Christian Ruf
Former special operations helicopter pilot turned executive recruiter who places prior-military leaders into lower-middle-market and labor-intensive small business leadership roles.
Best podcasts with Christian Ruf
Ranked by the Snipd community
10 snips
Oct 30, 2025 • 34min
Military Leadership Meets Small Business Operations: Why Former Operators Make Perfect GMs | Lazy Leverage #78
Christian Ruf, a former special operations helicopter pilot turned executive recruiter, shares his unique perspective on the hiring dynamics of lower-middle-market businesses. He highlights the need for battle-tested leaders who thrive in chaos, especially from the military. Christian discusses two hiring tiers: premium operators with MBAs and tactical GMs, emphasizing the high impact of the latter. He also shares his personal journey of hands-on labor to better understand small businesses, demonstrating the value veterans bring beyond industry experience.
6 snips
Jun 20, 2025 • 41min
Recruiting Top Level Managers from Special Forces, with Christian Ruf
Christian Ruf, owner of Uncommon Elite, specializes in recruiting veterans from special forces for leadership roles. He shares insights on the unique skills veterans bring to civilian workplaces, such as leadership and adaptability. Ruf emphasizes the importance of focusing on innate attributes rather than just experience. He discusses the challenges veterans face when transitioning to corporate environments and the critical role of effective onboarding. Overall, Ruf highlights how military training equips individuals to thrive in dynamic business settings.
