What are some skills I should be learning/practicing in preparation to take over as an E5 squad leader?

Start learning the next job up. Find a mentor, both a current squad leader and a platoon sergeant or higher.

Know all your common task skills, not only how to do them but well enough to train them. If you have a special area of interest, focus on that, but be prepared to have to train, do remedial training or evaluate.

Think back over all the team leaders and squad leaders you have had. What things did they do that you liked, or found interesting as it related to how they conducted themselves with their subordinates, peers and superiors, how they conducted training, how they counseled and cared for their subordinates. Now, how do you propose to adapt and adopt those things into the leader you want to be?

Also think about the stuff they did you didn’t care for. Why didn’t you like it? What do you think you can do to prevent yourself from adopting and using those skills and habits? Because just saying you aren’t going to do that isn’t enough...under stress you do what you know. And having Joe’s that you are responsible and accountable for is a stress all it’s own.

Good luck.

Good afternoon SSG (Join to see). Excellent post. Thank You for sharing this. I think it all depends on Your MOS.

Be proficient in the platoon MOS. Soldier Individual evaluation reports and counseling statements. good are bad, are a must. Get to know your guys. and their personalities. Be their leader first and their friend a far second. Know squad mission and how to develop training plans IAW platoon mission. Work on IPC skills and most of all, BE Patient. The guys are going to test you to see if you can handle the pressure. You are not their babysitter; you are their mentor.