From Fastcompany · · 2m
A drill instructor's humanity changed everything
A Marine recruit's decision to report a suicidal squadmate taught Aflac's president Virgil Miller that leadership means knowing when to be disciplined and when to care.
In brief
A Marine recruit's decision to report a suicidal squadmate taught Aflac's president Virgil Miller that leadership means knowing when to be disciplined and when to care. Virgil Miller, now Aflac president after 22 years there, credits a boot camp incident where his drill instructor showed compassion to a suicidal…
From 11th grade to the Marines
Virgil Miller joined the United States Marines in 11th grade and served during Operation Desert Storm in foreign land.After more than 22 years at Aflac, he still carries lessons from boot camp at Parris Island.
The Formula for leadership
Miller's leadership philosophy centers on people, then process, then performance. He calls it The Formula. Authentic leadership means recognizing and meeting the moment with either discipline or care.
Fire watch at boot camp
As a Marine recruit, Miller pulled fire watch, overnight guard duty in the squad bay while others slept. Unarmed but responsible, he had to stay alert and aware of everything happening around him.
A squadmate in crisis
One night during fire watch, Miller became aware of a squadmate trying to take his own life.
The drill instructor's first reaction
Miller banged on the drill instructor's door. The DI came out in his underwear and went from zero to sixty in a heartbeat, jumping in Miller's face and berating him before Miller could explain.
The moment everything changed
After Miller blurted out the news, the DI disappeared back into his room and shut the door.
“You stay here.”
Discipline gives way to compassion
The sergeant went into the bathroom, put his arm around the struggling recruit, and started talking in a way Miller had never heard from him before, like a human being showing genuine care.
The drill instructor's words
The DI told the recruit: The Marines isn't for everybody.Let me take care of you and get you out of here.It isn't worth killing yourself over.The recruit got to go on with his life.
“The Marines isn't for everybody. Let me take care of you and get you out of here. It isn't worth killing yourself over.”
Two sides of leadership
Miller learned that sometimes the job needs a disciplined executive. Sometimes it just needs a caring human. Most times it's a combination of both, recognizing which moment calls for which approach.
“Sometimes the job needs a disciplined executive. Sometimes it just needs a caring human. Most times it's a combination of both.”
A lesson for Aflac's president
That night at Parris Island shaped how Virgil Miller leads at Aflac. The drill instructor's choice to shift from anger to compassion became the foundation of Miller's entire leadership philosophy.
The main idea
Virgil Miller, now Aflac president after 22 years there, credits a boot camp incident where his drill instructor showed compassion to a suicidal recruit with shaping his leadership philosophy of balancing discipline with human care.
