Leadership and Striving for Best Recruit

Being the best is applying yourself to your potential, putting out the best version of yourself. At Train2Troop it’s our ambition to give you everything you need to become the best you can be. These are our tips to become a strong leader and strive to become the best recruit.

Confidence

Confidence helps us feel ready for what’s to come. When we’re confident, we’re more likely to move forward with opportunities and not back down. If things don’t work out at first, confidence helps us try again. During training you’ll be trying many things for the first time, so make sure you make the most of this programme by learning as much as you can before arriving to training. If you already know the basics in navigation from this programme, when you start navigating in training you’ll be confident. Show the training team your confidence in your willingness to volunteer for things or by going first with anything throughout training. Your confidence will show when you don’t get flustered when making mistakes, but show maturity to learn from them mistakes.

Get a Grip of the Troop

It’s not a competition. Getting through training is a team game. You will have to rely on your fellow recruits in your troop and they will rely on you. To be a good troop you all need to be effective and efficient. There is always stronger recruits throughout the troop that help the recruits that are struggling with things. The training team will be looking out for ‘teamwork’ and a ‘leader’ within that teamwork. Show the training team that you can get a grip of individuals that aren’t pulling their weight. Some recruits will try hide in the troop and get away with doing minimal work. You will have to be strong enough to communicate with everyone within the troop and be the leader it needs.

Don’t be a Yes Man

When the training team needs something doing it’s important to be the person helping out. Saying yes to everything can have its down falls. You must make sure you understand why you are doing everything and don’t be afraid to question things if you don’t.

Never Let Your Standards Drop

This will be the biggest thing that the training team will always be keeping a keen eye on. It’s easy to show what you’re capable of and keep high standards when you’re warm, dry and have a full belly. It’s when you’re tired, cold, wet and haven’t eaten properly in days when your standards will inevitably drop. This is when to really show you’re strong enough to not only keep your standards high but your whole troops standards too.

Use Your Extra Time Wisely

There will be little free time so using it right is vital. You’ll be tempted to go off camp on the weekends and socialise and all this is great but with moderation. Make sure all your admin is squared away for the week ahead and you’re fully prepared for what’s to come. Stretch and look after your body giving it the right fuel. Some elite forces such as the Royal Marines even ban drinking alcohol throughout training to keep recruits in peak physical fitness. Fail to prepare, prepare to Fail. You’ll often know what’s to come the following week of training, so try get ahead of the curve by doing some studying. Once you’re fully prepared you could even check up on your fellow recruits throughout the troop, making sure they’re also prepared.

Distractions

There is a big drop out rate from training due to recruits having outside distractions. That could be financial, for example not paying certain bills or having outstanding debt. Distractions could be relationship related, some young recruits struggle to communicate whilst in training so it’s important that your significant other also understands what you’ll be embarking on when starting training. Family could also be a distraction, some family members might not like the thought of you joining the military. It’s helpful to have a supportive network of people encouraging you through training, so try explaining what you’re about to embark on.

Resilience

The British Military prides itself in being resilient and being resilient has won many wars. Having the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficult situations. You must be able to adapt to change, as the training team will do their upmost to make even the most simplest task difficult to test you.

Positive Attitude

It goes without saying that having a positive attitude is crucial before starting this process. A positive attitude will help with constructive thinking, being optimistic and be motivated to succeed. On them cold rainy mornings be the difference with your positive mental attitude to boost the morale of the troop. If you’re consistent with this attitude it will spread around the troop and no doubt the training team will be looking for motivators within the troop in tough times.

Know Your Stuff

To be the best, you must have the knowledge when relied upon. When recruits are finding things hard, be the person they come to. Take action to resolve unanticipated situations. You’ll need to be able to use communication systems effectively. Using radio systems will be a daily occurrence so make sure you know how to use them. Be a leader by being able to navigate effectively using maps. Know your weapon drills in accordance with organisational procedures. You must be confident in conducting battlefield drills.