Building Blocks for a Good Leader

Below are the Top 5 leadership attributes and their building blocks.

1. Communicator

good listener

- don't interrupt people when talking

- maintain eye contact

- engage audience with questions

- utilize objective listening

- watch for non-verbal cues

- make subject relevant to audience

talk to people

- network

- relay information to peers, subordinates, and seniors

- voice inflection

preparedness

- be knowledgeable of subject

- be aware of audience

- proofread written work

- ask for feedback to understand how people are taking message

- learn other languages/cultures

- video tape self when speaking

- rehearse/practice speeches

- well versed in different subjects i.e. read magazines/publications/doctrine

2. Discipline

- physical fitness

- time management

- planning

- personal development

- doing the right think when no one is around (integrity)

- respect for rules/authority

- organize

- prioritize

- self-understanding (awareness)

- goal-oriented

- emotional fitness

3. Agility

- willingness to learn

- flexibility to accomplish mission

- cross train on new branches outside Signal realm

- compile military regulations with engagement training

- know two levels up and two levels across

- diverse OPD program stressing the importance of agility

- know the Commanders intent

4. Competent

- well qualified, proficient, knowledgeable, effectively supervises resources,

provides constructive feedback to others

- mastering the skills of management and leadership and job specific knowledge by:

reading and learning via schools and classes

seeking self improvement via mentorship from seniors and juniors

training

5. Ethical

- Golden Rule i.e. Treat others the way you would want to be treated

- always put yourself in others shoes

- understanding of cultures and society rules

- well read in history and current affairs

- know the law/ understand ROE

- read and understand UCMJ and civilian law

- perception

- understand/ take note of surroundings and environment

- understand the "gray" areas

- situational awareness

- live by values

- pose values around as reminders

- common sense

- learn from yours and others mistakes

My Pay

Information on LES

IWRS

Find status of yours or anyone else's OERs and NCOERs at HRC

West Point Admissions

West Point admissions FAQ site for enlisted Soldiers.

AR 670-1 Army Uniforms and Insignia

Warrant Officer Recruiting

The U.S. Army Recruiting Command website. Covers all information for all Soldiers interested in becoming a Warrant Officer.

OCS Applicants

The United States Army Officer Candidate School homepage. This site lays out all information prospective applicants to OCS will need. Includes what the packets need to contain, packing lists, course content etc.

DA PAM 623-3 Evaluation Reporting System

Green To Gold Programs

This site contains information for those Soldiers interested in applying for the Green to Gold program. Unit Commanders should write letters of recommendation for those interested in applying.

HRC

Human Resource Command

Armed Forces Entertainment

Armed Forces Entertainment is the official Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel overseas. Armed Forces Entertainment and its performers have the honor of supporting soldiers, airmen, marines and sailors by bringing them the very best in American entertainment.

Money Rates

Daily updates on finance rates

Army Communicator

Offers past issues of the communicator.

USO

The USO is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to men and women in uniform.

Dave Ramsey

Managing Finances/Investments

Military Money

Financial Information

Signal University

Offers Signal training in the deployed environment.

Pentagon Federal Credit Union

Banking

DTMS

Website to manage training schedules.

USAA

Banking

AR 600-9 The Army Weight Control Program

FORSCOM

US Army Force Command

Recommended War Movies

List of the best history war movies listed by war ranging from Greece in ancient times to the first Gulf War.

AR 600-8-29 Officer Promotions

UCMJ

Uniform Code of Military Justice in its entirety.

Small Wars Journal

Website is a wealth of the most current, most relevant writings on the theory and practice of leadership in modern conflict.  Many of the contributors are most prominent experts in their fields, distinguished veterans and scholars, and even current high-level commanders of troops. If and officer was to read only one page for the purpose of professional development, this should be it. Much of the material posted daily on this site is graduate level discussion of strategy and developments around the world. It also includes a wide variety of viewpoints from warriors and scholars, all of them experts in their fields from diverse backgrounds of study and experience. 

AR 600-8-22 Military Awards

ARCENT

United States Army Central Command

Soldiers for Truth Forum

Forum started COL David Hack-worth (retired). It takes on hot topic issues and current events from the field. Examples included extended coverage on the body armor controversy. 

Signal Online AFCEA

Online magazine that targets government and military communications systems. 

DA PAM 385-1 Small Unit Safety Officer and NCO Guide

THE UNITED STATES ARMY CIO/G6

Provide architecture, governance, portfolio management, strategy, C4 IT acquisition oversight and operational capabilities to enable joint expeditionary net-centric information dominance for the Army.

Project Management Podcast

Project Management is hte means use by companies today to turn their vision and mission into reality. IT is also the driver behind transformation and business into a business process. PCP looks at how project management shapes the business world of today and tomorrow. 

AR 600-25 SALUTES, HONORS, AND VISITS OF COURTESY

Covers all you need to know about military customs and courtesies.

Army MTOE

Collection of the Army's MTOE for most organizations

NETCOM

Operate and defend the Network Enterprise to enable information superiority, and ensure operating and generating forces freedom of access to the network in all phases of Joint, Interagency and Multinational operations.

BRANCH ORIENTATION

 The mission of the Signal Corps is to provide seamless, secure, consistent and dynamic worldwide information systems and communication networks for real-time command and control of Army, Joint, and Combined Forces in tactical, garrison and strategic operations.

AR 600-85 ARMY SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAM

Regulation for the Army substance abuse program.

DA PAM 735-5 Financial Liability Officer's Guide

DA PAM 735-5 Financial Liability Officer's Guide

Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling

A good resources to double check the grammar, punctuation and spelling on awards, NCOERs, memos etc. 

FM 7-1 BATTLE FOCUSED TRAINING

Guide to developing a focused plan for training a company or organization.

FM 21-20 PHYSICAL FITNESS TRAINING

Field manual for physical fitness training.

Signal Center of Excellence

A World Class Center of Excellence that provides ready and relevant doctrine, organizations, LandWarNet capabilities, education, and leaders of character for the Army's future challenges across the full spectrum of military operations.

DA Pam 600-3 COMMISSIONED OFFICER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER MANAGEMENT

DA Pam 600-3 covers career paths for commissioned officers, to include 25A.

MIL SPOUSE

MilSpouse.org is your resource library for military spouse employment, education, and relocation information. Here you will find links to employment related information and other resources for military spouses and military families.

ARMY FRG

 Army FRG is your direct connection to Command information for your unit. Register today for your unit's Virtual FRG site and get connected to all of the pertinent information and resources you need to stay informed and connected.

MILITARY ONESOURCE

Working together, Military OneSource and the United States Army Family Covenant provide support to Soldiers and their families throughout the world. Visit the new Army OneSource site to see the Army support programs

AR 220-1 Unit Status Reporting

Army Regulation for Unit Status Reporting.

MILITARY HOMEFRONT

MilitaryHOMEFRONT is the Department of Defense website for official Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) program information, policy and guidance designed to help troops and their families, leaders, and service providers. Whether you live the military lifestyle or support those who do, you'll find what you need!

FM 6-22 Leadership

Covers effective types and methods of leadership as well as an overview of the Army's counseling program.

Information Warfare Principles and Operations

Here's a systems engineering-level introduction to the growing field of Information Warfare (IW) -- the battlefield where information is both target and weapon. This book provides an overview of rapidly emerging threats to commercial, civil, and military information systems -- and shows how these threats can be identified and systems protected. This is the first book to detail the component principles, technologies, and tactics critical to success in the three key areas of IW: Information Dominance, Information Defense, and Information Offense.

Center for Strategic and International Studies

(CSIS) provides strategic insights and policy solutions to decisionmakers in government, international institutions, the private sector, and civil society. A bipartisan, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, CSIS conducts research and analysis and develops policy initiatives that look into the future and anticipate change.

Servicemembers Civil Relief Ac

President Bush has signed the “Servicemembers Civil Relief Act,” new legislation to help ease the economic and legal burdens on military personnel called to active duty status in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Authored by Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Smith, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act updates and strengthens the previous Soldiers & Sailors Civil Relief Act of 1940 (SSCRA).

MNF - Iraq

Home of Multi-National Forces Iraq.

AFRICOM

Home of the U.S. African Command

Chief of Staff Professional Reading List

Chief of Staff Professional Reading list for Cadets and Junior NCOs to Senior Leaders

Warfare in the 21st Century

Warfare in the 21st Century" is a special theme at the U.S. Army War College. Compiled in support of this theme, the following bibliography reflects books, documents, and periodical articles in the Army War College Library. It also includes a number of web sites.

General Dynamics

EUCOM

Home of European Command

Al Jazeera

Arabic news network. Gives an alternate perspective on world events and happenings.

PACOM

Home of the U.S. Pacific Command.

CENTCOM

Home of the U.S. Central Command that overseas operations throughout the Middle East.

Army Morale Welfare and Recreation

The Army MWR site has links to Military Lodging and Recreation Centers, MWR offices on home installations, ITT offices where service members can obtain discounted tickets to amusement parks, tours and various other activities. Also contains links to AFRC hotels including Edelweiss in Garmisch, Germany and Shades of Green in Walt Disney World.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Homepage for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Useful information for Veterans including medical and education benefits throught the Montgomery G.I. Bill.

L3 SATCOM

L3 provides signal assemblages and equipment to the U.S Army such as the Phoenix SATCOM terminal.  Contact information, hand receipts and contractor help can be obtained through this site.

Thrift Savings Plan

The Thrift Savings Plan website. Detailed information on TSP and current rates, FAQ section, TSP calculator.

Army Property

Very useful site for Commanders, Platoon Leaders and any hand receipt holder. Has hand receipts and property guidance.

By Branch Publications

This site lists all FMs and organizes them according to branch. You can jump to all signal related publications at the click of a button.

Data Path: STT, CPN, JNN

DataPath is a government contractor that provides numerous signal assemblages and equipment to the U.S. Army such as the STT, CPN and JNN.  Within this site you can contact the company who will then put you in touch with your field rep whether you are in Iraq, Europe or the U.S.  Certain parts for this equipment can not be ordered through the Army Supply System and must be ordered throught the company.  Component hand receipts can also be obtained through this site.

United States Army Combined Arms Center

The combined arms center provides Army-wide leadership and supervision products, blogs and training for leadership development.

IA/Security

Information assurance division of the US Army Signal Center. Has course information as well as a reference library full of forms, checklists, guides, and other information assurance links.

My Pay

Place to find your LES. Essential to make sure your are getting the right pay and benefits.

Landwarnet University

Leaders can use this website to build their own training and curriculum related to their specific missions. Good to supplement hands on training. 

GSA Advantage

Can use Government Purchase Cards to buy items from approved GSA contractors at discounted prices.

Google

Search engine that queries billions of internet sites and gives you results based on most commonly used websites that fit your keyword search. If it exists on the internet, it can be found through this site.

Wikipedia

Online dictionary with over 2.7 million articles covering every topic under the sun, the sun itself, and even topics not in our solar system. Not the greatest source for in depth information, but a good starting point for most topics.

Early Bird News

News feed that categorizes military news by region, branch of service, area of operation, and department.

HRC Military Education

Human resources center’s website for education that covers opportunities, programs, tuition assistance, and important points of contact for furthering your education.

Military Blogging

The largest collection of military blogs posted by all branches of the military. Not limited to US military either.

Armed Forces Vacation Club

"Space Available" program offering DoD affiliated personnel affordable condo vacations at over 3,500 resorts around the world. 

Marlow White

Site for the Marlow White Military Uniform Company. A great place to order uniforms and ensure you get the proper uniform for an occasion.

Rack Builder

Builds a personalized awards rack for dress uniforms.

Army Study Guide

A tool used mostly by enlisted Soldiers to study for boards and promotions, however can be a great tool for officers looking for information on a variety of US military topics dealing with training, history, publications, programs, weapons, etc.

Military Personnel Service

Headquarters Department of the Army: Military Personnel Service

Company Commanders can request accounts in order to review personnel reports, Enlisted Record Briefs, Sample DA31, instructions for Assignments etc. 

Tuition Assistance Center

Offers information on tuition assistance for both Soldiers and leadership including benefits by state, for spouses, education centers, scholarships, GI Bill benefits, and a list of colleges.

MEDPROS

Army MEDPROS: Company Commanders can request read only and data entry accounts to view the status of their unit's medical readiness as well as forecast future medical requirements. 

Equal Opportunity

G1 Equal Opportunity Home Page. Contains: Equal Opportunity Reporting System, Training and Observances, Annual Conferences, Prevention of Sexual Harassment, EEO

U.S. Center of Military History

History of U.S. military from birth of nation until present. 

Tricare

Provides general health information, and details about services and benefits

Safety Program

U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center

Contains information on accident reporting and investigation, safety awards, aviation safety and composite risk management, multimedia, POV/motorcycle safety, safety and occupational health, statistics and reports, safety training. 

Center for Army Lessons Learned

Lessons learned from current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Uniform Guide

Shows the proper wear of all army uniforms.

LOGSA

USAMC Logistics Support Activity website. Can find all technical manuals and have access to many logistical management tools such as a database with all LIN numbers and stock items. Requires request for access approved by supervisor.

PBUSE

Allows both command and supply to access and manage the company property book. Essential for command inventories and needs to be updated to ensure a working reset program.

The Army Times

Weekly newspaper that focuses on US Army issues, developments, and happenings. New issues are available every Monday at all post exchanges or shopettes.

Company Commander

A forum for company commanders that is volunteer run and contains information by your peers to be a successful company commander.

Fark

News aggregate site that collects articles from all sources including the AP, print publications, and newspaper websites. Also has a discussion on each article.

CNN

News source with current events dealing with the US, world, politics, health, entertainment, technology, living, travel, living, science, crime, business, and sports. A great site to visit daily to keep up with world happenings.

Military news

News site focused on military based news around the world. Similar to the Army Times except web based.

USAPA Army Publications

Has a product map including DA Forms, DD Forms, army regulations, directives, technical manuals, hand receipts. If it is on paper and is produced by the army, it can usually be found on this site. Have to know what you are looking for by pub # though.

The Economist

Economist.com is the premier online source for the analysis of world business and current affairs, providing authoritative insight and opinion on international news, world politics, business, finance, science and technology, as well as overviews of cultural trends and regular industry, business and country special reports.

This news journal contains