Socrates and the Barbarians
Scott Samuelson wrote an opinion piece in the March 28, 2014 issue of the Wall Street Journal.[i] The title of his article was, “Would you hire Socrates?” He said the myth that studying humanities doesn’t pay was debunked by a study co-authored by the Association of American College and Universities and the National Center for Higher Education Management System. They said that “workers who majored in humanities or social sciences earn annually on average $2,000 more than those who majored…in professional or pre-professional fields.” That really doesn’t surprise me.
That finding not only reflects my personal experience, it also reflects the experience of other former military officers, educated in the humanities and social sciences, who have gone on to very successful civilian careers, many in technical fields, after their military careers. At the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, a graduate school that prepares mid-grade officers for higher command and staff positions, the focus is on teaching officers how to think, not what to think. Mr. Samuelson noted that the “study showed that the overwhelming majority of employers are desperate to hire graduates who have “a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly and solve complex problems.” For the past 17 years, military officers from all services have done just that in highly stressful environments where failure can lead to catastrophic losses in lives, property and national reputation. While the military trains for certainty, they educate for uncertainty because no matter what potential adversary you study in the classroom, he may not be the adversary you end up confronting on the field of battle. The enemy in war is like your competitors in the private sector who are always strategizing, planning, adapting to changing consumer tastes, and innovating to maintain their competitive advantage. I see some interesting parallels between the skills, knowledge and abilities of mid-grade military officers and successful managers, directors and vice presidents of private sector corporations.
Thirty-eight years ago, I picked up a copy of U.S. News and World Report and observed the cover story alleging that our universities were turning out highly skilled barbarians. The gist of the article was that our schools were good at developing graduates with an understanding of scientific inquiry and business processes but (they are) short on exposing them to values.[ii] Bottom line, values matter.
The military services are highly technical values-based organizations. They professes and teach values that stress ethics, honesty, integrity and selfless service, among others. Because there are moral and legal constraints on the use of force and the fact that they must retain the respect and support of the American people, the services actively police their ranks to ensure they remain accountable to the people they serve.
Every year about 200,000 military personnel leave their respective military service to re-enter the civilian workforce. Many of these veterans are highly educated, disciplined, and reliable workers who suit up every day, working under some of the most undesirable conditions, and get the job done no matter what the circumstances.
The military is a meritocracy, a highly competitive profession. There is no guarantee one can stay to retirement so officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) are under constant pressure to perform well, remain proficient at their assigned tasks. They pursue ever-challenging assignments to build expertise and attain proficiency.
Leadership is about people, management is about things. While leaders do the right things, managers do things right. This is not a difference without a distinction. Leaders are conditioned to examine all possible alternatives, development plausible courses of action and build teams capable of achieving success. I’m not an information technology person, but I was a VP of an IT organization. I organized and led the development of teams who wrote winning proposals to secure large government contracts. I was only successful because I surrounded myself with experts in their respective fields. Together WE won the contract. Nothing that I did was any different from what most officers and senior NCOs are capable of doing for their respective employers in the private sector today.
In the end, I believe that a good liberal education in the social sciences removes the hard edges of the business world and produces a better outcome. You would be wise to welcome separating service members into your ranks. Attributes like honesty, integrity, a strong work ethic and the ability to get the job done, regardless of the obstacles, are the hallmarks of the military profession. It’s time for us to capitalize on these attributes by hiring veterans.
[i] “Would You Hire Socrates?” By Scott Samuelson, opinion page, Wall Street Journal, March, 28, 2014.
[ii] A Conversation with Steven Muller, “Universities Are Turning Out Highly Skilled Barbarians,” U.S. News and World Report, Nov. 10, 1980, pp 57-58.