What helped you achieve Commandant's List/DHG from your NCOES?

Do the right thing always. Take care of your soldiers!! College courses and all Army schools you can get.

I received DHG at WLC/BLC. I think two things helped me achieve it and I list them as follows:

1) I put in more study and preparation time than other soldiers did. While others would be out goofing off in the hallways, on the phone with their girlfriends, or out smoking I would be studying, rehearsing, and ensured I didn't do anything stupid.

2) I fought for my grades. There was more than one occasion that I talked out a grade with a SGL. Sometimes I won, sometimes I didn't.. but those wins helped me achieve my goal. Do not be afraid to ask the grading SGL why he scored you in the manner that you did.

I made Commandants list at ALC. Honestly I think it just boiled down to spending a lot of extra time on the required assignments/tasks when I was able. One of the highlights in my DA 1059 was my spy profile research paper that I wrote (I'm a Counterintelligence Special Agent). I also volunteered to help lead the managing CI investigations class since I was the only one in my class who was currently in an active investigative assignment at the time. Of course, what helped all of this was my passion for my job and wanting to learn as much I could. Don't know if that helps you at all in your MOS, but I am sure there are parallels you can draw from.

I received it while I was at ALC and was too of my class in SLC. The main thing is to pay attention to what has been instructed. Discipline is another key factor that comes into play. There are so many things that can knock you out of the running and it's due to lack of discipline. Focus is the last key that I will give you, if you want to be in the top 5 to 10 percent of your class, then focus and bust your but the entire time.

The answer is simple...have pride in all you do. I was an Honor Grad of my ANCOC class way back in 1983. Like anything I have done in life, and still do, doing the best you can will always bring you a sense of accomplishment. Some things in life never change for a good reason.

Be Prepared! Remember this is a Leader's course. Do not use this time to learn leadership. That task should have already been accomplished before arriving to the course. Lead from the front every opportunity you have while attending the course.

I see a lot of these answers and they are all solid advice but I'll tell you my secret to attaining honor grad (and the courses may have changed since I went in 2010 or longer) and that was: learn how to navigate adobe reader. I'm not being a smart ass. Most of the study work is in Adobe File format. Knowing how to search for answers and how to find the correct fm or location for what you need is the single most important thing in passing the exams. As with most army courses now, the subjective assessments don't hold as much weight as the objective exams in grading. Now that's not a good thing when developing leaders nor is it the most important thing to learn and develop while there, however the question was how to become the CL, HG, or DHG at the course. The answer plain and simple is to ace the exams.

Having said all that let me say this, while I find it commendable and laudable to want to excel and achieve beyond expected, I never once gained anything of importance or received anything significant from being the HG of any course I attended other than simple bragging rights and an exceeded course standards on a 1059. The above mentioned subjective assessments are what we really should be focusing on. Working within a team. Working as the leader of a team and learning how to build a strong and cohesive team. Learning the difference between being a leader and having troops that respect that and work for you because of that respect versus just being in charge and having troops do what you say because they have to.

I guess what I am saying is don't forget why we really need these leadership courses and more than just focusing on the individual achievement of DHG, take away from it that which is truly important.

I apologize if this isn't a popular opinion. Just my two cents

Well I was at a 95 or 96 average when I graduated WLC and wasn't even in the top part of the group. So I would say don't get below 100 on any of the areas and you might have a chance.