1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement.
Don’t lie to yourself. Know your abilities as best as you can. Know your strengths and weaknesses. What you can and can’t do. What you know and don’t know. Find those weaknesses and improve upon them. Don’t think that you can do something when you can’t or haven’t the knowledge to pursue such. With that, seek that knowledge out and learn how to. If you have a certain weakness, seek out a way to overcome it.
2. Be technically proficient.
This goes without saying. Know your equipment and the equipment
that is being utilized by those under your leadership. Know everything about it. How it can be
used and when it can’t. Know all the skills that have to be utilized to accomplish a mission. One
cannot conduct a certain functions when one doesn’t know how to function. Familiarize yourself
and master the skills that have to be used by those under your leadership. Know how things have
to be done and what is needed to accomplish a given task.
3. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.
An irresponsible leader is no leader at all. A leader MUST take charge. When a mistake has been made, take the responsibility for it. Those under your leadership will respect you for it. A leader must be trusted in order to get those under his/her leadership to follow them; trust is earned, not given.
4. Make sound and timely decisions.
For this, you must know what you are doing. Following principle number 2 will aid in your accomplishment of this by being technically proficient. If you know what you are doing you will be able to make sound and timely decisions. In addition, get feedback from your subordinates about decisions made or to be made. This puts all your resources together, utilizing all the knowledge and experience available.
5. Set the example.
Yes, a commonsense one. You MUST set the example for those under your leadership. You must always be setting an example for them in all aspects. Militia Troops constantly assess the character of their leaders as they observe day-to-day actions. The character you exhibit
through daily example should be consistent with the individual values of courage, candor,
competence, and commitment. Militia troops respect leaders who provide strength, inspiration, and guidance.
6. Know your Troops and look out for their well-being.
Know your Troops well. Know their abilities, how well they are trained, their weaknesses, etc. Know them personally. We are all unique individuals. The better you know them, the better you will be able to lead them. Always look out for their well-being. As their leader, they trust you and need you to ensure they are well taken care of. Watch for them in all angles. Their Abilities, their health, their personal life, their needs. Know what they are thinking as best as you can. How they are feeling. A Trooper with sore feet or one that is bored won’t be of any use to you in a patrol, plus his/her morale will drop and even turn against you. When you don’t look out for them, they will turn on you fast. Make sure they have the equipment they need and are well fed. They depend on you to look out for them, do so as a quality leader.
7. Keep subordinates informed.
You must keep your subordinates well informed as to what is going on. They are the ones that make things happen for you and they cannot do so ill informed.
Additionally, they are the ones who replace you in the event you are not in attendance. Nobody is irreplaceable; all must be expendable in order for success to happen. When your subordinates
are well informed and understand what needs to take place and why, they will better accomplish
their tasks.
8. Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates.
By doing this, they will take the initiative when needed. Things will get done. This also allows you the ability to delegate tasks unto them. They are leaders too, let them be. Give them responsibility and expect them to be responsible for their actions.
9. Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished.
If the task isn’t understood, how can they carry it out? Make sure they understand what exactly it is that you need from them. Ask questions and allow them to ask them in return. Get feedback, only by getting feedback will you know if you were understood. Make sure the task is supervised in order to ensure it is being undertaken properly and timely. Make sure the task has been accomplished first hand. Inspect and praise for a job well done. Correct where and when needed and encourage them.
10. Train your Troopers as a team! .
When you merely have a unit, you only have a clump of people gathered together. Things do not get done and tensions build. Build a team spirit. Everything is accomplished as one. Team players have higher morale and get the job done faster and more effectively. When you have a tight based team, you can overcome most obstacles. When you bring your Militia Troopers together for musters and Field Training Exercises’ (FTX”s) focus on those training tasks that you can only do together as a team.
11. Employ your unit in accordance with its abilities.
Obviously a brand New fire team cannot take on the Special forces. Use your Troops for what they have been trained for and what they have the ability to accomplish. If they don’t have the ability to accomplish a given task, don’t use them for it. ( Special Note NEVER set your troops up to show them how much they don’t know.! ALWAYS cover whatever skills they will need to accomplish the next training task.
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