Remember when drill sergeants would stand nose to nose with new Army recruits, browbeating them until they were shaking in their boots. Well, sir—and ma’am—those days are over. Today’s wars are so unconventional they require a new set of skills.

Enter J.C. Glick, a 20-year military veteran who is one of the world’s leading experts on how to train soldiers for the new battlefield. Obedience is still crucial, he says, but soldiers also need to think critically and adapt swiftly to change. Wars used to be what he calls symmetric, with both sides evenly matched. Today’s wars are asymmetric or unpredictable with one side dominating. Fear is out; confidence is in.

“Modern warfare requires a different type of solider,’’ he says. “Now I need a thinking soldier. Today, what we need is a soldier who’s given a problem and creates his or her own solution.’’

Glick, 44, studied how governments work as a political science student at URI, then joined the military through URI’s ROTC program, serving as a leader in conventional and special operations forces. In 2006, he earned his master’s degree from the Naval War College in Newport.

He’s been deployed in operations worldwide, with 11 combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. “I was doing my job, and doing it with great people,’’ he says. Most recently, he directed the Army’s schools on leadership development, resiliency and fitness—and wrote strategies in those areas. He retired from the military in June.

His talent extends beyond boot camp. As a partner with Kenning Associates, an international consulting firm, he advises Fortune 500 companies on how to be the best—and attract and nurture great employees. He also guides other groups, including the NFL and its franchises. “At the end of the day, whether you’re fighting a war or trying to create a winning team, you want the best from your people,’’ he says. “I try to help organizations do that.’’