Military officers have very tough jobs. Being an officer requires you to have leadership qualities. You will have a lot of responsibilities and you need to be well equipped to handle them. You might be wondering if you have the qualities needed in an officer. You don’t need to look any further as you can get the information you need in this narrative article.
Here are the personal traits you can find in military officer. If you have these qualities, you can consider joining the military.
- Intelligence
There is a lot of planning that goes into military missions. Military officers are expected to have at least average intelligence to be able to carry out the missions. Although you can join the army straight from high school, you need to further your education for you to rise in the ranks. If you find that you are good at critical thinking, you can consider joining the military.
- Self-discipline
The duties of an officer can take them to warzones. Military officers need to have self-discipline and be able to keep a cool head when surrounded by chaos. When faced with danger, having a cool composure can help the officer think clearly and this can be the difference between life and death.
You can gauge your self-discipline by assessing your reaction when working under pressure. Do you blow up or keep calm as you defuse the situation? If you are proactive, then military life is for you.
- Confidence
When you are an officer, you will be faced with decisions where you are unsure of the consequences. You need to have confidence in yourself that will help you when making your decisions. If you have subordinates, you do not want to make them think you are weak. It will make them unsure of whether they can trust you. Being confident will make other officers look up to you and trust you to make the right decisions.
How do you know you are confident enough? You know by not questioning yourself and believing in your decisions.
- Physical and mental fitness
This is a given. You need to be physically fit if you want to get in the military. But physical fitness is not the only thing considered. You also need to be mentally fit. You will be doing a lot of activities that can put a strain on your body. You need to be fit enough to withstand being active for long durations. Being fit will also help you make decisions clearly regardless of how dangerous the situation is or how exhausted you feel.
If you are not fit, you need to start working out to build stamina. You also need to eat healthy foods and avoid any dangerous substances.
- Respect
Military officers respect everyone including their subordinates. You need to respect those above and below you. This will make others trust and respect you. This can also be seen when you protect your colleagues from danger. Respect does not mean that you agree with everything you are told. You need to be able to express your opinion in a manner that is not biased or disrespectful.
Respect starts with you. Do you respect people in your society? Can they depend on you to have their back? These are some questions you can ask yourself to see if you are respectful and trustworthy. If either of the answers is no, it means that you are not ready to join the military. However, you can work on improving and make people trust you. Remember, trust and respect are earned through your actions.
- Obedience
You must have heard the term military service. Military officer have to obey orders given to them. Disobeying an order is a serious offense that is punishable. However, being obedient does not mean that you do everything you are told without thinking twice. If you are ordered to do something you believe is not right, you can voice your opinion to your senior officer.
Obedience starts even before you think of joining the military. If you obey what your elders tell you and air your concern in a respectful manner, then you are on the right track. Being in the military is a calling and you need to be sure you want to join. You can start by seeing if you have any of these qualities before making your decision.
