What leadership means to Naperville veterans
Leadership means different things to different people, but military veterans might be some of the best to chime in on the true makeup of the enviable trait.
Leadership means integrity and focused effort to Air Force veteran Ian Holzhauer. It means discipline, setting standards and taking care of team members to Army veteran Benny White. And Army veteran Franklin Rivera defines it as living by an honor code, putting others first and setting a strong example.
The three former military members shared their leadership tips with the Young Professionals of the Naperville Chamber, aiming to instill in more than 50 younger workers the skills it takes to succeed.
When they transitioned out of the service, each of the men realized not everyone in civilian life follows the military culture of honor, accountability and integrity. But living with those values goes a long way toward achieving goals, the veterans said during a recent panel discussion.
Rivera said he tries to live by the same military code of honor that almost made him run out of the room when he was asked to swear the oath to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
"A cadet would not lie, steal, cheat, nor tolerate those who do," he said of the code. "I tell you, I have stuck by that my entire life. Not just with cadets, but with myself and with other people."
Rivera, 53, of Oswego, said he committed to attend the academy to run track, get a free education, have a guaranteed job upon graduation and boost his resume. The military itself, he says, was an afterthought; he would "suck it up" through the five required years.
He did, indeed, serve five years and attain the rank of field artillery captain before retiring from the military. But the CEO and founder of a digital marketing company called V2M2 no longer sees it as a throwaway phase he suffered through. It became a lesson.
"I always realized I had to put my people first," he said. "Sometimes, it's not always easy to put your people first, and that carries over into corporate America."
The Army was an afterthought in White's West Point decision, too, he said. He attended to play Division I football and go to a great school without having to pay. He chose to stay in the Army for 22 years, serving as a field artillery officer, a boxing instructor at West Point and a professor of military science at Wheaton College.
White, 54, now teaches National Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps classes at Joliet West High School and serves on the Naperville City Council, and in every position he's had, he said leadership has been required.
"I define it as a process of positively influencing others toward a common goal, through personal example and motivation," White said. "It's a process. So it's always ongoing. Once you're there, you don't say, 'Aw, I made it.' No, you're always trying to hone in your leadership skills."
Holzhauer's military position was a nontraditional one, he said. He served first as a uniformed attorney in the Air Force, working to preserve order and discipline under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, then as area defense counsel for Guam, Hawaii and Okinawa where he defended airmen and women working in those regions who were facing legal consequences.
Holzhauer, 35, of Naperville, was commissioned after graduating from law school. After completing five years in the service, he now works as an attorney for Nagle Obarski PC.
His legal work in the Air Force taught him that good leaders must look beyond missteps to spot potential and nurture it.
"When you deal with people who are in trouble and you deal with people who are sort of at the lowest point in their life, you get an insight into how important the leaders that are supervising them really are," he said. "Just because you've made a mistake in life doesn't mean you're a bad person, doesn't mean you don't have worth as a person. And I think the better leaders out there can see that."
• Do you know of veterans helping other veterans, doing good things for their community or who have an interesting story to tell? Share your story at veterans@dailyherald.com.