What a scary boot camp incident taught Marine veteran and Aflac president Virgil Miller about leadership

After more than 22 years at Aflac, the 11th grade feels like another lifetime. But that’s when I decided to join the United States Marines. That “first job” eventually found me in foreign land, a bit scared but ready to do my duty during Operation Desert Storm. But the most important lesson I carry from these formative years might be the one I learned before I ever left boot camp at Parris Island. The leadership philosophy I follow today centers on people, then process, then performance. I call it The Formula. But there’s something deeper behind it: Authentic leadership means recognizing and meeting the moment. Sometimes the job needs a disciplined executive. Sometimes it just needs a caring human. Most times it’s a combination of both. The night that changed everything When you’re a Marine recruit, you take a turn pulling what they call “fire watch”: overnight guard duty in the squad bay while everyone else sleeps. You’re not armed; you’re just aware . . . and responsible. It’s a test of your discipline to stay alert even when you know nothing will happen. Until it does. One night when I had the duty, the thing I became aware of, and suddenly responsible for, was a squad mate who…

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