If you had a chance to speak with cadets and/or midshipmen before they commissioned, what wisdom, advice, and lessons would you offer them?

Get woke quick

My #1 piece of advice would be to focus on, enjoy and execute the job that you are in. Don't worry about your next job/promotion, ect. If you do your job well then the rest will take care of itself.
2nd: There is always more going on in the big picture, and you don't have all the pieces. In my career (ret CDR) I was in an Airwing, CV CDC Officer, deployed in support of SOF, worked in 3 Program Offices and was the Operational Test Director for the MQ-4C; in each of these jobs I learned new things and wondered how I was so unaware of certain aspects up to that point. Seek first to understand.
You can learn something from EVERYONE (even if it is what not to do.)
3rd: Anticipate needs, don't wait to be told what to do. Offer solutions to any problem that you bring up!
4th: Be a self-promoter without being an a$$hole. The CO/XO are very busy so don't think that they actually know what you do day-to-day, if you want credit for it then find ways to let them know without having a negative effect. You will be writing your own FITREP (at the very least a FITREP input) so keep track of what you do and don't be shy about it.

Motivational: Be humble, get your hands dirty with your "Es" from time to times, learn everything you can about your area of warfare, and even if you HATE the job you get saddled with, be the best at it.

Hard truth: The Navy is NOT your life and you are NOT the life of the Navy. If you become a liability, you will be separated. "Readiness" is not about your health, dental, or physical fitness, it is about the ability of you conducting your duties for the Navy. Never leave entitlements on the table because once they are gone you'll never get them back. WRITE/EMAIL EVERYTHING DOWN THAT COULD BITE YOU IN THE ASS LATER!!! If it's not documented, it never happened! You will not be treated fairly, but that should not stop YOU from treating your peers and subordinates with dignity, respect, and fairness.

NROTC Grad / JAN09 Commission / 1310 (P-3C)

First, congratulations on your achievement.

I agree with the other comments. I just want to add these:

Transitioning from an enlisted personnel is probably one of the hardest things to overcome as you will be drawn between your experience in the enlisted ranks and putting on the big shoes.

- You wanted to put on the big boy/girl shoes, now that you have them on, learn to walk WELL in them.
- Remember, you were once enlisted so you should understand that viewpoint and be an advocate, as best as you can. Don't forget were you are coming from. Don't become a tyrant.
- However, always remember that you are no longer enlisted and you are now held to a much higher level of accountability. You get away with... nothing. No excuses.
- Listen to, and value the ideas of the chiefs and junior personnel, especially your chiefs. Your success lies mainly with them. The decision is ultimately yours, decide wisely.
- As enlisted sailor, your chiefs and officers covered your rear, but now, you are the officer, standing front and center with not much covering for you. Thankfully, you still have officers within your designator to help out.
- The mid-level and senior officers within your designator have been where you are now and they have notes, learn from their mistakes.
- Use your better judgment in everything. Collect info, process them and decide what works best for you. The decisions you take go a long way in defining your career, so be wise.
- Form alliances with other JOs in your AOR. Share notes. Working issues as a group can go a long way.

I hope this helps.

As prior enlisted, you will have the personal experience an enlisted servicemember, and perhaps first hand knowledge that many of your peers will not. Use this to your advantage in caring for you troops and sharing your insight with your fellow junior officers without coming off as a know it all. I’ve found in my 32 years of service that the more I learned, the more I realized I had to learn. Congratulations and best of luck!

Many folks have responded with great advice. What I would like to add is this. At every step in your military career you will be presented with opportunities. Opportunities for certification, qualification, advancement, etc. As you go forward, be sure that you are looking at those opportunities as stepping stones towards your future. If the opportunity presents itself to take an extra class, take it. If you can further your education by getting an advanced degree either paid for by the military or not, take it. If you have the ability to go on a tour that will maybe take you out of the normal career track, THINK about what that means to your goals and ambitions.

Throughout my career I took advantage of what the Navy offered me, and I had a very satisfying career. I was a Naval Post Graduate, Test Pilot, Program Manager, Flight Test Director, Acquisition Professional, DAWIA Certified, DCMA Chief of Staff and Operational Department Head. I have met many others along who also took advantage of opportunities to become Foreign Area Officers, go on Pilot Exchange Tours, lateral transfer to different specialties, get a masters degree, go on Industry Internships, etc....even becoming a U-2 pilot from the Helo community! All while supporting their units, listening to their NCOs and superior officers, and keeping every door possible open to ensure that they/we got the most out of the Navy. Because not only will you help yourself, but when the time comes, you will be a wealth of info for your junior folks. And they will come to you for advice. And the best feeling in the world is the satisfaction of taking care of your Sailors!

Greetings,

My best advice is this: to be a good leader first learn to be a good follower. Diligently follow lawful orders and be that person in th crowd who most models professional behavior. Don't mindlessly follow orders, but thoughtfully engage with your superiors, be deferential, and earn their respect through hard work and diligence.

When it's your turn to lead, patiently but forcefully expect the same from those under you. Never be a tyrant, but also never be a pushover. Don't try to be their friend, but someone they respect and want to follow.

Follow the example of great leaders. Read and study your craft. John Keegan’s “Mask of Command” is a good place to start and gives great illustrations of what it takes to lead others into combat and care for those you lead. Reading about how great leaders handle difficult situations helps you to focus on what's important. A good officer is always learning.

A central axiom I was taught as an Ensign that I carried to Captain (O6) was, “there are three things to remember when you are in charge or in command: #1 take of your people, #2 take of your people, and #3 take of your people. Take care of your people, and they will take care of you. They’ll follow you to hell and back, and you won’t have to coerce them or force them to excel, they’ll do it willingly to not disappoint you.” That axiom was proven to me time and time again.

Model the behavior you want to be given and it will be. You will still have “problem children” but the vast majority of those you lead will fall in, and the magic of a team forms.

As a young JO, seek the counsel of a mentoring NCO (E7-E9). In my experience in the Navy, this is remarkably good. The Navy, in particular, has a culture where by the Chief, Senior Chief, and Master Chief are mentors by design, both junior enlisted and officer.

As you progress in your career, when you lead, strive very hard to delegate. Empower those under you, communicate clearly the commanders’ intent, and let them surprise you how well they do what you ask and do it better than you imagine.

Always be clear as you can be when giving instructions. As the saying goes, no plan survives the first round in combat, so be flexible but also reduce ambiguity. Be decisive but also do not be a tyrant.

On your command staff, seek those that are a different mindset and personality. This is an art, because it's easy to get it wrong, but strive to get those who will respectfully disagree with you when it is important. Don't tolerate insubordination, especially in front of your crew, but also don't be too proud to know when you are wrong and say so. Your men will respect you more, not less, when you admit mistakes.

Likewise, when you are a staff officer, and especially an XO/second in command, be courageous and respectfully let the CO/Skipper know when he/she is off track. If the superior ignores or berates sound advice, then it is your DUTY to take it to higher. This an art too, and fraught with potential consequences if you are wrong or done incorrectly, but it is a requirement of those who lead. I can't guarantee it will work for you, but once when I was CoS for a flag officer, I literally said "with respect sir, that is about the dumbest thing you have ever said...". Fortunately for me he agreed with me after I explained and he calmed down, but we had that relationship. He was a high energy quick decision officer and he had chosen me because I was a quieter deep thinking type. We worked very well together and he taught me a great deal about leadership.

Finally, the best advice I can give is BE YOURSELF. Don't try to be what others tell you have to be. Always be a man of integrity and model honesty, and lead from the front. Never expect anyone to do what you yourself would not be willing to do. Always expect the best of those you lead, and patiently lead them to where they are the best they can be. Hold yourself accountable and also those under you. And remember, when you do the right thing and remain honest, you never have to make stuff up and remember the details of the story. Now, go forth and be a great leader!

Very Respectfully,
J M Poston
retired Captain, US Navy

1) As everyone else will tell you, listen to your Chief (Senior NCO). But that word is "listen", and do so actively. That means "ask questions in return" to verify understanding, and then make a decision. You're partners in the success of your branch, department, etc.
2) Qualify for anything and everything as fast as possible. That will be the primary differentiator among your peers. Learn at every opportunity.
3) Volunteer for every deployment/exercise/training opportunity. Learn by doing.
4) Rank doesn't entitle you to respect - you earn it.
5) It's a 24/7 job. I learned more, and had much better leadership opportunities, walking around the hangar bay at 0200 than i every did at 1400. Grab a wrench and help change an engine, etc. You'll be amazed at what you learn in the wee hours.
6) Embrace the team - be part of the bigger effort
7) Choose between your social life and career progression - decide which means more to you, and focus on it. New officers arriving early on deployment always did better than those arriving immediately after one, when they had nothing better to do than work. The training opportunities are better - sea time, flight hours, missions, and senior personnel away from home with nothing to do in their spare time than train new officers. If you don't arrive early in a deployment, treat it like you did. Be in the unit 12 -14 hours a day, on weekends etc. Great time to get trained by members of a bored duty section.

Finally, probably the best advice I have, shared with my by my own Navy officer father: "Never play cards with anyone in the Navy for money".

Best of luck.

r/,

CAPT M

Be fair

Study the ancient philosophers that put deep thought into:
Wisdom
Courage
Justice
Temperance