Oh…where do I start?

So much will be covered with leveraging your AGRs, and standard command stuff like inventories and readiness, so I will give my opinions on what I believe helped me succeed:

Command.  Don’t let the full time force run things.  Stay involved.  Don’t buy a rubber signature stamp so they can sign things and not “bother you”.  Force your involvement in the training scheduling.
Know your people.  A HUGE challenge in the Guard is AWOL/UA.  Knowing your Soldiers well enough that you can see the indicators of issues or establish the level of trust necessary to stay aware is a great assist in reducing the need to send out recovery teams for personnel or gear…, and its a great way to stay off the radar during a drill weekend and allows you to concentrate on actually training.
Demand resources.  SSD1/2 is a huge requirement for your Soldiers.  Get them CAC readers from supply.  Get with G6 and get a mobile laptop lab for homestation drill weekends and allot time for working on SSD.  Same goes for any other training requirement.  If your boss will be tracking it or measuring it as part of an overall evaluative process, then the boss needs to resource you.  It really is that simple.
Don’t get wrapped around promotion timelines.  If you are Guard, your friends from OBC that are active or USAR will be CPTs anywhere from 2-5 years sooner than you.  Just the way it is.  And politics, ineptitude, and the need for the extra “Federal Recognition Process’ (even though selected by a DA Board, all adds potentially YG altering events that delay you further.  It doesn’t just happen to you (cliques and AGRs not included).  Use the time to better learn your job, look for opportunities, and NEVER complain in front of your Soldiers.  I was scheduled to take command 2 years prior to when I did.  I got bumped for political reasons and stayed on as the XO for the guy that bumped me.  That was 2 more years of running the company as the XO and seeing how hard an M-Day/TDG/TPU command could be.  What did I get?  A 2 year active duty command period including a joint billet and the incredible experience of being a task force commander (2+ company strength with 3 services and 2 Army components represented) while assigned as a Navy staff officer.  I wouldn’t trade that for getting promoted 6 months early like I would have had I taken the company when I was supposed to.  I’ve had more career opportunities because of that delay than I would have otherwise.
Know the centers of power on the AGR and the TDG side of the house (guard centric line here).  They may not be the same folks, and trying to tie yourself to either side can be career altering.
Seek advice.
Make yourself available for mentoring.
Don’t wait on others to develop you (I will assume since you’re reading this you take some time to self develop).
Read.  Doctrine, professional literature, management, science fiction….just read.  But definitely know the doctrine that applies to your formation and primary responsibilities and enablers.
Be a value for the organization.