Leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our Partner & VP, Brandon Deskins, shares how his style evolved from the Marine Corps to the corporate world — shifting from “you have to” to “you want to.” Give Sam Bylett’s podcast a listen for the full conversation.
I Help B2B Leaders Turn Cold Prospects Into Paying Clients | 25 Guaranteed Calls in 90 Days | Lead Generation Expert
"Here, you have to learn how to lead differently" - Brandon Deskins, Partner & VP at StaffSource Brandon shared something on the podcast about how his leadership style had to evolve from military to civilian environments. In the Marines, if someone opted out of what was expected, their career was basically over you disobeyed a lawful order and faced serious consequences. Here in civilian business, employees have a say and can opt out anytime they want. As Brandon put it, in the Marine Corps he could "be a hammer a lot more" than he can in business. While he was still coaching and mentoring in the military, there came times when the hammer had to come out. That's not really an option in the corporate world. What I found interesting was his point about moving from a culture of accountability to dependability, and acknowledging that evolution came with costs. I think there's something here about how different environments require completely different leadership approaches. What works in a command-and-control structure doesn't necessarily translate to an environment where people choose to stay or leave. The transition from "you have to" to "you want to" requires a fundamentally different skill set as a leader. You have to inspire rather than command, influence rather than order. Have you had to adapt your leadership style for different environments? What's been challenging about making those transitions?