| I just finished two years of command. I feel a | | | | armory. Get dirty and blow stuff up. Give your |
| variety of emotions: happiness, sadness, joy, and | | | | soldiers something to talk about when they leave drill |
| pain. Looking back, my time in command was very | | | | and go home to their spouses and families. |
| enjoyable, and very challenging. | | | | #4 Soldiers Want to Be Led! |
| I learned many valuable lessons while in command. I'll | | | | Everyone, in any type of organization, wants to be |
| share a few of them with. | | | | led. Leaders are so few and far between in today's |
| #1 The Speed of the Boss is the Speed of the | | | | society. Take the challenge. Be the tip-of-the-spear in |
| Team | | | | your organization. Hold your soldiers to the Army |
| I quickly learned that the leader's personality | | | | standard. Be someone they want to follow. |
| becomes the organization's personality. If you take | | | | #5 The 10/90 Rule |
| initiative and are pro-active, your subordinates leaders | | | | The Pareto Principle mentions the 20/80 rule, which |
| will do the same. On the contrary, if you do nothing, | | | | says that 20% of your efforts produce 80% of the |
| your followers will do nothing too. | | | | results. I have what I call the 10/90 Rule, which |
| #2 Command Will Take as Much Time as You Give It | | | | means that 90% of the company commander's |
| As a part-time commander, you will put in extra | | | | decisions are very easy to make. Anyone could do it. |
| hours outside of drill weekend. You can put in 5 hours | | | | It's the 10% of the decisions that justify your |
| per week or 40 hours per week. In other words, | | | | existence. You will face tough decisions. Just make |
| company command will take as much time as you | | | | sure you make a decision. |
| give it. Maintain your command responsibilities, but | | | | I learned many other valuable lessons too, but these |
| don't forget about your family, your job and your | | | | are some of the more important lessons. |
| personal life. | | | | In review, company command is a tough and |
| #3 Soldiers Want to be Challenged | | | | challenging job. However, the rewards are much |
| No one joined the reserves to sit around the armory | | | | greater than the challengers. It's an experience I will |
| every weekend. Soldiers want to (and deserve to) | | | | never forget. |
| be challenged. Schedule tough training. Get our of the | | | | |