Leadership lessons from the battlefield to the boardroom

Rob Campbell learned a lot of leadership lessons in life, applicable from the battlefield to the boardroom.

Rob Campbell went off to college with big plans to play basketball. Then he didn’t make the team. Life has a funny way of redirecting your plans.

Responding to signs all over campus about the Massachusetts National Guard, and lured by the $150 a month, Rob enlisted in 1987. He never aspired to be an officer, and certainly never envisioned commanding a brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. He enrolled in ROTC with support from the Guard.

“It was an amazing experience – I am so grateful for it.” Rob made many stops across a career spanning almost thirty years, including Ranger school and a little recycling to get it right.

Transition to civilian life

Today Rob is founder of his own consulting firm and the Executive Director of VetToCEO. He is the author of two books. It’s Personal, not Personnel: Leadership Lessons for the Battlefield and the Boardroom, is a book encouraging leaders to invest in their members in order to increase performance, readiness, and retention. And Rob released his second book in April, At Ease: Enjoying the Freedom you fought for – A Soldier’s Story and Perspectives on the Journey to an Encore Life and Career.

So why did he decide to write his first book? Rob attended a seminar and heard a speaker claim he’d written a book in 100 days. Rob said to himself, “I’ve been fighting terrorists – I can do that.” It took a little longer – two and half years longer. But Rob persevered, and now his second book is on shelves and available on Amazon.

In our podcast, we discuss “veteran-friendly” vs “veteran ready” companies. We discuss the transition Rob made from being a Colonel, someone everyone stood up for when he entered a room, to a regular civilian. This was what Rob describes as a “tough transition.”

And we talk about going back thirty years with advice for young 2LT Campbell . Rob talks about calming down and living in the moment. Rob suggests an infusion of entrepreneurism into the US military – the need for new ways and more flexibility in problem solving.

And we talk about the conscious decision by our leaders after 9-11 to send our military to war, but not our country. Important and thought provoking insights on the divide between our military, veterans, and the civilian population.

You will enjoy Rob’s sense of humor, his stories and his wisdom in this episode of the Spotlight.