MILITARY LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES

#1. Know yourself and seek self-improvement.

Evaluate yourself by using the leadership traits and determine your strengths and
weaknesses. Understand who you are, your values, priorities, strengths and weaknesses.
Reject mediocrity and seek to get better in all areas. Stay disciplined, stay focused, and
become the person you want to be.

#2. Be technically and tactically proficient.

Before you can lead you must know how to do the job. Learn the basics and keep grinding on
the basics. Teach the basics, and teach them again. Sweat in training so you don’t bleed on
the battlefield. Learn what you need to know in an emergency before it happens. Teach your
people how to keep going if you are unable to keep leading. Learn from your boss so you can
take over their duties if necessary.

#3. Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates.

Give others the chance for professional development. Assign tasks and delegate authority so
everyone is involved.

#4. Make sound and timely decisions.

You must be able to rapidly estimate a situation and make a sound decision based off of that
estimation.

#5. Set an example.

A leader who shows professional competence, courage and integrity sets high personal
standards for himself before he can rightfully demand it from others.

#6. Know your people and look out for their welfare.
Make a conscious effort to observe your people and how they react to different situations.
#7. Keep your people informed.
To promote efficiency and morale, a leader should inform their people of all happenings and
give reasons why things are to be done.

#8. Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.

Leaders want people who can handle responsibility and help achieve goals. They expect
others to take the initiative within their stated intent. When you see a problem or something
that needs to be fixed, do not wait to be told to act. Organizational effectiveness depends
upon having leaders at all levels that exercise initiative, are resourceful and take
opportunities that will lead to goal accomplishment and business success. When leaders
make mistakes, they accept just criticism and take corrective action. They do not avoid
responsibility by placing the blame on someone else.

#9. Ensure assigned tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished.

Leaders must give clear, concise orders that cannot be misunderstood, and then by close
supervision, ensure that these orders are properly executed.

#10. Train your people as a team.

As a leader, you must insist on teamwork from your people. Train, play and operate as a
team. Be sure that everyone knows his/her position and responsibilities within the team
framework.

#11. Employ your team in accordance with its capabilities.

A leader must have a thorough knowledge of the tactical and technical capabilities of their
team. Successful completion of a task depends upon how well you know your individual
team’s capabilities.