With billions of pounds pouring into frontier technologies like generative AI, 85% of CIOs are reporting growing pressure to demonstrate tangible outcomes from technology investments. This type of pressure strains professional relationships to their limits. As your remit continues to grow, how do you make sure you’re leading digital transformation from the front – and not bringing up the rear?
The answer is military-style leadership. If there’s one thing I learned from my time in the British Army, it’s how to become a servant leader. The motto they teach you at Sandhurst is ‘serve to lead’, and if you want to close to ever-widening gap between strategy and execution, it’s a good place to start.
Embodying military-style leadership within the C-suite
Today’s CIO is responsible for wide, sweeping digital transformation programmes to help modernise internal infrastructure. This often involves bringing together siloed departments and introducing new ways of working, all of which can be challenging for organisations rooted in legacy systems and management styles.
Who’s responsible for driving change at each level – from the end-user up to the boardroom? How do you create alignment between people with shifting priorities and a bustling day job? It’s not an easy task. In fact, only 20% of employees strongly agree that their leaders communicate effectively, which reveals a more systemic issue.
Many senior executives operate as managers. They might micromanage how their subordinates are executing their tasks or focus narrowly on a handful of performance metrics. In contrast, being a leader means providing trust and clarity, both of which are traits that often define military leadership.
The idea of servant leadership is all about guiding the team to enable them to succeed. While the battlefield feels very far away from the boardroom, this principle is something that CIOs can take on board when they’re tasked with steering a complex digital programme. Step back and clear the path so that you can trust your people to deliver; that’s when the real progress gets made.
Contrary to popular belief, the military is not rigidly hierarchical. In fact, it teaches individuals to operate with autonomy within defined parameters. Officers set the boundaries of a mission and step back, allowing you to take full ownership of your actions. This approach is supported by the OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act), a framework that cultivates awareness and decisive action under pressure.
This mindset is key for CIOs: clear intent, paired with space to adapt. If you try to seize too much control, it begins to stifle people’s initiative. On the other hand, too little control breeds confusion. Strong leadership, however, helps strike the right balance, so you can lead with structured autonomy and empower teams without losing focus.
Clear communication is another hallmark of military success. Everyone on the battlefield knows their role and how it connects to a wider objective. Feedback flows in both directions, and without this, the plan falls apart. When you use communication as a strategic tool, everyone who touches the project can understand the ‘why’ behind the work. That’s how you create space for success.
Embedding resilience within an organisation
Resilience is perhaps the hardest leadership trait to teach and the most vital to embody. Military officers are taught to plan exhaustively, train rigorously, and prepare for all scenarios, but they’re also taught that ‘the first casualty of war is the plan.’ Adaptability under pressure is a non-negotiable mindset for you to adopt and instil in your team. When your team feels supported to grow, they stop fearing change and start responding to it; it is here that adaptability and resilience become second nature.
There is also a practical opportunity to bring these principles in-house, as veterans transitioning out of the army may bring with them a refreshed leadership approach. Because they’re often confident under pressure and focused on outcomes, their transferrable skills allow them to thrive in the corporate world.
The success of any digital strategy ultimately depends on the people responsible for executing it. CIOs who lead with intent, communicate with precision, and embed a culture of trust and resilience will be far better positioned to exceed expectations. It is those leadership qualities that truly set your digital strategy apart.
Mike Jones is vice president and chief partner officer at NTT DATA UK&I, and a former member of the British Army.
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