary, and I was eager as hell. I had just gotten out of my military service in October 2013, and entered a Leadership Development Program for a specialty construction company. During this program, I had lived in hotel rooms for 10 months straight, spending six to seven weeks at a time at various locations throughout the US and been offered this opportunity of a lifetime! I had truly lucked out with my timing and was thrilled to start learning how to lead a business.

We focus on bringing High-Impact Veterans with relevant business experience and gained track record of success, for placement into mid-to-senior level roles. Our Veterans have already figured out what their interests are and what they’re good at in the private sector, and we find them the next level of opportunities to conquer, to be tremendous value-added assets for your company.

In 2016, I was living in Indiana and just recently sold the company I was in. For over two years, I had a led a small manufacturing company but it required more capital to fix than what my parent company was willing to invest. I was slated to start my MBA at the Kellogg School of Management the following year so I wanted to move to Chicago to reduce the commute. Without much luck on job postings (I didn’t know how to leverage my network effectively at that time), I turned to a military recruiter to help me find a job.

This is a 14 min. podcast from Kellogg Insight, where the faculty of the Kellogg School of Management brings their latest research and findings in an engaging format.

After my last 9 month deployment with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) in late 2012, I decided to leave the Army. I had served on the Active Duty as a Paratrooper and a Green Beret for a decade, and my wife felt we should move on to a less hazardous lifestyle. For on and off the next year, I spent a lot of time processing my separation paperwork and attending mandatory transition briefings, and I soon found myself a few months away from an official transition date of 5 October 2013. Still, I had no clue what to do next.

My name is Freddie Kim, and I am a Veteran. Since I was 17, all I knew was the military. My career started out as a young cadet at West Point in 2000 and over the next 14 years, I was given the opportunity to lead Paratroopers and Green Berets in combat, both in the Philippines and Afghanistan. I became intimately familiar with the specifics of leadership and military training such as strategic and operational planning, small unit tactics, military decision making, weapons system capabilities, team building, and working with foreign armies. But as time came to prepare for my discharge from the Army in October of 2013, I was lost…