If you’ve served in the armed forces, you know what real teamwork looks like. Tight comms, clear goals, and a culture of cracking on no matter what. The civilian world talks a lot about “collaboration” and “ownership” but few know how to actually do it well. You do.

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In this article, we’re looking at how you can translate the collaborative and leadership skills you already have, and use them to move into civvie roles where you can lead (without needing stripes on your sleeve).

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We spoke to Greg Poole, ex-Parachute Regiment, now smashing it in tech sales. Greg served in Afghanistan, worked in weapons and physical training, studied business in the Netherlands, and now works in commercial strategy. He’s held roles as a Sales Development Rep and Account Executive, and he’s figured out how to turn battlefield teamwork into boardroom results.

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Here’s what he had to say.

Why teamwork is your secret weapon

Military life is built on trust and coordination. As Greg puts it:

“Teamwork is 100% a skill, and it was instilled into me. I took that into every role I’ve had since.”

The bonus? You also bring discipline, adaptability, time management, and leadership. And unlike many civvies, you don’t take three weeks to reply to an email or crack under pressure when targets shift.

How Greg translated military leadership

Greg didn’t walk out of the military expecting people to salute him in the office. But that didn’t mean he left his leadership skills behind, he just had to figure out how to use them in a new setting.

“Leadership in the military is taught early. It’s baked into everything. But in civilian roles, it’s less about command and more about influence.”

Greg shared that the biggest shift was recognising how leadership plays out in a team without hierarchy. In the military, leadership often comes with authority. In civilian life, it comes from trust, credibility, and communication.

“I wasn’t barking orders, but I was still leading by example. I made sure I understood the mission, supported the team, and showed I could deliver.”

Greg leaned into what he already knew:

• Take initiative without waiting to be asked
• Help the team hit shared goals
• Offer support when others are under pressure
• Ask smart questions to show you’re engaged, not just present

He also worked on adapting his tone, less directive, more collaborative. The leadership traits stayed the same; it was just the delivery that needed tweaking.

“You’ve still got to lead, but you do it sideways, not from the top down.”

Adapting to new leadership styles

In civvie street, not everyone leads the same way. Some managers are hands-off. Some are younger than you. Some waffle on for hours, others barely check in. There’s no one-size-fits-all, and it can be a bit of a culture shock. Greg shared that this was one of the bigger mindset shifts after leaving the military:

“In the military, you’ve got one very specific leadership style, direct, structured, and usually not up for debate. In civilian life, every manager has their own take. That took some getting used to.”

What helped? Focusing less on the leader, and more on the mission.

“It can be humbling when your new manager is younger than you. But you’ve got to swallow that pill. You’re all after the same outcome.”

His approach is simple:

• Don’t get hung up on personality clashes or management quirks
• Concentrate on the team’s shared goal and how you can contribute
• Adapt your style to the environment, just like you did on deployment

Greg also pointed out that military service builds strong characters, which means veterans can sometimes butt heads with softer leadership styles. His advice? Pick your battles. Influence through action, not ego.

“It’s easy to think ‘I wouldn’t have done it that way’ but that’s not the point. What matters is whether the team delivers.”

Staying accountable without rank

One of the trickiest parts of moving into civilian work? Figuring out what success actually looks like. In the military, your role, responsibilities, and performance targets are clear. In a civvie job, it’s often a bit vague.

“At first, I didn’t even understand what I was being held accountable for. There’s no orders, no commander’s intent. You have to go and find that clarity yourself.”

Greg’s first step was to sit down with his manager and ask:

• What are my KPIs?
• What does success look like in this role?
• How do I know if I’m doing a good job?

Then he broke the answers down into practical, measurable checkpoints:

• What do I need to achieve this quarter?
• What should that look like monthly?
• What does that mean I need to get done this week?

“I didn’t wait to be told when I was off-track. I built a system to track it myself.”

And when his manager was hands-off (which happens a lot outside the military)? Greg took the lead.

“Sometimes they won’t step in until things go wrong. So track your own metrics, and flag issues early. It shows you care and keeps you in control.”

Without rank or a strict chain of command, accountability becomes your responsibility. And that’s not a bad thing, it gives you freedom and ownership. You don’t need someone breathing down your neck to perform. You just need clear goals, a plan, and the self-discipline to stick to it. Luckily, you’ve already got that.

Getting better at giving (and receiving) feedback

Feedback in the civilian world is a completely different beast. In the military, it’s usually top-down, immediate, and, let’s be honest, brutally clear. Civvie street prefers something softer, more layered, and often wrapped in “constructive conversation.” For Greg, this shift took some getting used to.

“In the military, feedback is direct. You know where you stand. Out here, it’s more nuanced, and you’re expected to give feedback up the chain, not just receive it.”

One of the biggest lessons? Learning how to package feedback so it lands well.

“When I’ve got feedback, I go in with three issues and three suggestions. It shows I’m not just complaining, I’m offering solutions.”

And it’s not just about giving feedback. Receiving it requires a shift in mindset, too. Civilians don’t operate on “you’re only as good as your last performance review.” You’re expected to be proactive and ask for it regularly. Greg’s advice:

• Ask questions like: “What would you like to see next week?” or “What would success look like this month?”
• Don’t wait for a quarterly review, get feedback in real time
• When you get peer feedback, don’t take it personally. Use what’s useful, leave the rest

“Feedback in civilian life is often shaped by personality and culture. You’ve got to read the room. But the key is not taking it to heart, take what’s helpful, and apply it.”

In other words, don’t expect a debrief or end-of-exercise assessment. You’ve got to create your own improvement loop, and that makes you better, faster.

‍How to step into a leadership role

If you want to move into leadership in the civilian world, here’s the truth: no one’s going to tap you on the shoulder and tell you it’s your time. You’ve got to make the case, and make it early.

“In the military, there’s a system. You progress through the ranks. In civvie life, you’ve got to show intent and back it up with action.”

Greg’s advice is simple, but effective:

• Look at your current team. Where are the delivery gaps? What’s not working as well as it could?
• Make a list: what are you doing now to support the team’s performance?
• Write down where you want to be in 6–12 months, and what you’d like to take on
• Show your manager the roadmap, how you’ll get there, and what kind of support or recognition you’ll need when you do

“It’s about pairing ambition with impact. You’ve got to prove you’re already acting like a leader, then the title will follow.”

It’s also about getting out of the “waiting for orders” mindset. Leadership progression in civilian careers isn’t linear, and it’s rarely handed to you. You need to:

• Show initiative
• Communicate your goals
• Track your impact
• Ask for the opportunity when the time is right

“You’ve got to give yourself permission. No one’s coming to do it for you.”

If you’ve led people before, on exercise, in operations, or in high-stakes situations, then you’ve got the tools. Now it’s about learning how to own that leadership without relying on rank. And that starts by speaking up.

Bottom line?

Civilian leadership needs more people like you. You’ve already led teams under pressure, adapted to fast-changing goals, and kept your cool when it mattered most. That’s exactly what civilian workplaces need, especially in industries like tech, sales, finance, and defence.

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The trick is learning how to communicate those skills clearly. Drop the acronyms, ditch the clichés, and start telling your story in a way that civilian employers actually understand.

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At Redeployable, we leverage AI to make career resettlement simple, transparent, and tailored to you. Our AI-powered tools help to match you with careers based on more than your rank or role, analyse your skills to highlight civilian job matches you may not have considered and provide step-by-step guidance so your transition isn’t a guessing game.

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