Jeff,

This is a killer thread because of killer contributions, such as yours and others before you!  My hope is that new commanders read this thread so we can get further feedback.  I like how we are all building on information that has been provided.  Here are my thoughts on building what you mentioned.

1. Leader book. This is definitely next level advice as I did not do this until later on in my command. What this boils down to is ORGANIZATION, which no school or person necessarily  teaches you. Part of being a commander is knowing the ins and outs of your unit.  Having a Leader Book helped me out fill out reports, immediately answer RFIs, among other important tasks.

2.  Distill everything. Yes, 3-5 comments and be consistent. My slogan or something I always fell back on was my philosophy of, “we are men and women of character.”

3. Continuity book. Once again, next level advice. Most people are not thinking of this until you are almost done with command. By forcing yourself to organize your files, plans, etc, not only are you organizing yourself but you are forcing yourself to have a long-term outlook. This helps the organization.

Jeff,  @x70037,  do you know of any incoming commanders that are preparing for command that can benefit from this thread and/or contribute? Stay tuned. We’ll definitely have more on philosophy and would love your input.