Why Are Military Speakers Perfect For Corporate Events? (+ Who to Book)
A military speaker can bring authority to your corporate events, helping to give your employees a vital lift. These speakers have overcome the odds whilst serving for the good of their country, and can relay experiences of warfare, discipline and mental strength to all manner of audiences.
The stories of these real-life heroes can prove an impactful inspiration to team members, guests and delegates as they deliver keynote and after dinner speeches covering an array of topics. Leadership, teamwork and resilience all feature in the characteristics of great military speakers, and these attributes have so often proven the difference between life and death in battle.
Three Attributes of a Military Speaker's Speech
Emotion
Sharing stories of loss, of trauma and of staring death in the face, military personnel can engage openly on the conditions that they witnessed during their assignments. For many, this can be particularly emotive, as the speaker is able to paint a picture of life on the frontline. From the fighting, the fear and the failures to the overwhelming moments like saving a life, succeeding and coming home - these military speakers can address any crowd, making them feel the trials and tribulations of the life they have lived.
Inspiration
Naval Admiral William McRaven gave one of the most inspirational addresses in modern times in 2014, when he spoke at the University of Texas. He said, "if you want to change the world- make your bed". Through this, he alluded to the idea that one task leads to another and another. He added to this a number of other inspirational snippets.
He discussed failure, refusing to quit and hope, as well as the testing conditions of life in the armed forces. And he finished by saying: "If you do these things, then the next generations and the generations that follow will live in a world much better than the one we know today.'' These feel-good stories can really galvanise your team and lead them to look at life in a different way.
Entertainment
Able to keep your guests perched on the edge of their seats, military speaker's anecdotes can be truly engaging. Combining compelling accounts of their time in the military with decisions affecting the future of their comrades and history itself, a military speaker is well-placed to deliver speeches that can entertain attendees with the moments of humour, camaraderie and teamwork that they shared in.
Three Topics A Military Speaker Can Speak On
Mental Strength
There is an incredible mental toughness at the heart of military personnel, built over time through a set of gruelling challenges designed to test every aspect of their mentality. Able to provide stories of when they found resilience within themselves and set aside all fears to do their duty, save lives and change the world, military personnel are typically tough. By witnessing their keynote speech, an audience can understand what they had to do to survive.
Leadership
Without efficient leadership, a business cannot build a strong foundation to grow from. When someone is in control of people's lives, it is essential to think clearly and quickly. Handling lives requires compassion but also an ability to make tough decisions that ensure you are protecting as many lives as possible.
Effective leadership relies on prompt responses delivered with authority. A leader must command the respect of those who follow them, and act in the best interests of the team and the country. Leadership speakers for business share similar roles to military speakers, and therefore will find many of the points relevant at your conference.
Teamwork
When the going gets tough, everybody in the world needs somebody that is looking out for them. This is even more essential within military service, where all you have is each other. The people around you are responsible for your life, and you are responsible for theirs.
Developing a team ethic that routinely sees a group help each other in testing and dangerous conditions is essential to the survival of any troop. Keeping morale high with humour, singing and speaking have proven vital to the military for many years and these top speakers can express eloquently just how important this is.
5 Great Military Speakers
Ollie Ollerton
"When you are behind the wall, in the military and the Special Forces, you think you are invincible," said Ollie Ollerton who struggled to find his purpose after serving in the military. He eventually found SAS: Who Dares Wins which he admits "saved" him. Offering remarkable stories of the front line, touching on themes of mental health and more, he offers a poignant and compelling presentation.
Phil Campion
Phil Campion's traits compound all of the themes above. His role in various high-profile combat assignments with the SAS, commanding military operations in all four corners of the world, has made him one of the leading authorities on military operations. Bold and fearless, his unique skill set and incredible story saw him overcome the challenges of unimaginable hostility to become one of the most insightful speakers around.
Mandy Hickson
Mandy Hickson was only the second woman to fly a Tornado GR4 and the only female crew to fly during her time in the Royal Air Force. She completed three tours of Iraq and remains today an inspirational speaker and Co-Director of Inspiring Women for Work (IWFW). When booked for events, she inspires audiences to set and achieve their goals, with determination and self-belief.
Mandy sets out how she can support businesses:
"Challenging times require an exceptional corporate response. So how do you motivate and inspire your staff to demonstrate outstanding leadership and teamwork under pressure; to stride confidently towards purposeful goals and maintain focus despite great risks?"
Captain Robert Lawrence MC
With a truly inspirational story to tell, Robert Lawrence was shot in the head on the last day of the Falklands War and undertook a number of incredibly brave expeditions, earning himself the Military Cross for his bravery. He was later the subject of a BBC film, Tumbledown, which documented the incredible true story of this military hero and inspirational speaker.
Sir Alan West
A respected tactician within the Royal Navy, Sir Alan West was appointed Commander in Chief of the Royal Navy in 2002 and commanded three different vessels in his time with the navy. In the years since, Alan has served directly under the Secretary of State as a government spokesperson with security, counterterrorism and police responsibilities. His incredible experience and authority on such subjects make him one of the finest after dinner speakers available to book.
Book a Military Speaker Today
Book military speakers for your corporate event, function or conference today by filling in our online contact form or by calling us directly on 0207 1010 553.
