What is the one piece of advice you give junior enlisted/officers who want to make the military a career?
1. Remember this quote: "If it comes down to a choice between trying to be a good Soldier and trying to be a good human being - try to be a good human being." (Once An Eagle) Because a good person will always be a good Solider. A good Soldier isn't necessarily going to be a good person.
2. To err is human. Don't be afraid of failure! It is okay to fail and everybody will at one point or another. The trick is to learn from it and never fail at the same thing twice.
3. Learn and read everything you can! You can learn something from everyone. Listen to those who have been there before. Expand your knowledge by reading as much as possible - be it manuals and ARs, or philosophy, history, business, etc. You don't know what you don't know, so read always and ask a ton of questions. A good leader never stops learning.
4. Have fun!
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Excellent advice that I am going to shamelessly appropriate as my own. Most especially #6. Way too many leaders run away from anything that anyone might call micromanagement. Micromanaging is bad. Supervison is part of the job. Great post!
Understand that you can learn as much from bad leaders as you can from good ones. Bad leaders teach you what NOT to do.
Taking care of Soldiers does not mean that you shouldn't take care of yourself and your family as well. Soldier first, but practice work/life balance.
It is easier for the one to adjust to the collective that the collective adjusting to the one. Don't be the odd man out just for the sake of standing on your principles. Do what is best for the collective good. You're in a team now. No "I" in team.
Your career is in your hands. You must not expect anyone to hand you anything, that includes your career progression. Take charge of your own development as much as you can and ALWAYS strive to be better than others give you credit for.
Don't let anyone tell you that you're not ready. No one is ever ready. No one takes a new role or new rank and is a rockstar. New SGTs are usually terrible, as are LT's. This is not a stab at them, just an indication of learning and growing as leaders.
Be receptive, learn, and grow.
Leave your pride and your feelings at the door. Make no mistake, This is a business. Killing and protecting are our business. There's precious little time for mending hurt feelings.
Get a college degree. For gods sakes... It's free and has never hurt anyone.
Having Soldiers is not the same as having indentured servants.
Pray.
If you ever have to wonder if, when given the choice, you Soldiers would choose not to follow you in a hail of gunfire to take a hill... You are no longer an effective leader.
Lastly, don't get so caught up in your bottom line that your forget about the people who GET YOU TO THAT BOTTOM LINE. If you forget about the Soldiers that do the hard work for you... You have failed them as a leader.
Have fun. Be smart. Eyes and ears open more than your mouth is. If you have to die in combat, die well, and take as many down as you can along the way.
1. Get yourself educated! College is the best way to guide your career towards longevity and promotions. It certainly isn't the only thing you need but it's a damn good start. The military is paying for your school. Take advantage of that. You will get out one day whether it is in 1 year or 20 and that education will help you out a lot.
2. If you have a shitty leader and you hate your job, don't quit. Bad leaders tank an assignment really easily. Learn from them. Take the qualities that make them a bad leader and remember to never do them. You will have amazing leaders throughout your career. Learn from them what they do well and emulate. Take the good from the good and leave the bad from the bad.
3. Never settle for "this is how we have always done it" statements. Just because it has always been done a specific way doesn't mean that you can't find a better way. Better still, it doesn't mean that your subordinates can't find a better way. As a leader, you need to encourage your Soldiers to excel and one of the best ways is to listen to them before going one way on something. They are smart and insightful, don't discount their abilities. They work hard and make you look good. Oh, and one more thing on that, NEVER take someones work and make it your own. If your PVT makes a suggestion that the boss loves, do not take credit for it. Make sure their efforts are known by all. People who do that sort of thing are the most toxic leaders of all and most Troops would attrit out of the military for that sort of thing.
4. Don't be afraid to speak up and voice your opinion. Even if you are the junior ranking Soldier in the room, your opinion does matter. Encourage this in your Troops as well.
5. Never bitch about something without coming up with an alternative to get it done easier/faster. Offer solutions to problems, not just complaints.
6. If you don't know, ask. You don't know everything. Nobody does. It is your responsibility to find out information and the best place to do that is amongst your peers. If you didn't understand something you were supposed to do, don't wait around for several days and then ask. Ask as soon as you can. It's far better to say, "Sir/Ma'am, SGT, etc, I would like to clarify what you asked me to do before I get started on it." Or simply ask some follow-up questions. The last thing you want to say to your leader is, "I didn't get it done."
7. Be flexible. Things change all the time. Adapt and overcome. If you have to work the weekend because the mission demands it, you have to adjust. It's your job. It's what being a member of the Armed Forces is. Find a way to adapt and cope.
8. If you have a problem, ask for help. Don't bottle anything up inside. Tell your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, friend, chaplain, your leaders, and/or Behavioral Health. We are all members of a team. If you need help, you will get it.
That's pretty much what I counsel my troops on. Sorry, I couldn't just give you one thing. There simply isn't a single piece of advice I would give to a Troop who wanted to make the Military their career.
I hope you dance.
But seriously, the best advice I can offer is:
Take charge of your career, come to work everyday like you're interviewing to keep it. If you can't be motivated for real, at least fake it and don't let it drag down your team.
Trust your superiors to do right by you in regards to Evaluations/Awards, but always keep your own running version...it'll pay off.
Wise words. A lot of people don't like "fake it 'til you make it." Which means that a lot of people make life harder than it needs to be. Also, most people aren't 100% prepared for what comes their way. The successful ones ACT confident & like they know what they're doing (while also finding a mentor & studying like crazy!!!) & keep a can-do attitude.
Also, it is almost impossible to ACT motivated without finding yourself becoming motivated.