Since 2011, SCYFCO has been offering training programs based on a simple belief: leadership isn’t learned by sitting in a classroom, but by taking action, making mistakes, correcting them—in short, by facing the realities of the field. This belief, inherited from the military, is now finding increasing resonance in businesses, government agencies, and prestigious universities—all of which are facing an environment that is more uncertain, faster-paced, and more complex than ever before.
Practical experience applied to business challenges
The idea forSCYFCO arosefrom the observation that there is a growing disconnect between civil society and the military, nearly ten years after the professionalization of the armed forces and the end of mandatory military service. Today, without mandatory military service as a shared experience, future business leaders and future military commanders no longer know one another. Those who once sat side by side in the Republic’s schools now see their career paths run parallel, without a genuine space for exchange, even as they fulfill an identical mission: guiding men and women toward a common goal. Based on this observation, SCYFCO was created to share, with leaders of civil society, the military’s long experience in leading groups.
Combining experiential learning with theoretical knowledge
The method developed bySCYFCOis based on a powerful principle: real-world experience is more educational than any theory. Participants therefore never start with a lecture. They begin with a situation they must resolve: rescuing a person stranded by a flood, crossing a river, building a structure, organizing a crossing… All of these exercises faithfully replicate the constraints of a real-world mission. Teams must organize themselves, assign roles, manage tensions, improvise when the unexpected arises, and above all, learn to act together.
Once the exercise is complete, a group debriefing helps identify behaviors, strengths, and areas for improvement. The team then moves on to a second, more challenging exercise, applying the lessons learned from the first attempt.
This approach leads to dramatic progress. Participants become aware of their leadership style and their ability to listen, make decisions, and bring people together. The group grows stronger through each role-playing exercise. The learning experience is practical, immediate, and hands-on.
Dual expertise: the cornerstone of succession planning
SCYFCO’s strength lies in the background of its instructors. All trainers are former officers who commanded troops in combat before taking on leadership roles in the corporate world. This dual experience gives them a unique ability to apply military principles to a civilian context: it is not a matter of simply applying a model, as the contexts are fundamentally different. As SCYFCO President Cyril Barth points out:“Unlike what is required of military personnel, we cannot demand that a corporate employee give their all—even to the point of risking their life—to fulfill their employment contract. ”Trainersknow, however, that high standards, method, rigor, solidarity, and clear objectives are powerful levers for fostering individual commitment. The goal is never to impose a rigid military model, but to reveal the managerial principles that work in all circumstances.