LEADERSHIP TRAITS
The 14 leadership traits are qualities of thought and action, which if demonstrated in daily
activities, help Cadets earn the respect, confidence, and loyal cooperation of other Cadets. It is
extremely important that you understand the meaning of each leadership trait and how to develop it, so
you know what goals to set as you work to become a good leader and a good follower.
JUSTICE
Definition: Justice is defined as the practice of being fair and consistent. A just person gives
consideration to each side of a situation and bases rewards or punishments on merit.
Suggestions for Improvement: Be honest with yourself about why you make a particular
decision. Avoid favoritism. Try to be fair at all times and treat all things and people in an equal manner.
JUDGMENT
Definition: Judgment is your ability to think about things clearly, calmly, and in an orderly
fashion so that you can make good decisions.
Suggestions for Improvement: You can improve your judgment if you avoid making rash
decisions. Approach problems with a common sense attitude.
DEPENDABILITY
Definition: Dependability means that you can be relied upon to perform your duties properly. It
means that you can be trusted to complete a job. It is the willing and voluntary support of the policies
and orders of the chain of command. Dependability also means consistently putting forth your best
effort in an attempt to achieve the highest standards of performance.
Suggestions for Improvement: You can increase your dependability by forming the habit of
being where you're supposed to be on time, by not making excuses and by carrying out every task to
the best of your ability regardless of whether you like it or agree with it.
INITIATIVE
Definition: Initiative is taking action even though you haven't been given orders. It means
meeting new and unexpected situations with prompt action. It includes using resourcefulness to get
something done without the normal material or methods being available to you.
Suggestions for Improvement: To improve your initiative, work on staying mentally and
physically alert. Be aware of things that need to be done and then to do them without having to be told.
DECISIVENESS
Definition: Decisiveness means that you are able to make good decisions without delay. Get all
the facts and weight them against each other. By acting calmly and quickly, you should arrive at a
sound decision. You announce your decisions in a clear, firm, professional manner.
Suggestions for Improvement: Practice being positive in your actions instead of acting halfheartedly or changing your mind on an issue.
TACT
Definition: Tact means that you can deal with people in a manner that will maintain good
relations and avoid problems. It means that you are polite, calm, and firm.
Suggestions for Improvement: Begin to develop your tact by trying to be courteous and cheerful
at all times. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
INTEGRITY
Definition: Integrity means that you are honest and truthful in what you say or do. You put
honesty, sense of duty, and sound moral principles above all else.
Suggestions for Improvement: Be absolutely honest and truthful at all times. Stand up for what
you believe to be right.
ENTHUSIASM
Definition: Enthusiasm is defined as a sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of
your duties. If you are enthusiastic, you are optimistic, cheerful, and willing to accept the challenges.
Suggestions for Improvement: Understanding and belief in your mission will add to your
enthusiasm for your job. Try to understand why even uninteresting jobs must be done.
BEARING
Definition: Bearing is the way you conduct and carry yourself. Your manner should reflect
alertness, competence, confidence, and control.
Suggestions for Improvement: To develop bearing, you should hold yourself to the highest
standards of personal conduct. Never be content with meeting only the minimum requirements.
UNSELFISHNESS
Definition: Unselfishness means that you avoid making yourself comfortable at the expense of
others. Be considerate of others. Give credit to those who deserve it.
Suggestions for Improvement: Avoid using your position or rank for personal gain, safety, or
pleasure at the expensive of others. Be considerate of others.
COURAGE
Definition: Courage is what allows you to remain calm while recognizing fear. Moral courage
means having the inner strength to stand up for what is right and to accept blame when something is
your fault. Physical courage means that you can continue to function effectively when there is physical
danger present.
Suggestions for Improvement: You can begin to control fear by practicing self-discipline and
calmness. If you fear doing certain things required in your daily life, force yourself to do them until you
can control your reaction.
KNOWLEDGE
Definition: Knowledge is the understanding of a science or art. Knowledge means that you have
acquired information and that you understand people. Your knowledge should be broad, and in addition
to knowing your job, you should know your unit's policies and keep up with current events.
Suggestions for Improvement: Suggestions for Improvement: Increase your knowledge by
remaining alert. Listen, observe, and find out about things you don't understand. Study field manuals
and other military literature.
LOYALTY
Definition: Loyalty means that you are devoted to your country, the Sea Cadets, and to your
seniors, peers, and subordinates. You owe unwavering loyalty up and down the chain of command, to
seniors, subordinates, and peers.
Suggestions for Improvement: To improve your loyalty you should show your loyalty by never
discussing the problems of the Sea Cadets or your unit with outsiders. Never talk about seniors
unfavorably in front of your subordinates. Once a decision is made and the order is given to execute it,
carry out that order willingly as if it were your own.
ENDURANCE
Definition: Endurance is the mental and physical stamina that is measured by your ability to
withstand pain, fatigue, stress, and hardship. For example, enduring pain during a conditioning march in
order to improve stamina is crucial in the development of leadership.
Suggestions for Improvement: Develop your endurance by engaging in physical training that
will strengthen your body. Finish every task to the best of your ability by forcing yourself to continue
when you are physically tired and your mind is sluggish.
Because it is important to always be able to remember the basic leadership traits, the acronym
"J.J. DID TIE BUCKLE" is used. Each letter in the acronym corresponds to the first letter of one of the
traits. By remembering the acronym, you will be better able to recall the traits.
Leadership Principles
Know yourself and seek improvement
This principle of leadership should be developed by the use of leadership traits. Evaluate yourself by using the
leadership traits and determine your strengths and weaknesses. Work to improve your weaknesses and utilize
your strengths. By knowing yourself, using your experience and knowledge of group behavior, you can
determine the best way to deal with any given situation. With some Cadets, and in certain situations, the firm,
hard stand may be most effective; however, in other situations, the "big brother" approach may work better. You
can improve yourself in many ways. Reading and observing can achieve self-improvement. Ask your friends
and seniors for an honest evaluation of your leadership ability. This will help you to identify your weaknesses
and strengths.
Develop
1. Make an honest evaluation of yourself to determine your strong and weak personal qualities. Strive to
overcome the weak ones and further strengthen those in which you are strong.
2. Seek the honest opinions of your friends or superiors to show you how to improve your leadership ability.
3. Learn by studying the causes for the success or the failure of other leaders.
4. Develop a genuine interest in people; acquire an understanding of human nature.
5. Master the art of effective writing and speech.
6. Have a definite goal and a definite plan to attain your goal.
Be technically and tactically proficient
Before you can lead, you must be able to do the job. As a Cadets, you must demonstrate your ability to
accomplish the mission, and to do this you must be capable of answering questions and demonstrating
competence in your MOS. Respect is the reward of the Cadets who shows competence. Tactical and technical
competence can be learned from books and from on the job training.
Develop
1. Seek a well-rounded education by attending schools; doing daily independent reading and research; taking
correspondence courses from Compass Online.
2. Seek out and associate with capable leaders. Observe and study their actions.
3. Broaden your knowledge through association with members of all walks of life.
4. Seek opportunities to apply knowledge through the exercise of command. Good leadership is acquired only
through practice.
5. Prepare yourself for leadership at the next higher rank.
Know your Cadets and look out for their welfare
This is one of the most important of the principles. You should know your Cadets and how they react to different
situations. This knowledge can save lives. A Cadets who is nervous and lacks self-confidence should never be
put in a situation where an important, instant decision must be made. Knowledge of your Cadets' personalities
will enable you, as the leader, to decide how to best handle each Cadets and determine when close supervision
is needed.
Develop
1.Put your Cadets' welfare before your own--correct grievances and remove discontent.
2. See the members of your unit and let them see you so that every Cadet may know you and feel that you
know them. Be approachable.
3. Get to know and understand the Cadets under your command.
4. Let them see that you are determined that they be fully prepared for battle.
5. Concern yourself with the living conditions of the members of your unit.
6. Help your Cadets get needed support from available personal services.
7. Protect the health of your unit by active supervision of hygiene and sanitation.
8. Determine what your unit's mental attitude is; keep in touch with their thoughts.
9. Ensure fair and equal distribution of rewards.
10. Encourage individual development.
11. Provide sufficient recreational time and insist on participation.
12. Share the hardships of your Cadets so you can better understand their reactions
Keep your Cadets informed
Cadets by nature are inquisitive. Informed Cadets perform better and, if knowledgeable of the situation, can
carry on without your personal supervision. Informed Cadets promote efficiency and morale; a leader should
inform the Cadets in his unit of all happenings and give reasons why things are to be done. Whenever time and
security permit, take the time to explain why things are the way they are. This builds trust and mutual support.
Informing your Cadets of the situation makes them feel that they are a part of the team and prevents rumor and
misinformation from detracting from mission readiness. The key to giving out information is to be sure that the
Cadets have enough information to do their job intelligently and to inspire their initiative, enthusiasm, loyalty,
and convictions.
Develop
1. Whenever possible, explain why tasks must be done and how you intend to do them.
2. Assure yourself, by frequent inspections, that immediate subordinates are passing on necessary information.
3. Be alert to detect the spread of rumors. Stop rumors by replacing them with the truth.
4. Build morale and esprit de corps by publicizing information concerning successes of your unit.
5. Keep your unit informed about current legislation and regulations affecting their pay, promotion, privileges,
and other benefits.
Set the example
As a leader your duty is to set the standards for your Cadets by personal example. All the Cadets in your unit
watch your appearance, attitude, physical fitness, and personal example. If your personal standards are high,
then you can rightfully demand the same of your Cadets. If your personal standards are not high you are setting
a double standard for your Sailors, and you will rapidly lose their respect and confidence. As a Sailor
progresses through the ranks by promotion, all too often they take on the attitude of "do as I say, not as I do."
Nothing turns Cadets off faster! Remember your Cadets reflect your image! Leadership is taught by example.
Develop
1. Show your Cadets that you are willing to do the same things you ask them to do.
2. Be physically fit, well groomed, and correctly dressed.
3. Maintain an optimistic outlook. Develop the will to win by capitalizing on your unit's abilities. The more difficult
the situation is, the better your chance is to display an attitude of calmness and confidence.
4. Conduct yourself so that your personal habits are not open to criticism.
5. Exercise initiative and promote the spirit of initiative in your Cadets.
6. Avoid showing favoritism to any subordinate.
7. Share danger and hardship with your Cadets to demonstrate your willingness to assume your share of the
difficulties.
8. By your performance, develop the thought within your Cadets that you are the best Sailor for the position you
hold.
9. Delegate authority and avoid over-supervision in order to develop leadership among subordinates.
Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished
This principle is necessary in the exercise of command. Before you can expect your Cadets to perform, they
must first know what is expected of them. You must communicate your instructions in a clear, concise manner.
Talk at a level that your Cadets are sure to understand, but not at a level so low that would insult their
intelligence. Before your Cadets start a task, allow them a chance to ask questions or seek advice. Supervision
is essential. Without supervision you cannot know if the assigned task is being properly accomplished. Over
supervision is viewed by subordinates as harassment and effectively stops their initiative. Allow subordinates to
use their own techniques, and then periodically check their progress. The key to this principle is to give orders
and instructions, not so that they can be understood, but give them so that they cannot be misunderstood.
Develop
1. Ensure that the need for an order exists before issuing the order.
2. Use the established chain of command.
3. Through study and practice, issue clear, concise, and positive orders.
4. Encourage subordinates to ask questions concerning any point in your orders or directives they do not
understand.
5. Ask for positive "read backs" to confirm understanding on complex issues or when communications can be
garbled in transmission.
6. Question your Cadets to determine if there is any doubt or misunderstanding in regard to the task to be
accomplished.
7. Supervise the execution of your orders.
8. Make sure your Cadets have the resources needed to accomplish the mission.
9. Vary your supervisory routine and the points that you emphasize during inspections.
10. Exercise care and thought in supervision. Over supervision hurts initiative and creates resentment; under
supervision will not get the job done.
Make sound and timely decisions
The leader must be able to rapidly estimate a situation and make a sound decision based on that estimation.
Hesitation or a reluctance to make a decision leads subordinates to lose confidence in your abilities as a leader.
Loss of confidence in turn creates confusion and hesitation within the unit.
Once you make a decision and discover it is the wrong one, don't hesitate to revise your decision. Cadets
respect the leader who corrects mistakes immediately instead of trying to bluff through a poor decision.
Develop
1. Develop a logical and orderly thought process by practicing objective estimates of the situation.
2. When time and situation permit, plan for every possible event that can reasonably be foreseen.
3. Consider the advice and suggestions of your subordinates whenever possible before making decisions.
4. Announce decisions in time to allow subordinates to make necessary plans.
5. Encourage subordinates to estimate and make plans at the same time you do.
6. Make sure your Cadets are familiar with your policies and plans.
7. Consider the effects of your decisions on all members of your unit.
Develop a sense of responsibility among your subordinates
Another way to show your Cadets that you are interested in their welfare is to give them the opportunity for
professional development. Assigning tasks and delegating the authority to accomplish tasks promotes mutual
confidence and respect between the leader and subordinates. It also encourages the subordinates to exercise
initiative and to give wholehearted cooperation in the accomplishment of unit tasks. When you properly delegate
authority, you demonstrate faith in your Cadets and increase their desire for greater responsibilities. If you fail to
delegate authority, you indicate a lack of leadership, and your subordinates may take it to be a lack of trust in
their abilities.
Develop
1. Operate through the chain of command.
2. Provide clear, well-thought directions. Tell your subordinates what to do, not how to do it. Hold them
responsible for results, although overall responsibility remains yours. Delegate enough authority to them to
enable them to accomplish the task.
3. Give your Cadets frequent opportunities to perform duties usually performed by the next higher ranks.
4. Be quick to recognize your subordinates' accomplishments when they demonstrate initiative and
resourcefulness.
5. Correct errors in judgment and initiative in a way that will encourage the Sailor to try harder. Avoid public
criticism or condemnation.
6. Give advice and assistance freely when your subordinates request it.
7. Let your Cadets know that you will accept honest errors without punishment in return; teach from these
mistakes by critique and constructive guidance.
8. Resist the urge to micro-manage; don't give restrictive guidance which destroys initiative, drive, innovation,
enthusiasm; creates boredom; and increases workload of seniors.
9. Assign your Cadets to positions in accordance with demonstrated or potential ability.
10. Be prompt and fair in backing subordinates. Until convinced otherwise, have faith in each subordinate.
11. Accept responsibility willingly and insist that your subordinates live by the same standard.
Employ your command in accordance with its capabilities
Successful mission accomplishment depends upon how well you know your unit's capabilities. If the task
assigned is one that your unit has not been trained to do, failure is very likely to result. Failures lower your unit's
morale and self esteem. You wouldn't send a cook section to "PM" a vehicle nor would you send three Cadets
to do the job of ten. Seek out challenging tasks for your unit, but be sure that your unit is prepared for and has
the ability to successfully complete the mission.
Develop
1. Do not volunteer your unit for tasks it is not capable of completing. Not only will the unit fail, but your Cadets
will think you are seeking personal glory.
2. Keep yourself informed as to the operational effectiveness of your command.
3. Be sure that tasks assigned to subordinates are reasonable. Do not hesitate to demand their utmost in an
emergency.
4. Analyze all assigned tasks. If the means at your disposal are inadequate, inform your immediate supervisor
and request the necessary support.
5. Assign tasks equally among your Cadets.
6. Use the full capabilities of your unit before requesting assistance.
Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions
For professional development, you must actively seek out challenging assignments. You must use initiative and
sound judgment when trying to accomplish jobs that are not required by your grade. Seeking responsibilities
also means that you take responsibility for your actions. You are responsible for all your unit does or fails to do.
Regardless of the actions of your subordinates, the responsibility for decisions and their application falls on you.
You must issue all orders in your name. Stick by your convictions and do what you think is right, but accept
justified and constructive criticism. Never remove or demote a subordinate for a failure that is the result of your
own mistake.
Develop
1. Learn the duties of your immediate senior, and be prepared to accept the responsibilities of these duties.
2. Seek different leadership positions that will give you experience in accepting responsibility in different fields.
3. Take every opportunity that offers increased responsibility.
4. Perform every act, large or small, to the best of your ability. Your reward will be increased opportunity to
perform bigger and more important tasks.
5. Stand up for what you think is right; have the courage of your convictions.
6. Carefully evaluate a subordinate's failure before taking action. Make sure the apparent shortcomings are not
due to an error on your part. Consider the Cadets that are available, salvage a Sailor if possible, and replace a
Sailor when necessary.
7. In the absence of orders, take the initiative to perform the actions you believe your senior would direct you to
perform if he/she were present.
Situational Leadership
There are four leadership styles that the leader uses, that match the application of leadership traits and
principles to the development levels of the followers.
These styles represent a framework for leaders to adapt their style of getting things done to the situation. The
relationship between the leader and the follower, the nature of the task and the ability and willingness of the
follower are situationally dependent. This suggests that leaders should vary their style accordingly.
Leaders should adapt their style to follower development and maturity, based on how able (competent) and
willing (motivated) the follower is to perform required tasks. As followers develop skills and abilities, the leader's
style must change.
Leadership Styles
Follower Willingness
high
Participating
Delegating
(Showing what to
do, anticipating and
correcting mistakes)
(Assign what to do
and it gets done)
Directive
Coaching (Why it
(What to do, how to
do it, high
supervision)
needs to be done.
Persuading)
low
high
Follower Ability
Style 1: Telling / Directing
Follower: Low competence (ability), low commitment (willingness) / Unable and unwilling
Leader: When the follower cannot do the job and is not motivated, then the leader takes on a highly directive
role, telling them what to do, how to do it and with a great deal of intensity in supervision. The relationship
between the leader and follower tends to be formal and structured. The leader may also provide a strong results
oriented focus, both for the job and for controlling how the follower is trained and developed. A prime example is
the classic boot camp environment. This style takes a particularly strong managerial stance, using legitimate
coercive power to make the person do the job that they do not want to do. This is not an abusive, denigrating or
unprofessional style. It is the legitimate exercise of command and control authority.
The relationship between leader and follower is highly structured. The follower is constantly told what to do and
how to do it. As the follower's willingness and ability increase, more flexibility is given. As ability and willingness
decrease, the leadership style becomes less flexible. This style is workload intensive for the leader.
Style 2: Selling / Coaching
Follower: higher competence, lower commitment / Able, but unwilling (perhaps doubtful of ability)
Leader: High focus on motivating the follower.
When the follower can do the job, but is refusing to do it, the leader need not worry about showing them what to
do, but instead is concerned with finding out why the person is refusing and thence persuading them to
cooperate. The leader now must turn on the charm, acting in a friendlier manner to sell, persuade, coach,
convince and help the follower overcome his unwillingness to complete the task. This leadership style balances
tact, diplomacy and salesmanship with forcefulness. The relationship between leader and follower is focused on
teamwork, and motivation more than on skill building.
Style 3: Participating / Supporting
Follower: low competence, higher commitment / unable, but willing
Leader: This is where the leaders competence is tested. He must participate right along with the followers.
Show them how it is done, then let them perform. Show confidence in their willingness, but monitor their
progress closely to ensure they do it correctly, not get hurt and don't damage equipment. This is the prime
example of teamwork at its best. Every member's strengths are used and weaknesses compensated by other
members. The relationship between leader and follower is less structured, but close. The focus is on skill
building. Mutual dependence is high.
Style 4: Delegating
Follower: High competence, high commitment /Able and willing
Leader: When the follower can do the job and is motivated to do it, then the leader can basically leave them to
it, trusting them to get on with the job. This is the goal of all good leaders, to develop their teams to the point
where competence and willingness allow a totally hands off approach. The leader can assign a task and wait
for them to report it complete. This actually takes very little leadership. The relationship between leader and
follower is more distant, less interactive.
Discussion: The difficult part in exercising leadership is adapting the correct style, exemplifying the proper
leadership traits and correctly applying the proper leadership principles in order to get people to do what needs
to be done. A good leader can get people to do things they would not otherwise want to do (or be competent to
do). Knowing when to use what leadership style takes practice, and the constant application of the leadership
traits and principles. The misapplication of a style of leadership is one reason leaders often fail. Leader/follower
friction often develop because the wrong leadership approach is being applied to the situation. For example, a
very directive boss will frustrate a competent and willing follower, sometimes to the point where the follower will
shutdown and become unproductive. Conversely, delegating tasks to a subordinate, who lacks competence or
willingness, will frustrate the leader when things do not get done, or do not get done properly. The tricky part for
the leader is to understand your followers' stage of development and then apply the correct leadership style to
the situation.