What Veterans Taught Me About Leadership Before I Understood Business

I was 9 years old, standing in brutal November cold with a marching drum strapped to my small body.

My father played the bass drum beside me. We were there to accompany veterans as they marched in the Remembrance Day ceremony.

I remember the discipline required to keep rhythm when your fingers went numb. The focus needed to honour people who had given everything. The unspoken understanding that your discomfort meant nothing compared to their sacrifice.

I didn't think about leadership that day. I thought about not missing a beat.

However, looking back, that ceremony taught me something that most business books overlook.

The Leadership Skills We Overlook

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Canada will honour this milestone with special ceremonies, including animated poppies cascading down the Senate building at the National Arts Centre, each representing one of our fallen.

The timing matters for business leaders.

Veterans hold 12% of executive and senior-level positions. They're more likely to lead than non-veterans. Companies led by veteran CEOs consistently show higher performance metrics, stronger employee engagement, and more resilient operations.

The reason is simple. Military training develops skills that directly transfer to business leadership, including decision-making under pressure, delegation, conflict resolution, and the ability to motivate teams in high-stakes situations.

Research shows that inclusive teams with diverse perspectives are 35% more productive and earn 2.5 times higher cash flow per employee. Veterans bring that diversity of thought.

What Family Businesses Understand

Family-owned businesses account for 47% of Canadian private sector employment and contribute over 63% of our economy annually.

These businesses outperform the market. They show a cumulative total return of 325.1% versus 221.9% for the S&P TSX Composite.

The advantage stems from the same values that military service instills: dedication, long-term thinking, and a commitment to something larger than quarterly results.

Canadian family firms excel at corporate social responsibility. They demonstrate superior CSR performance compared to non-family counterparts. They understand that service to the community creates a sustainable business advantage.

The Intergenerational Transfer

When I played drums beside my father at that ceremony, I was learning more than music.

I was learning that some things matter enough to show up in the cold. That discipline compounds over time. That honouring those who served isn't separate from building a career, it's foundational to understanding what leadership actually means.

Intergenerational collaboration in business mirrors the values passed through military and ceremonial traditions. Each generation brings unique skills. Baby Boomers are known for a strong work ethic, dedication, and commitment to careers. They value stability and loyalty.

Facilitating intergenerational knowledge sharing through mentorship creates knowledge transfer pathways that benefit organizational performance.

Veterans demonstrate this transition capability better than most. There are approximately 1.6 million veteran business owners in America, employing around 3.3 million workers. These firms have higher success rates than those founded by non-veteran founders, largely due to the leadership skills acquired in the military.

What This Means for Your Business

The Canadian government's enhanced CSR strategy, “Doing Business the Canadian Way," clearly demonstrates expectations that Canadian companies will promote Canadian values and operate with the highest ethical standards.

CSR initiatives strengthen stakeholder relations, create new opportunities, foster consumer loyalty, and provide measurable benefits, including cost savings, increased internal morale, improved brand reputation, and higher customer retention rates.

The connection to Remembrance Day isn't symbolic. It's practical.

The values we honour on November 11, service, dedication, resilience, commitment to something larger than ourselves—are the same values that create sustainable business advantage.

Companies that understand this don't just perform better; they also achieve greater success. They build cultures where people want to work, customers want to buy, and communities want to support them.

The Lesson I Learned at 9

Standing in that cold with numb fingers, I learned that showing up matters.

That discipline isn't about perfection. It's about consistency when conditions are difficult.

Honouring those who served means carrying forward the values they protected: dedication, integrity, service to others, and commitment to something larger than personal gain.

These aren't soft skills. They're the foundation of effective leadership and sustainable business performance.

As we mark this 80th anniversary, the question for business leaders is simple: Are you building an organization that embodies these values, or are you just talking about them?

The veterans marching in ceremonies across Canada this week can tell the difference.

So can your employees, customers, and community.