Lost in Translation: How Leadership and Followership Skills Can Support Serving Personnel in Their Transition to the Civilian Workplace
Mick Flaherty, Veteran
Transitioning from military service to civilian employment can present significant challenges for Service Personnel. Veterans often find it difficult to communicate the depth of their military experiences in ways that civilian employers can fully appreciate. A study by the Royal British Legion (2016) demonstrates that veterans are nearly twice as likely to face unemployment compared to their civilian peers. This disparity exists even though veterans possess many of the soft skills that employers claim to value, such as leadership, adaptability, and resilience. Research by Cranfield University (2015) also emphasises the importance of followership in effective leadership. The study highlights that followership, a critical component in the military working environment, remains underappreciated in civilian contexts. This lack of awareness further complicates the transition for veterans.
Military personnel develop skills throughout their careers that are highly valued across multiple
sectors. Yet, leadership and followership, which are fundamental skills in the Army, are often unnoticed or misunderstood in civilian workplaces. The Army Leadership Doctrine (2021) and the Followership Doctrine Note (2023) provide a strong basis for understanding these concepts. However, bridging the gap between military and civilian understanding requires both practical ‘translation’ of these skills on the part of the veterans and a shift in employers’ attitudes. Translating military experience into the civilian language and organisational culture requires time and often – at least at the beginning of the journey – a lot of work on the part of the veterans. This Insight provides some advice about how veterans and employers can communicate more effectively to maximise opportunities and talent.
Followership and Mission Command: Key Parts of Military Success
We often associate the terms follower and followership with somebody complying blindly, in a passive role. To many in the civilian world, followership means lack of initiate or power. Yet, in the Army, followership is an active process. It entails engagement, critical thinking, and adaptability. The Followership Doctrine Note describes it as more than simply following orders. It is about supporting leadership with initiative and a clear understanding of the mission. Effective followers anticipate problems, take responsibility for their roles, and contribute to organisational success. The Doctrine Note says:
"Effective followers are also technically competent, willing to take calculated risks,
demonstrate disciplined initiative, and can think independently within their given
freedoms and constraints towards the accomplishment of a specified intent. They are
trustworthy, courageous, and willing to offer responsible and constructive challenge,
as well as being committed to their team and the organisation, inspired by a shared
sense of purpose, and belonging (Point 8)."
Take the example of a Warrant Officer Class 2 serving as a Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant (RQMS). This role involves managing a Regiment’s logistical operations, problem-solving in unpredictable conditions, and ensuring resources are in place to support the chain of command. These tasks demonstrate independent thinking, ownership, and teamwork — hallmarks of effective followership that are valuable to employers.
As discussed, followership is often undervalued in civilian settings. It is either perceived as passive
or associated with a lack of initiative. This misinterpretation can make it difficult for veterans to highlight how their military followership skills align with civilian workplace expectations, such as teamwork, problem-solving, and collaboration. It is therefore essential to be able to provide details of what their roles in the Army mean. In most cases, civilian employers are unaware of their complexity and of the level of responsibility that all military roles, as soldiers and officers, demand. It is essential to spend time and effort to explain the multilayered nature of the Army role and the level of responsibility, highlighting the complex ramifications that each role has across the teams and the wider organisation to dispel the – unfortunately common – misconception that being in the Army simply means following orders. Veterans must clearly define their duties and responsibilities, emphasising how their role involved understanding and anticipating the needs of the team and organisation.
In the military context, leadership and followership are inseparable. The Army Leadership Doctrine
emphasises that effective leaders rely on the quality of their followers, who in turn enable the leader to succeed. This mutual dependence creates strong teams built on trust and shared purpose. In civilian workplaces, however, leadership is routinely prioritised over followership. Veterans transitioning into these environments may find their followership skills are under-recognised, even though these skills form the backbone of any effective organisation. For example, military followership emphasises alignment with a leader’s intent, supporting shared objectives, and taking initiative within a defined framework. In civilian terms, these attributes align with collaboration and collective success, but they are rarely associated with followership. This creates a disconnect between what veterans bring to the table and how it is perceived.
Crucially, Followership is also linked to responsible challenge. As the Followership Doctrine Note
explains, ‘To challenge is to question, to hold to account, or to present an alternative view to the norm. Responsible challenge allows followers to put forward innovative ideas, to question established views and priorities, and to point out mistakes and shortcomings. It is responsible and constructive when it is conducted for the betterment of the team or the task, when it enables, builds, advances, and accelerates’ (point 46.b). Veterans need to demonstrate their ability to assess the context and impacts of decisions and plans and to evaluate their quality, effectiveness, and risk. They must demonstrate their ability to challenge wrong decisions and behaviours when appropriate for the benefit of the team and the success of the organisation. Again, employers are not aware of this important aspect of military life and need to be guided through examples and detailed description of the responsibility and nature that military roles entail.
Mission Command, as described in the Army Leadership Doctrine, is a leadership model built on
trust, delegation, and clear intent. It empowers individuals to act independently while maintaining
alignment with the organisation’s goals. Veterans with experience in Mission Command are well-versed in balancing strategic objectives with tactical execution. This approach requires sound judgement, the ability to make decisions under pressure, and a strong understanding of team dynamics, priorities, and organisational values and long-term objectives, all of which are critical in the civilian workplaces.
Veterans can translate their experience by drawing parallels with civilian practices. For instance,
they might explain how they empowered teams to achieve objectives through delegation, clear
communication, and accountability. This reframing can help civilian employers see how Mission Command aligns with collaborative management styles and modern leadership frameworks.
Barriers to Transition and How to Overcome Them
Despite their strengths, skills and training, veterans often face significant challenges when entering the civilian workforce. These include:
• Translating Experience: Military roles, skills and responsibilities are often framed in language that is unfamiliar to civilian employers. Veterans must reframe their experience in terms of outcomes and
transferable skills, highlighting level of responsibility, adaptability, initiative, and teamwork. Very
often, veterans are not aware of their own skills, or they cannot put them in words that are easy for
employers to understand. In this context, the Leadership Competency Framework (2024) may help
them – as well as employers – to think in new ways about their professional experience.
• Bias and Stereotypes: Some employers may hold misconceptions about military personnel, viewing
them as overly rigid or focused solely on hierarchical structures. These assumptions can prevent
veterans from being considered for roles where they could thrive. It is therefore essential that from
the earliest communication with a potential employer and during the selection process, veterans focus on dispelling these assumptions with concrete examples of their initiative and flexibility. Problem solving and teamwork are particularly strong skills that all veterans are well versed in and which are highly sought after by employers
• Recruitment Processes: Automated recruitment systems, such as applicant tracking software, often
filter applications based on specific keywords. Veterans’ CVs often do not conform to the standard
criteria and risk being overlooked despite their qualifications. It is therefore essential that veterans
‘translate’ their CV and their personal statemen to include the required ‘buzz words’. These may vary
from sector to sector but a close look at the job description and a search of the employer’s website and social media feeds will provide a helpful insight into their priorities, jargon and organisational culture, which veterans can then use in their own application.
To overcome these barriers, veterans must learn to communicate their skills and experiences in ways that resonate with civilian employers:
• Use Clear, Accessible Language: Veterans should avoid military jargon and instead describe their roles and achievements in terms that highlight the outcomes. For example, rather than ‘Managed battalion level logistics’, a veteran might say, ‘Led logistics operations for 500 personnel, ensuring the timely delivery of resources within the allocated resource budget.’ As explained above, veterans should identify key words in the job ad and on the prospective employer’s website to ensure that their professional experience is reframed to demonstrate the required skills and experience. This can be daunting at first, but applicants must be confident in knowing that they already have the skills and experience, but they must communicate them in the required way.
• Provide Evidence of Achievements: Practical examples of success can help employers understand the value of military experience. For instance, veterans can explain how they improved operational
readiness, managed resources effectively, or led teams through difficult challenges. They should also give example of their flexibility and adaptability. Civilian employers are usually not aware of the
rotation of military posts and veterans should make a point of putting forward their track record in
joining new teams, fitting in new roles, learning news skills every couple of years.
• Position Mission Command as a Leadership Model: Veterans should articulate how their experience with Mission Command prepares them to lead and collaborate in civilian settings. By framing it as a model for teamwork and decision-making, they can highlight its relevance to the modern workplace. Veterans should use expressions like ‘empowering the team’, ‘delegating’, and ‘avoiding micro management’.
• Emphasise Followership as a key strength: Veterans should explain how their ability to support
leadership, provide constructive feedback, and anticipate challenges contributed to organisational
success. These qualities are highly transferable to civilian roles requiring collaboration and problem solving.
Employers’ Role in Supporting Veterans
Those employers who wish to support veterans and who are interested in recruiting from this pool of gifted applicants should take steps to create the right opportunities for veterans and recognising their unique strengths.
• Educate Your Hiring Teams: Employers should train their recruitment teams to understand military
CVs and the transferable skills they represent.
• Re-evaluate the Recruitment Processes: Employers should either move beyond automated filters or
revise the list of keywords required to pass the initial sift. Adopting competency-based interviews or
other assessment methods can also help ensure veterans are not excluded from consideration.
• Use the Leadership Competency Framework across the Recruitment Process: the Framework will
assist employer as they shape the description of the role’s responsibilities in the vacancy ad, the sifting, the interview, and the onboarding process. The Framework gives a handrail to both veterans and employers to find a common language and to create a share understanding.
• Offer Support Networks: Mentoring programmes and veteran-specific onboarding processes can help bridge cultural differences and support veterans in their transition to civilian workplaces.
Conclusion
To successfully integrate veterans into the civilian workforce, both veterans and employers must actively engage in bridging this cultural divide. By recognising the value of followership and Mission Command, civilian organisations can benefit from a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. Leadership and followership, as practised in the Army, provide veterans with a solid foundation for success in any workplace. However, these skills must be translated into civilian terms to be fully recognised and valued. At the same time, employers have an opportunity to recruit form an incredibly talented pool. However, they must understand the unique qualities that veterans bring to their organisations. As the Army Leadership Doctrine states, ‘Leaders are judged by the success of their teams.’ This principle holds true in civilian workplaces, where collaboration, shared goals, and mutual respect remain central to success. By addressing the gaps in understanding and communication between veterans and employers, we can create a workforce that values and benefits from the strengths of those who have served.
Questions
1. How can you use the Leadership Competency Framework to describe the leadership skills that you use in your current role?
2. How can you explain EITHER Followership OR Mission Command to a civilian employer that has never heard of it and how can you make it attractive to them?
References:
Army Leadership Doctrine (2021), AC 72029.
A British Army Followership Doctrine Note (2023), AC 72029-1.
Leadership Competency Framework (LCF) (2024) AC 72279
Royal British Legion, Deployment to Employment: Exploring the Veteran Employment Gap in the UK. 2016
Neal D.J., Boutselis P.S., and Bennett J., ‘The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence: The Case for Followership as a Key Component of Leadership Development’. Strategic Management Quarterly 3/4 (2015)