5 Lessons Military Snipers Can Teach Us About Competitive Advantage

We are always looking for a competitive advantage that sets us apart from the crowd, but are we looking in the right place?

Job-seekers try to craft a brilliant CV they hope will capture immediate attention from the hirer. Corporate climbers try to earn multiple professional certifications with the hope that displaying 30 letters after their name will propel them into the ‘made it’ category

Those are all noble goals and great things to possess. If you have ‘made it’, I congratulate you. However, what if you haven’t? Will you be forever denied a competitive advantage in the marketplace and consigned to walk the halls of mediocrity forever? Not hardly.

While a brilliant CV and professional certifications are great things to possess, they are still only ‘things’. True competitive advantage isn’t gained by a thing possessed, but by a mindset developed over time.

As part of our continued effort to promote the value of a military mindset and experience in Corporate Australia, allow me to share with you a few lessons from military snipers that speak directly to the issue of competitive advantage. These lessons are applicable to everyone - period. Anyone can master this proven mindset.

1. Snipers don’t stop when they’re tired; they stop when they’re done.

Advantage #1: Driven by Mission. Strength and stamina are true competitive advantages, but true strength doesn’t come from what you can do – if comes from doing what you previously thought you couldn’t do. That type of strength doesn’t come from the body; it comes from the mind.

In the world of business, a person who is mission-driven will run circles around those who aren’t in spite of their degrees and certifications. Their mission feeds them the energy they need to persevere, and gives them the mental stamina to weather the storm and drive on in spite of obstacles.

2. Snipers aren’t deadly because they have rifles; they’re deadly because they’ve learned how to weaponise math.

Advantage #2: Expertise, not equipment. Have you ever wondered what’s going through a snipers’ mind right before he pulls the trigger? Mathematics. He’s adding and subtracting fractions, calculating geometric angles and solving time vs. distance equations. The rifle is nothing more than an extension of a snipers’ true lethality - his mind.

In today’s business environment it’s easy to misplace our focus on technology, degrees and certifications as the source of our competitive advantage. That’s a mistake. Those things provide knowledge, but knowledge in and of itself isn’t power. Applied knowledge is power. True competitive advantage can be identified when one is left with nothing but their minds with which to compete … and they win anyway.

3. The sniper motto is “One Shot, One Kill,” not “Spray and Pray.”

Advantage #3: Economy & Efficiency. Studies of the Vietnam War have revealed that conventional forces expended 50,000 rounds of ammunition per enemy kill versus snipers who expended 1.3 rounds per kill. The ROI snipers bring to the table is obvious.

Job-seekers sending out hundreds of CVs would benefit from this lesson. A person who adapts the efficiency inherent to “on shot, one kill” has a distinct competitive advantage in the business world. A person who can manage time, laser-focus on tasks and identify well-suited audiences for their message can accomplish infinitely more than those who don't.

4. Snipers wait for the best shot, not the perfect shot.

Advantage #4: Opportunity & Timing. Snipers are trained to patiently wait for the shot, unaffected by the environment. When the target presents itself: range it, dope it, scope it and pull the trigger. We’d all like a perfect shot, but we know that if we hold the scope on target too long muscle fatigue sets in and our scope begins a figure-8 wobble. When that happens, we missed our opportunity.

Targets without execution has no value, and a person willing to step up, take action and make subsequent course corrections has a distinct advantage over those suffering from “paralysis by analysis.”

5. One sniper can change the world with a bullet on the right target.

Advantage #5: Driven by Purpose. History is packed with examples of snipers having a strategic impact on future events. Dictatorial leaders have been deposed in dangerous rogue nations, drug cartels have been disbanded, and innocent lives have been spared in hostage situations that could have very easily resulted in mass casualties.

A person in the business world who is driven by purpose is the most powerful force to be reckoned with by far. Purpose stems from passion, and those who possess it have a distinct competitive advantage over those who are driven by prestige or material gain.

In the infamous words of Margaret Mead, “Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. Indeed, that’s all who ever have.” One person can truly change the world, and there’s no reason why that person can’t be you.

True competitive advantage for a job seeker is not a thing to be acquired, it’s a mindset that needs to be cultivated, developed and nurtured over time.

Do you really want a distinct competitive advantage in today’s marketplace? Turn your eyes away from the diplomas on your office wall and look in the mirror instead. That’s where it truly exists.

We have helped thousands of ex-military people find themselves and their true passion.  To find yours or find out how your military background can launch you into the commercial world, call us on 1300 366 104 or email info@transciv.com.au.