LEADERSHIP 101
Aspects of Officer Career Progression:
1. Leadership.
Junior officers should focus on learning and being the best possible specialist.
They should earn the credentials and recognition, which document their
proficiency. Senior LCDRs and CDRs should focus on "leadership." Leadership is
not about how many collateral duties or the titles held. It's also not about having to
abandon your specialty. Leadership is about demonstrating initiative, broader
interests and increased responsibility while still maintaining specialty expertise. For
example, an officer may have participated on a department, directorate, command,
Navy, or DOD-wide initiative because of his/her specialty expertise, which solved a
problem or developed and documented a process that gained wide support. If the
officer did the work, it should be documented and its impact explained in the fitrep.
The key is to recognize and report unique contributions.
2. Performance.
Not everyone can be in the early promote (EP) category all the time. Similarly, there
are some communities in which the majority of billets are in a 1 of 1 ranking
category. If an EP breakout from peers cannot occur, progression to the right (i.e.
getting higher scores) at least in trait average is important to show a selection
board that the officer is progressing. If the reporting senior feels comfortable
ranking his/her promotables (Ps) and must promotes (MPs), a selection board
gains important information on the promotability of the officer. If an officer is
repeatedly assigned to 1 of 1 billets, the officer may want to ask the reporting
senior for a bullet in his/her fitrep explaining how the officer would compete if in a
summary group.
3. Diversity of Assignments.
A wide diversity of assignments is important for an officer’s career progression.
Taking different assignments to include MTF, operational, overseas or other unique
assignments can achieve diversity. The needs of a specialty may dictate a specific
follow-on assignment, as can the need for a specific utilization tour after duty under
instruction (DUINS).
4. Education.
In some communities, having an advanced degree/training is critical for all selection
boards beyond the rank of LCDR. The Navy offers opportunities for every officer to
get advanced education and training. The officer’s detailer and/or Specialty
Leader can help strategize the timing for such training and its impact on promotion
cycles.
5. Professional Affiliation.
Professional affiliation denotes a commitment to lifelong learning. To be career
enhancing, however, an officer should be an active, participating member.
1. Leadership.
Junior officers should focus on learning and being the best possible specialist.
They should earn the credentials and recognition, which document their
proficiency. Senior LCDRs and CDRs should focus on "leadership." Leadership is
not about how many collateral duties or the titles held. It's also not about having to
abandon your specialty. Leadership is about demonstrating initiative, broader
interests and increased responsibility while still maintaining specialty expertise. For
example, an officer may have participated on a department, directorate, command,
Navy, or DOD-wide initiative because of his/her specialty expertise, which solved a
problem or developed and documented a process that gained wide support. If the
officer did the work, it should be documented and its impact explained in the fitrep.
The key is to recognize and report unique contributions.
2. Performance.
Not everyone can be in the early promote (EP) category all the time. Similarly, there
are some communities in which the majority of billets are in a 1 of 1 ranking
category. If an EP breakout from peers cannot occur, progression to the right (i.e.
getting higher scores) at least in trait average is important to show a selection
board that the officer is progressing. If the reporting senior feels comfortable
ranking his/her promotables (Ps) and must promotes (MPs), a selection board
gains important information on the promotability of the officer. If an officer is
repeatedly assigned to 1 of 1 billets, the officer may want to ask the reporting
senior for a bullet in his/her fitrep explaining how the officer would compete if in a
summary group.
3. Diversity of Assignments.
A wide diversity of assignments is important for an officer’s career progression.
Taking different assignments to include MTF, operational, overseas or other unique
assignments can achieve diversity. The needs of a specialty may dictate a specific
follow-on assignment, as can the need for a specific utilization tour after duty under
instruction (DUINS).
4. Education.
In some communities, having an advanced degree/training is critical for all selection
boards beyond the rank of LCDR. The Navy offers opportunities for every officer to
get advanced education and training. The officer’s detailer and/or Specialty
Leader can help strategize the timing for such training and its impact on promotion
cycles.
5. Professional Affiliation.
Professional affiliation denotes a commitment to lifelong learning. To be career
enhancing, however, an officer should be an active, participating member.
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