What is some advice you have for platoon leadership (PL, PSG, SL, TL) to create a more efficient platoon?

Here are the Big Ten. In no way be a "Joe Sympathizer" Train to the standard, you need to be technically and tactically proficient and know every piece of equipment and every weapon system better than anyone in the platoon and do these Big Ten Rules

1) Platoon Leadership knows each other and presents as a unified team. Communicate with each others. Senior Leaders let the Junior leaders know what is expected and how things are to be done.
2) Know the battle drills the unit uses cold. Leaders practice without troops until the leaders know exactly what to do when with or without troopers present. Battle Drills need to be second nature.
3) Know your men. Family information, strengths and weaknesses, birth dates of families, special circumstances, etc. Refer to your leaders books every morning before First Call so that if time allows and training permits you can give birthdays of kids and spouses off. Knowing it is PFC Smith's anniversary puts in the mind of the Smith family as well as the soldier that his leaders know him and care. This is NOT to be done if Smith is not proficient, but if he is a good trooper, this will also make him a motivated trooer.
4) Recognize the good and the great things your men do. Counseling statements can be given for recognition of accomplishment as well as for corrective action. Building a counseling folder of good things shows you appreciate hard work.
5) Be even handed and fair. Treat all your troopers in accordance with their proficiency level. Don;t hold a grudge or stay angry with a trooper. If he continually screws up, do the Magic Bullet Counseling, build the folder and if you can not get the soldier to change his ways, then Chapter for Failure to Repair.
6) Lead from the Front. Exceed the standards you enforce. If the standard is a 4 mile run @ minutes per mile +/- 30 seconds, then you need to run 7 minutes per mile. Meet or exceed the standards you enforce. If you require pressed uniforms make sure yours are done right, Set the standard and not just teach the standard.
7) Fight for your troopers. Get in there and pitch for them to get school slots, board slots and train them for Trooper of the month, incentive Jumps, and foreign award training. It should seem that the troopers from your platoon get all the slots, they won't but if it seems that way to your men, they will stay motivated.
8) DO NOT BE SOFT. No one wants to go to combat with a soft leader. You may have troopers that like certain leaders in garrison because they are push overs, BUT you will also find that no one wants to go to war being led by a cream puff Muffin. Be the same in season and out of season.
9) BE HONEST and HONORABLE. Tell your men the truth always. Make them trust you.
10) Never mess with their Food, their Sleep of their mail from home while you are deployed. Food goes without explanation, sleep--well tired soldiers normally are not motivated for anything but a nap, and Mail from home is their connection to the people back home reminding them why they fight.

SGM (Join to see) TSgt Melissa Post COL Johnny Powers LTC Daniel Rogne MSG (Join to see) SSG Pete Fish CSM Charles Hayden SFC James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSG Robert Webster

Having not lead a squad or team, I think that the main characteristic I look for when I'm assigned a new first line is, "How well does s/he clean up command comms". By which I mean, when he receives an order that s/he has to push down, do they just do an immediate turn-around and forward it, or do they take the time to figure out the why/how of the command and help subordinates understand the larger mission/task. This falls under the "clear communications" you mentioned, SSG.

I've had plenty of 1st-lines where they just acted as a forwarding machine for the 1SG, and never really helped translate it into something meaningful for subordinates. I think that a good PL/PSG/TL/SL needs to be able to both receive orders, as well as either figure out or be able to ask for more information before relaying it down. Asking your 1st line "Why are we even doing this?" and being told "I don't know Private/Specialist, [insert higher rank] said to do it, so do it". At that point, they aren't a *leader*, they're just a higher-ranked subordinate.

Obviously things like road-guard, "area beautification" and so on don't count in this situation, they're just things you do. But for other things, like "Why are we conducting so-and-so patrol", "Why are we researching so-and-so person", a leader needs to be able to respond with more than "Because we were told to". It doesn't just help with accomplishing the mission, it helps improve morale and camaraderie with a sort of "We are more than just superior/subordinate, we're working together."

I know I’m not army but I think this is a valid topic of discussion regardless of branch. For me and my troops I let them know that I am here for them and whatever they need. One thing I ask them when they become mine is what are their goals? Do they want to stay in or are they doing their time and getting out? I don’t have a preference either way because this is their career and their choice. Many don’t agree with that and cool glad they aren’t my supervisor. Whichever way they choose I want to help prepare them for that path.

Another thing I don’t do is social media with them. If they need to use it to message me that’s fine but until they can no longer be my troop they will not be found on my friends list. Can’t afford to blur the lines that way.

I know there are a lot of other things out there that matter too but I’m typing this from my phone.

Now the opposite perspective since I’m one that is a leader but still a follower. What is important to me as a follower of an officer.

Own your new leadership position. Emphasis on new. If you came from another unit leave it behind. You no longer protect them. You protect us now. Like that creepy chant “one of us, one of us”.

Show me that you care and have time for me as your troop and you will get the loyalty and respect you are searching for. I received a message on here about a general taking time to speak to the military about some new policy change. I met this general when he was my MAJCOM commander. He didn’t have time to talk to our unit of about ten people until the end of his day (even though we were the central node of his intelligence on our base) and when he did come to meet us you could tell how he didn’t really want to be there so much so that our NCO who was introducing us stopped introducing us. When I got that message I thought you didn’t have time for me why should I have time for you? I’ll find out about the policy changes from my base commander just fine.

Be careful how you treat those below you for one day you may find you didn’t treat them as well as you thought. The younger ranks are looking up to the higher ranks hence why we have ranks. Do them justice and show them what right looks like. Heaven forbid they screw up and say “I was just following your example”.