The personality traits and characteristics of service members differ greatly from those of the average civilians. We have in our lifetime may have come across some moments when our intuition has told us that certain individuals must be from the defence forces. What things did our sixth sense catch? Well, the answer is simple. Service members do share a number of mannerisms, beliefs, traits, and perceptions that make them stand out of the crowd of ordinary men and women. So, what are these traits and characteristic personality that draw the line? Let’s find out in this article.
1. Confidence
Top military officers often have an air of self-assuredness and poise. A purposeful and swift stride, eye contact with strangers, and a head held high with a slight controlled swivel is a dead giveaway that a confident soldier, sailor, airmen, or Marine is in the area. The Army expects its officers to have the confidence to make a good decision in flexible and often changing environments. This skill goes hand-in-hand with the expectation that Army officers possess good problem-solving skills and intelligence.
2. Directness
During the first days of recruit training, military leaders teach the new troop how to communicate quickly, clearly, and without self-doubt or ambiguity. For those not familiar with this type of communication, the service member may be viewed as abrasive, impatient, or even rude. For those who know, it’s a great way to get tasks completed within a stipulated deadline and use available time efficiently.
3. Service Before Self
Putting the group before the person is an important aspect of military culture. Many civilians have difficulty understanding this level of personal sacrifice, embraced through all ranks and branches of the military.
4. Discipline
Warfare is chaotic and is a major source of stress for both enlisted and commissioned soldiers alike. Thus, officers must be especially capable of keeping a cool head under these circumstances and use a great deal of self-discipline in the face of danger. As a leader, an officer that does not have the self-discipline to stay level-headed in battle could put his subordinates in danger and incite panic in the ranks. Learning to follow orders and strict rules is also a key aspect of a military personality.
5. Intelligence & Intellect
The Armed force expects that its officers be of above average intelligence due to the simple fact that officers take on a greater amount of responsibility in planning and executing missions. Critical thinking, innovation and problem-solving skills are vital in the Army. Hence, a top army officer possesses these traits in his/ her personality.
6. Physical Fitness
The Army expects its officers to be not only mentally fit, but physically as well. Military activity often puts a great deal of both physical and mental stress on soldiers, and the Army expects its officers to be physically fit enough to overcome any tiredness or exhaustion. A high-level of physical fitness prevents decision-making ability from being clouded in times of stress of exertion.
7. Team Player
In the military, everything is a team effort. Selecting the right people to join the team contributes immensely to achieving high quality teamwork. The right selection leads to winning teams. Therefore, a top military officer is a great judge of a person’s character. Once selecting the right persons for the job, the officer plays avital role as the team player to create a positive environment, develop others and steward the profession. Among many talents expected of army officers, they should explore, learn and develop individual skills and talents to get the job done using the right mind-sets over skill-sets.
8. Courage, Loyalty & Integrity
Courage without any doubt is expected of any army officer. Therefore, it is one of the most dominant personality traits in a top military officer. The officer, besides being brave and courageous, should also be truthful and honest. Speaking the truth, being honest with the team members and treating each of them with integrity help the officer to build trust with his colleagues and getting the job done.
9. Respect
While officers outrank their enlisted counterparts and therefore hold lawful authority over them, the Army expects leaders to respect their subordinates and to ensure their well-being. As leaders, officers find themselves in command of groups of soldiers ranging in number from 10 to over 40,000. To effectively control such groups, officers must earn the loyalty of their troops by showing them respect and protecting them from undue harm.
10. Dedication
While serving, an army officer is pushed to obtain the unreachable. He is needed to get his hands dirty and do tasks sometimes outside of his scope. Hence, a strong dedication and drive is needed in an officer to push himself much more than he is expected to achieve. Therefore, iron will and absolute dedication also help build a top military officer’s characteristic personality.
So, the next time you find your sixth sense telling you that a person is from the armed forces, try matching any or all of the above traits, with the personality of that person. However, if you dream to get into the forces yourself, try embedding these characteristic traits in yourself to feel the part of a top Military Officer.
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