What is the ONE thing EVERY young Officer must know?

How to run interference for your guys.

Tasks are constantly coming in from "up top." Whether it is the Company Commander, BN Commander etc. You only have so many men, so much time, and they only have so much patience.

As an example, as an NCO, I would constantly be approached by officers (looking to task me) would say:

"What are you working on?"

The appropriate response of course is "Sir, what do you need done?" as opposed to telling them what is actually going on. This allowed me to assess the situation and adjust tasks (and personnel) accordingly.

Long story short, the newest task isn't always the most important, and sometimes we as leaders just act as buffers so that the troops can get real work done.

Take care of your men. Keep them informed and listen to them, especially if they have experience you haven't. You consider their ideas and suggestions, but never forget you're the one who makes the decision. Think outside the box, and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Just try to not make them BIG ones! ;-)

Every shavetail needs to be told that it's okay to ask for guidance. And woe to superior officers who misconstrue that question as a sign of weakness or incompetence

I would say humility. Knowing when the time to listen is just as important as the time to speak. Show your people that you put their needs before your own. That by itself speaks volumes and builds morale and true respect. I once was told a story about a Lieutenant in Vietnam that asked his Sergeant First Class how he know that his men respected him. The Sergeant First Class replied," If you ever get held down in a firefight with the enemy and your men come back for you, you know you've got their respect."

When to open their mouth and when to listen - regardless of the rank. I had to learn that the hard way a few times. Knowledge and good ideas come in many different packages.

How to fold one after writing to the family. Hit's below the belt doesn't it? Good, it should.

Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions.

Everyone is human, people make mistakes. Officers are expected to be leaders, not managers. To lead effectively, you have to be a good follower, as well. Take advantage of your time as a 2LT to make mistakes that can be forgiven for being a 2LT, make decisions. They won't all be correct, but learn from them. A leader that can't make a decision is not an effective leader.

When you want the honest opinion from everyone in a room, ask the lowest ranking individual in the room FIRST. No private is going to give you his honest opinion if his SSG has just said something he/she doesn't agree with. He'll just echo what the SSG said.

Military bearing and professionalism will get you more respect with your troops then trying to fit in with them.

Read. A lot. Military books. Find your SgtMaj reading list.

Praise in public, discipline in private.

That's more than one, but they're relevant.

Be confident, set the example, and lead.

- Be confident: Senior NCOs and Officers are your counsel. You will not always know the solution, so gather the brainpower around you, gather information, and make a decision. Arrogance is not an attractive trait. Walk with pride and a big dose of humility.
- Set the example: Demonstrate courage and wisdom above your years by listening and making thoughtful decisions. Do not "react." And definitely do not jump to conclusions.
- Lead: From the front. Love your team. Give them the benefit of the doubt.

Listen to your NCO's, we run the military. That's a fact!

...that they are now professionals and they need to commit personal time to learning about their profession, understanding the profession and becoming as good as they can be in their profession.

These young great Americans spent years in college working very hard to earn degrees and their commissions, but too often many enter the service and want to work E1 hours. Learn from peers, listen (of course) to your NCOs and WANT to be better.

Knowing from day one that the education, learning and development is just beginning will put you on a path for greater success. You are not responsible for yourself anymore -- many others are required to follow you and you owe it to them to be the best you can be as a professional.