Military school was great and especially great for leadership and

Hear the words of Robert Kiyosaki, who reflected on the fires that forged his character: “Military school was great and especially great for leadership and then I spent two years in Vietnam.” In these few words lies a story of discipline, trial, and transformation. For the school of soldiers does not teach only strategy and order—it teaches the endurance of the mind, the courage of the heart, and the sacred duty of guiding others. And the battlefield, harsher still, tests these lessons in the crucible of life and death.

The military school, to which Kiyosaki gives honor, is not merely a place of training. It is a forge where young men and women are stripped of selfishness and taught to think not as individuals alone, but as parts of a whole. Leadership in such a place is not a matter of titles, but of service, sacrifice, and example. The cadet learns that commands cannot lead unless they are first embodied, that authority without respect is hollow, and that the strength of a unit rests in the loyalty inspired by its leader. Thus Kiyosaki speaks of greatness: for leadership forged in hardship is leadership that endures.

But leadership tested in the classroom is only the beginning. The battlefield—in his case, Vietnam—is the true trial of all preparation. There, the theories of school are stripped away, leaving only reality: fear, uncertainty, loss, and the burden of making decisions that mean life or death for comrades. In such a place, leadership is proven not by words, but by courage under fire, by calm amidst chaos, by the unshakable will to stand when all others falter. Two years in war can teach more about humanity, loyalty, and resilience than decades of peace.

History offers many echoes of this truth. Consider Julius Caesar, trained in the discipline of the Roman legions, who through years of campaigns in Gaul proved himself not only as a general but as a leader beloved by his men. He shared their hardships, stood in their ranks, and earned their trust. His leadership was not born in palaces but in marches, in battles, in trials much like those Kiyosaki describes. Leadership in its truest form is always born in struggle.

The meaning of Kiyosaki’s words is also deeply personal: the man who would later become known for his financial wisdom and teaching of prosperity first learned the true value of discipline, responsibility, and courage in the arenas of military life and war. His later lessons about wealth and freedom were built upon the foundation of lessons learned in command and combat. Without those early trials, his voice would not carry the weight of experience; without Vietnam, his understanding of resilience and adaptation would be incomplete.

The lesson for us is clear. Leadership is not granted by title or inherited by birth; it is forged through discipline and proven in adversity. Whether in the rigors of education, the struggles of business, or the storms of daily life, we must embrace hardship as the teacher that shapes us. If you are called to lead, do not fear trial, for it is trial that will make you worthy. If you are given responsibility, carry it with courage, for in bearing burdens you will discover your strength.

Practical actions must follow. Seek environments that challenge you, rather than those that comfort you. Value discipline, for it sharpens the mind and strengthens the will. When faced with adversity, do not despair—see it as the battlefield upon which your leadership will be proven. And above all, remember that leadership is service: whether in the home, the workplace, or the nation, the leader stands not for themselves, but for those they guide.

Thus let Kiyosaki’s words be remembered: the greatness of leadership is forged in discipline and proven in trial. Military school prepared him; war tested him; life was forever shaped by those years. And so it is with us all: if we endure hardship with courage and lead with honor, we too will emerge forged, ready not only to guide others but to transform the world.