Lawrence, Kan. -- Brig. Gen. Joseph Martin told University of Kansas ROTC cadets that the Army needs team players to accomplish its missions.
"The enemy provides enough competition," Martin said during an April 24 talk about Army leadership. Martin is the deputy commanding general for the Combined Arms Center -- Training (CAC-T) at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
During his talk, Martin listed these points about leadership:
• Be ready to take command immediately at a leadership assignment. When you're a staff officer, be the best you can be and treat every day as an opportunity get to know the organization that you may command someday.
• Lead from the front. "That doesn't mean you are always on point," he said. "It means you share hardships with your team. And you must be willing to do anything that you ask them to do."
• Become your team's training manager. "You must understand your unit's capabilities. If you lack expertise to provide the right training, learn from the most knowledgeable non-commissioned officer."
• Know how to manage and maintain your unit's property. "Treat it like it is yours."
• Don't immediately criticize subordinates for mistakes. "First ask yourself if you provided the right guidance."
• Empower your subordinates by providing them broad guidance, get out of their way and then hold them accountable.
• Know that acts of commission are almost always better than acts of omission.
• Understand the process of assessing and improving Soldier resilience.
• Always strive to improve your Soldiers' living conditions.
• Personally inspect those things that are important.
• Support your commander.
• Remember how you react to setbacks will set the tone for your leadership. "When your team members face adversity, they will look to you as a bellwether."
"Be confident, be strong and be a leader of Soldiers," Martin said.
Martin also administered the contracting oath to nine ROTC cadets and told them they had taken a significant step. "You have the highest calling," he said, "to protect the rights and liberties that we live by."
CAC-T manages the Army's Training Support System Enterprise, the Training Development Enterprise and the Combat Training Center Program to enable commanders and commandants to train and educate versatile units and develop agile and adaptive leaders to execute Mission Command in order to conduct Unified Land Operations.
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