What advice do you have for personal development?

2019-10-19T01:52:40-04:00

I’m a 20YO female who’s been E4 for less than a year. I’m working on my degree and eventually I want to go OCS. I still have a long way to go when it comes to maturing and leadership skills. I want to be the best leader I can be, so I’ve been trying to prepare now. I don’t have seniority so I won’t go to BLC for a long while and I don’t get picked to teach classes but I try to read books on self improvement/biographies on great leaders/etc (academics have always been my strong suit). What advice do you have on what more I can do or books I can read?

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Oct 19 at 2019 2:13 AM

2019-10-19T02:13:54-04:00

SPC Private RallyPoint Member keep working in yourself!

Books you may want to read:
- The Armed Forces Officer by SLA Marshall.
- Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
- Check the CSA's reading list. It is tiered for different ranks. https://history.army.mil/html/books/105/105-1-1/index.html

What can you do? seek out responsibility. Learn everything you can about your MOS, unit equipment, and basic soldiering skills. As a potential Sergeant, you'll be training soldiers on all those things. As an officer it would lay a good foundation.

The U.S. Army Chief of Staff's Professional Reading List - U.S. Army Center of Military History

A course of personal study and contemplation is an essential component for the individual development of every Army professional. Each of us faces busy schedules every day and finding time to read and think is a recurring challenge. But even as we train our units and physically condition our bodies, we must improve our minds through reading and critical thinking.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Oct 20 at 2019 6:40 PM

2019-10-20T18:40:24-04:00

Read the biographies of Eisenhower, MacArthur, Bradley, Marshall, "Chesty" Puller. Read "The Right Stuff," all of Ralph Peters books on the Civil War, and "It Worked for Me" by Colin Powell.

Response by 1st Lt Padre Dave Poedel made Oct 21 at 2019 12:52 AM

2019-10-21T00:52:29-04:00

As a prior enlisted medic in the Air Force back around the days of the Wright Brothers....OK, the early 1970’s, I admire your drive to get ahead. I did the same thing. I decided I would learn as much about emergency medicine as I possibly could in as short a period of time as I could. I would pick your academic studies over anything about “leadership” as that comes with experience and maturity and age. Do your military job the best you possibly can, but don’t go over-board when it won’t help with your bigger goal of college, OCS, and commissioned leadership). You may find leadership at the NCO level, which is much more challenging, to be more fulfilling. You may find yourself a civilian either by RIF or choice, so keep the degree happening, even if only 1 course at a time. Watch your breaks in enrollment so you don’t “lose” your catalog for graduation. Requirements can change...if you are continually enrolled you will b held to the graduation requirements of your starting year catalog, not the catalog current when you graduate.

There is so much I can think of to share with you. If you want to know more let me know and I will send you my email. Oh, one more: one way I disciplined myself and kept my own morale up is that every payday, I went to the UA Medical School Bookstore and bought a big thick book...Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pathology....I didn’t have a clue what I was reading when I started....I taught human anatomy & physiology full-time for 30 years....it worked.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2019 7:08 PM

2019-10-31T19:08:57-04:00

Pay attention to leaders all around you - good and bad. Not just military, but in every situation. What do you admire/dislike about their leadership? Find opportunities to lead whenever possible, like group projects, study groups, volunteer work, etc. You *will* make mistakes, but if you're paying attention, you'll learn from them.