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Lessons in Leadership: A Military Perspective

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Students who come to Chicago Booth from the military bring distinctive perspectives on leadership. In honor of Memorial Day, we’ve collected a few of their thoughts on the topic.

Since 2006, the number of Chicago Booth MBA students who are military veterans has increased by nearly 300 percent. Our veteran students come from all branches of the military and enrich the Booth experience with their unique perspectives on how to lead. In honor of Memorial Day and fallen soldiers around the globe, here are leadership lessons from some of our veteran students.

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Gage Ricketts

“When you have leaders who are willing to get their hands dirty, stay late with you, and not just bark orders, it makes a world of difference, especially when you’re loading bombs in sub-zero temperatures and performing hard physical work. … Leading by example was tremendously impactful for me when I was part of a team in the military, and something I try to bring to the work environment now.”

Read Gage’s Story

Gage Ricketts
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Maya Shaposhnik

“In the military, I was leading units of 1,000 men when I was only 18. That was a crazy level of responsibility to put on me, but it was also super empowering. Now I don’t feel intimidated to lead large groups or to be the only woman in the room. And trust me—pitching to VC firms, it’s all men. As a person from the military, I feel extremely comfortable.”

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Maya Shaposhnik
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Alic Kelso

“In my experience, if you show up, are confident, transparent, and care about your Marines, things will generally come together for you. … At the end of the day as a leader, you're there for your Marines. When your team sees you put yourself out there for them, they will do the same for you.”

Read Alic’s Story

Alic Kelso
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Ryan Hall

“I got picked up for Officer Candidate school in 2007. That same year, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were raging. What I learned out of that experience has been so central to who I am as a leader and as a service member. There is a humility and a satisfaction of being able to put the uniform on and contribute every day and make it a better place for your teammates to come to work.”

Read Ryan’s Story

Ryan Hall
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Kate Constantakis

“[In the Navy I] had the opportunity to lead small and large teams through different military exercises. During my favorite military exercise, I worked with foreign militaries, NGOs and local governments to increase natural disaster preparedness. I led the missions in Malaysia and Thailand, which were truly life-changing experiences! … The ‘pay-it-forward’ culture of Booth reminds me most of my military service. Everyone truly wants you to succeed and accomplish whatever your ‘mission’ is.”

Read Kate’s Story

Kate Constantakis

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