Mike Sarraille Transcript-converted

Mike Sarraille is the CEO of Talent War Group and author of the best-selling book ‘The Talent War-How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent’. Mr. Sarraille is a former Marine Corp turning into SEAL groups who enrolled in an MBA program at 39. He had established numerous companies within the Social Entrepreneurship and traditional industry sphere and always orchestrated a crucial consulting figure for these ventures.

The birth of Talent War Group

The invaluable experiences of his former feats, alongside his innate curiosity about the concepts of talent acquisition, led Mr. Sarraille in writing the book ‘The Talent War-How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent’. He cooperated with a highly experienced man with extraordinary talent recognition and acquisition achievements. They formulate a concept within the book where Special Armed Forces were the main case study, but with applications in various industries. This book that describes the processes and intricacies of assembling a high-functioning team was the precursor of the founding of Talent War Group, a consulting firm procuring services such as Human Resources Planning, Talent Acquisition, Consulting, and Leadership Development.

The importance of Military Service in adopting a Leadership mindset

The adversities and challenges of military service hone your mental and physical skills to such an extent that you can thrive throughout the complexities of the corporate world. Alongside a genuine passion for your occupation, you accomplish outstanding results and a constant presence in your chosen field.

Mike Sarraille states that the 12-16 months of his military training were the blueprint of success in his entrepreneurial feats. He insists that one of the role models for leadership is US Marine Corps. Furthermore, incorporating at least a three-credit semester course on Marine Corps is paramount for every MBA program.

An aspiring recon Marine has to indulge in several difficulties during his training period. He also has to choose between ending up as a recon battalion or force battalion. Their difference lies in their duties as assistants to the assailants and the assailants.

Mike Sarraille’s 5-year training in Marine Corp prepared him thoroughly for enlisting as Navy Seal. With the advice of one of his majors to be a role model in his new role, he focused on adopting a leadership presence for those in need of encouragement. The latter is in high demand due to the high attrition rate during the Navy Seal Training, approximately 80 %.

The demanding training for being a Navy Seal

The actual Seal Training is highly demanding and requires your absolute dedication to the cause. The purpose is to conquer all your mental barriers and emerge as a triumphant personality in all aspects of life. Then, you have the psychological and physical capacity to succeed in your chosen field.

The training involves the following:

1) Reporting for duty at 5 a.m.

2) Extreme physical training until 6 p.m. involving swimming and running with various physical hurdles

The impact this adverse physical training has on your psyche is an indicator of your capacity to channel your presence in productive ways in your later life.

—————————

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

The connection between vulnerability and leadership

Mike Sarraille is working on a book that studies the correlation between exposing your vulnerable side and being an effective leader. He states that vulnerability was a crucial component within the Special Operations community and seeks its incorporation in training.

During the book’s preparation, he interviewed Major General Jerry Brooklyn, one of the founding members of Delta Force, the primary counterterrorism unit in the world. Mr. Brooklyn is a staunch supporter of ‘Lead through love’. In his own words, a leader guides his men and loves them unconditionally. The manifestation of genuine love and empathy comes through holding accountable his peers.

You profess your belief in their competency and individual brilliance by holding someone accountable. Therefore, you encourage them to be at their peak, a situation that promotes your team’s overall performance and morale.

The military regularly deploys the after-action review in the aftermath of an operation, regardless of the result. The ability to successfully engage with your team even after failures is the product of displaying empathy and vulnerability. The dismissal of the latter traits is not akin to toughness and masculinity and leads your team to losses and operating under toxic conditions.

Therefore, we need to establish an innovative culture throughout the military units, where individuals are encouraged to be vulnerable and open to discussion. It is a revolutionary approach that would enhance the effectiveness of the army units and strengthen the bonds within their ranks.

Displaying vulnerability does not equal weakness.

Displaying vulnerability is one of the more incredible strengths of a man. It delivers the message that someone is not set in his ways and is open to sharing, discussing, and proceeding to innovative solutions and ideas. Unfortunately, Hollywood and other cultural conglomerates have twisted the public perception of the military personnel. They are usually envisioned as seasoned, brooding men, unable to display emotions.

The inability to be vulnerable and emotional is one of the leading causes of veterans’ alarmingly high suicide rates. Moreover, retired military personnel commonly experience psychological difficulties that impair their functions as citizens, husbands, fathers, and friends. The repercussions are dire for these people, their families, and their teams.

Mike Sarraille recalls that various executives have asked him who had been the highest performer in his action years. In his answers, Mr. Sarraille distinguishes the terms between warfighters and warriors. In his words, every one of us is a potential warfighter, and the military prepares you effectively in the physical aspects. The notion of a warrior is entirely different, though.

He explicitly states that the most lethal warriors he has encountered were quiet, empathetic, and extremely kind. These people build healthy relationships with their peers and establish themselves as influential leadership figures.

In the twisted public perception, the aforementioned men are weak and disposable. In any case, the fixed mindset of the public contributes to another pandemic of our times, victimhood. At all costs, one should avoid victimhood to function healthily in all his endeavors.

Mike Sarraille shared a story of when he succumbed to victimhood. He was a ground force commander in a combat deployment amidst a divorce process. His squad implored him to talk about what was going on because he was constantly reactive to everything. In combination with his demanding position, the latter led him to not be in control of his actions.

After talking to them, he seemed genuinely surprised by their validation of his emotions regarding the situation. Gradually, Mike Sarraille advanced to be a more open and vulnerable man.

It is paramount for those in command in all aspects of professional and personal life to step forward and be vulnerable and open for discussion. Thus, they set the example by showing up and encouraging their delegates to share their thoughts and take responsibility for their actions.

Identification and Talent Recognition Process

During Mike Sarraille’s conversations with several small and mid-size business leaders, he found out that they had faced difficulties recognizing raw talents and developing the qualities of their employees. He rapidly decided to indulge in Business Mentoring and Coaching, facilitating the companies in the challenges mentioned above. His experience in leading numerous units in the military was the primary precursor behind this decision.

Furthermore, business mentoring is a fascinating field because it involves the complexity of human nature. As Mike Sarraille said, “People can be your greatest asset or your largest liability.”

What Military can contribute to Leadership Development?

Mike Sarraille recognized the contribution of the Leadership Development Centre of West Point to the modern version of leadership attributes. The founder of the Leadership Development Centre was Brigadier General Howard Prince, a seasoned veteran who gained a grievous wound in the Vietnam War. General Prince dedicated the remainder of his career to teaching Psychology for industrial and organizational purposes.

General Prince believed that the crucial point in adopting different leadership strategies in the military was abolishing mandatory conscription and the beginning of the volunteering drafting. Thus, the leadership initiatives required change because the army had to persuade the newly enlisted to extend their five-year mandatory service.

It is worth to be noted that the new leadership initiatives were the ones that accelerated the economic growth of the last decades. Within the military ranks, you proceed to get acquainted with specific tasks fitted to your given role.

The newcomers learn to be accustomed to their novel responsibilities from the first day with processes resembling the Junior Officer Leadership Development Programs that are part of the training in private organizations, such as Pepsico and Johnson & Johnson. We can state that leadership development ecosystems within a company cultivate values such as discipline and resilience.

—————————

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

How to develop a Talent Recognition Mindset?

George Randall, Mike Sarraille’s associate, has asked the CEO of a company the two following questions:

1) How often do you check your financial assets?

2) How often do you evaluate your personnel?

His response to the first question was every month and for the second every year.

The principles of developing a genuine talent mindset are the following:

1) The frequency of evaluating a company’s personnel

2) The potential of the personnel

3) The possibility of some people departing from the team for various reasons

4) The quality of cooperation between the team members

Mike Sarraille has also developed a list of the desired attributes of an employee. He values greatly, among them, the quality of effective intelligence.

Effective intelligence is one of the many traits an HR strategist has to take into account when developing the company’s hiring process infrastructure.

Mike Sarraille believes that since perfection is an illusion, the companies should seek specific attributes in the prospective employees. If these attributes align with the company’s general framework, any pitfalls of the candidate can be addressed effectively in a collective effort within the ranks of a company.

In wrapping up…

Military training confers to the participants outstanding advantages and cultivates traits that are indispensable to the corporate world. These are leadership qualities, discipline, and a goal-oriented mindset.

Mike Sarraille’s new book examines the framework behind adopting a more humane approach to leadership. This approach entails the expression of empathy and vulnerability when needed in contrast with the public perception that it signifies weakness.

Listen to the episode on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.

If you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.

. . .

The #1 challenge for organizations right now is how to attract and retain talent. Organizations are stuck in old ways of thinking about work and they are struggling! In my new PDF, I outline 7 ways the workforce is changing and what you and your organization need to do to adapt. The Great Resignation is The Great Opportunity if you are willing to take action! Click here to download the PDF.

Comments