Why modern organisations should look to the military, not sports, for their team and leadership development lessons
In the world of business, sports analogies have long been the go-to framework for discussing leadership and teamwork. Managers at meetings and off-sites frequently compare their teams to sports teams, emphasising competition, clear roles, and a shared goal.
While these comparisons can sometimes be useful in simple scenarios, they often fall well short in addressing the actual complexities of modern large-scale organisations. Instead, the military provides a far more robust and nuanced analogy for leadership and teamwork, especially in today’s increasingly complex and unpredictable business environments.
Since our creation in 1988 Sabre has designed and delivered a range of military lessons and into business themed workshops, events and programmes. These approaches cherry-pick the most relevant aspects of the military for business teams and leaders, and stay well clear of the physicality and harshness of military life. They also steer clear of of the politics of any contemporary conflicts. The aim is simply to help people understand some relevant tools and ideas that enable them to lead, communicate and build teams better.
Some of the higher-level reasons we feel it’s a superior analogy are…
The Limitations of Sports Analogies
Sports analogies tend to oversimplify the intricate challenges that large organisations face. In sports, the objectives are much clearer, the rules are also fixed, and the roles are well-defined. Success often hinges on the performance of star players and immediate results. This perspective, while superficially motivating to some, does not fully capture the strategic depth, adaptability, and operational intricacies required in a business landscape now characterised by complexity, rapid technological advancements, globalisation, and regulatory shifts.
Furthermore, sports teams generally operate in a relatively stable environment with a defined timeframe, predictable competition, and minimal ambiguity. In contrast, large organisations must navigate shifting markets, uncertain economic conditions, and evolving customer expectations—all of which demand a higher degree of strategic foresight, resilience, and flexibility.
Why the Military Offers a Better Leadership Model
The military operates in a dynamic, high-stakes environment where ambiguity, complexity, and rapid change are the norm. It offers a superior analogy for leadership and teamwork in large organisations for several reasons:
Hierarchical Yet Agile Structure: Unlike sports teams, which function under fixed roles and rigid hierarchies, the military balances a structured chain of command with the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. The concept of ‘Mission Command’ that pushed power and empowerment down in tactical scenarios is one example. Many who have not had military experience may not attribute such flexibility and empowerment to the military. Business leaders can draw insight and inspiration from this balance to help create organisations that are both disciplined and innovative.
Mission-Driven Focus: Military leadership emphasises a clear mission, with clear intent broken simply into ‘Purpose – Method - End State’ statements, while allowing for decentralised execution. This empowers teams to make critical decisions autonomously while remaining aligned with broader strategic objectives—essential for modern organisations operating in complex environments.
Resilience and Risk Management: Military operations require thorough planning, scenario analysis, and risk mitigation strategies—skills directly applicable to the business world, where uncertainty is ever-present and risk can’t be removed, only mitigated.
Diversity of Skills and Roles: The military thrives on the collaboration of diverse specialists across various disciplines, much like large organisations that depend on cross-functional teams to drive innovation, projects and efficiency.
Leadership at All Levels: In the military, leadership is not confined to top executives; every member is trained to lead and take initiative when necessary. The Australian Army for example has a ‘two up – two down’ philosophy where people are briefed to understand and can assume command roles two levels up when needed, and leaders brief to at least the two levels down. This concept of distributed leadership is crucial for large organisations seeking to foster accountability, the ability to take initiative and for engagement at all levels.
While sports analogies may serve as a useful motivational tool occasionally, they fall short in capturing the actual complexity and depth of modern business challenges.
The military, with its focus on adaptability, strategic execution, and decentralised leadership, provides a far richer and more applicable model for leadership and teamwork in large organisations.
As businesses face increasingly unpredictable and complex challenges, adopting a military-inspired approach can better equip them to navigate uncertainty and achieve long-term success.
Sabre has been designing programmes and workshops for business with Team and Leadership Development lessons from the military since 1988.
TO SEE SOME OF OUR MILITARY TO BUSINESS APPROACHES PLEASE VISIT THIS SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE.
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