Event Details

In honor of Veterans Day, join Mike Nally, former U.S. Army Ranger and current leadership coach and entrepreneur, for a powerful and practical session on adaptive leadership and navigating the transition from military culture to the civilian workplace. Drawing on his experience leading Ranger teams, earning his Ranger Tab, competing in the Army’s elite Best Ranger Competition, and serving as a Marine Sniper Instructor, Mike now applies those lessons to coaching leaders across industries. He will share insights from his military and business journey and offer strategies HR professionals can use to better support, engage, and lead veteran employees.

In the military, norms are often structured, ranked, and defined in black-and-white terms, guided by pre-training and the code of conduct. Civilian workplaces, by contrast, vary widely from nonprofit vs. for-profit, small business vs. corporate, regional vs. global. This session will examine how those cultural differences shape expectations, communication, and success at work. Participants will gain tools to recognize the transferable strengths veterans bring, reset preconceived filters, and apply leadership approaches that build trust, foster engagement, and create inclusive environments where veterans and all employees can thrive.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize and reset preconceived expectations of who veterans are and identify skills and experiences that translate into civilian workplace strengths.

• Apply adaptive leadership techniques to build trust and communication with veteran employees by taking a human-centered approach and addressing knowledge or training gaps.

• Access practical resources to help HR professionals and people leaders bridge military-civilian cultural differences and improve veteran onboarding, engagement, and retention.

Speaker: T.Michael Nally, Founder and CEO of Nally Ventures Leadership

Mike is a visionary, strategist and creative innovator with a passion for service and a commitment to helping his clients excel. A former U.S. Army Ranger and serial entrepreneur, Mike brings a unique perspective to all facets of his work. He is deeply committed to developing the next generation of responsible leaders. As a leadership instructor, executive coach and strategic business consultant, he draws on his passion, military experiences, advanced education, and corporate and industry expertise to equip people at all levels of their organizations to lead others and reach their professional and personal goals.

Mike is also a real estate development and construction entrepreneur with over 25 years’ experience in creating investment value. He brings high-level strategic perspective and deep proficiency in all facets of mixed-use and residential master-planned resort communities. As a business innovator, he creates a winning formula for accelerated results, market-savvy business strategies and effective leadership.

Prior to forming the company in 2003, Mike spent 15 years working in corporate and real estate environments, ascending to multiple corporate executive positions, including Executive Vice President, President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer. Mike advanced his study in leadership with a B.A. in Military History from University of Maryland and an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. He participated in renowned professional development and leadership development programs, including the Disney Institute and GAP International Executive Challenge program.

Mike currently serves on the advisory committee to the board for the Sussex County Land Trust (SCLT). He also served on the board of Sussex County Habitat for Humanity from 2014 to 2020 and a number of other nonprofit boards, including Sussex Montessori School, School Nutrition AgriCulture (SNAC), La Red Health Center, Carl M. Freeman Foundation, River Soccer Club, and Delaware Tech Entrepreneur Program.

This event has been approved for 1.5 SHRM & HRCI recertification credits.

Sponsored By

Insurance Broker for Work, Home and Life | NFP