People sometimes think military leadership is about yelling and rank. It isn't. It's about clarity, accountability, and taking care of your people. Those are the things I try to bring into every civilian team I work with.
Three things I learned the hard way:
Give them the why, not just the what. When your team understands the end-state, they'll figure out the how. Micromanagement is just a tax on talent, and I've learned it costs way more than it saves.
Review everything — even the wins. After every project I ask: what was supposed to happen, what actually happened, and what do we do different next time? No blame, just learning. It makes the next one better every single time.
Take care of the team first. Logistics, recognition, professional development. Leaders eat last. I've seen teams fall apart when this gets forgotten, and I've seen them thrive when it's prioritized.
From what I'm learning, federal customers can tell the difference between a vendor that runs like a unit and one that runs like a transaction. Disciplined teams deliver — and they get invited back. That's what I'm building.