At Talent Plus, we recognize that people make the difference. Our Talent Spotlight ® series highlights our colleagues because we know they’re so much more than just their job description.

Lee Lohff joined Talent Plus in 2018 and currently works as a research scientist for Talent Plus. His work focuses on data collection and storage, reporting, advanced modeling and meta analysis. Lee has worked with many clients, ranging from Fortune 100 to smaller local businesses ensuring that the Talent Plus’ solutions is used are advancing both scientifically validated methods and the customer’s bottom line.  

What do you love about working at Talent Plus? 

Lee: No day is ever the same. Every single day I’m doing something different. My days never repeat themselves which is a very important thing to me.  

What do you enjoy most about your position?  

Lee: The people I work with. From both a client perspective and a teammate perspective. My teammates are incredibly bright and the clients are just really, really nice people.  

“Science is the heart of what we do. I make sure we do it well.” —Lee Lohff

If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?   

Lee: I’d go fishing.  

What three items would you take with you on a deserted island?  

Lee: A Leatherman tool, a flint, and a water purifier.  

If you could compete in the Olympics in any sport, what sport would it be?  

Lee: Freestyle wrestling

If you could join any past or current music group, which would you want to join?   

Lee: A member of Prince’s Revolution.  

What’s your go-to song or playlist right now?   

Lee: Hozier – Real People Do  

What animal would you describe yourself as?   

Lee: Aardvark because I’m awkward but useful.

What’s phone app you use the most?   

Lee: I would say probably Amazon Music or the Stack Exchange app, it’s a computer science question and answer website. If you run into a problem that you’re unable to solve you can go there to see if anyone has answered the question or you can post it yourself.

Our colleagues are far more than their role at Talent Plus and Lee is far more than the daily humor he adds to our company’s morning meeting. Lee joined the army at 18 and served our country for 10 years. We are thankful for him as a truly talented colleague and as a veteran. Thank you, Lee.

How did your service and experiences affect your life today?  

Lee: The military gave more than it took from me. Largely a sense of personal responsibility. The Army constantly demands that what you’re doing is good enough, because if you don’t do your job good enough, people die. Because of this, there is a level of introspection that eventually becomes a part of you. That introspection can be harmful but mostly it’s a good thing. People who can have an honest thought of what their strengths and weaknesses are, are more likely to succeed.

Why did you decide to join the military?  

Lee: In one of the sole moments of introspection up to that point of time I realized that if I had gone to college, I would have wasted a truckload of money and I needed some assistance in maturing. I’ve always had a sense of love for my country even with its faults and I saw joining the military as a way to give back.  

Where were you stationed during your time in the military and what was your role?  

Lee: When I was on active duty which was almost 4 years, I was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. When I was in the guard, I was in the South Dakota Guard. I served in the Ranger Regiment which is a special operation s unit that specializes in raids, but my specific job was a Forward Observer. I was responsible for calling in indirect and direct fire. Basically, when the aircrafts come in, they don’t have time to orient themselves on the battlefield so someone has to direct them where to put their missiles and gunfire, so I was responsible for that.

What did the military teach you about leadership?  

Lee: I had two people that were direct reports to me. One I’ve lost contact with but the other went on to become a Green Beret and when he left the Rangers, he’s now a practicing physician. I can’t take the credit for that, but I had the opportunity to lead some really bright people. One of the things this taught me was you can take some credit for people’s success, but the big thing to do is to give them credit and recognize them as talented individuals and the best thing you can do is just get out of their way.

What did the military teach you that you have utilized throughout your career? 

Lee: Introspection is a big one. The other one is setting standards and not changing them on the basis of convenience. Standards exist because they should be adhered to, even in tough times. Sometimes it’s a pain and you wish it wasn’t that way but having standards for your work and performance, that’s what drives success.

Note from Lee to friends and family of individuals who have served in the military 

This is a very hard time for Americas fighting men and women. If you have a friend or family member that served, please talk to them, check on them, ask them if they’re okay. Maybe just take the time to take them out to lunch. Because of the way the army teaches you to be a stiff upper lip stoic warrior, this results in a lot of people not wanting to talk about the things that are going on with them and it can lead to bad results. If you are a friend of these individuals that are overseas, talk to them and see that they’re okay.