“Hey, got a slide deck on __ I can borrow?”

We’ve all said it. When it comes to Leader Professional Development (LPD) materials, the best stuff is often right next door or down the street. The Junior Officer community is committed to being that go-to source for LPDs, so we want to hear your needs! Sound off with the LPD materials you need in our…[Read more]

We’re moving into the last section of the book. This week’s questions focus on Chapters 21-23:

• What tools would you like to help your people develop personally and professionally?
• What aspects of your organization’s legacy/history can you incorporate in your work?
• How are your guiding principles incorporated in your everyday work?

If…[Read more]

The Chief of Staff has said: “Readiness is my #1 Priority; and there is no other #1.” So let’s talk about what that means for junior officers.

What are you doing as a junior officer to create/enhance readiness?

Some sub-questions that might help you answer this big one:

• How do you define readiness in your current role? 
• Is there a…

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This week’s discussion questions come from Chapters 11-13:

– What causes us to take control when we should be giving control?

– How do you recognize situations where you need to resist the urge to provide solutions?

– How can you eliminate top-down monitoring systems in your organization?

You can see all of the discussions on this book in real…[Read more]

This week’s discussions focus on Chapters 8-10:

• What procedure or process could you change with one word that will give your junior officers/NCOs more decision-making authority?
• Do you act first and think later? Or do you think first and then change your actions?
• What could your organization do to add “a little rudder far from the rocks” to…

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We had a great set of conversations last week on our first round of Turn the Ship Around! discussion. This week’s questions come from Chapter 4-7. Remember, you only need to answer one of the questions, though you’re welcome to answer more!

• Are you asking questions to make sure you know or make sure they know? Why?
• Who in your organization…

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With the advent of AIM2, junior officers need to be thinking about their next assignment and what they want to get out of it. While there is no “one size fits all” option for assignments, there are unique characteristics of different organizations that make them better suited for different goals. With that in mind, what kind of assignment is best…[Read more]

A new year means new opportunities for growth, challenge, and professional development. As you jump into 2019, take a moment to reflect on what lies ahead for you and what you want to accomplish.

What are your professional New Year’s resolutions? What are your big goals to accomplish this year?

Some sub-questions that might help you tackle this…[Read more]

Even as we grapple with the demands of the present, we should always be thinking about the future as well. If you stick around, at some point you’ll make the transition from company-grade officer to field-grade officer. When you think about that transition, what are your biggest concerns? What are the “known unknowns” that you want to…[Read more]

There’s no escaping social media in the modern information landscape. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and others all have their strengths and weakness, but one or more of them are in your Soldiers’ faces, 24/7. How do you use social media as an Army professional?

Some questions you might tackle include:

• Do you use social media in your…

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The concept of the chain of command is drilled into us from Day 1. Soldiers understand that they’re obligated to obey the legal orders of those placed in authority over us. As officers, that expectation for orders to be carried out impacts our leadership style. But what happens when you have to lead people who you don’t have that authority over,…[Read more]

We’ve got information coming at us from all different directions. Without a cohesive system to keep us on track, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Below is a poll question asking about your favorite tools for organizing yourself. After you vote, please share in the comments:

• Any links for new users who want to get up to speed quickly on the tools

…

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We’re back, folks! The JO outage from 29 Jul – 5 Aug was completely unplanned, and to be honest, we’re still not sure why it happened. Updates to follow as we know it.

This month’s Jam is all about communication. Specifically, how are junior officers communicating with senior leaders? Pick one or more choices from the poll below, and then feel free to use the followup discussion questions to expand on your vote in the comments.

[democracy id=”8″]

Follow-up questions:

• Does one mode make a difference over…

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Soldiers of HHC, 526 BSB, we look forward to seeing your thoughts on the 360 Degree Leader! As you post, some things to remember:

— We avoid using ranks in the JO forum to encourage cross-talk and peer/near-peer conversation. There is no need to put “LT X” or “CPT Y” at the end of your posts; that’s why you have a profile in the forums. You may…[Read more]

The Captain’s Career Course (CCC) plays a slightly different role for every junior officer. For some, it’s a time to absorb crucial info to aid in the transition from Lieutenant to Captain. For others, it’s the opportunity to look ahead to the next assignment/assignments and visualize your career path. For still others, it’s a chance to prepare…[Read more]