Look out for your people

It is really important to develop your leadership skills by looking out for and being interested in your people. One piece of advice for leadership that I've always given people that I would give to a junior officer is, always look at your present job through the eyes of your immediate superior. The people who can only look at it from their own perspective will top out pretty early. But, if you can, understand why your superior is differing with you on why and how you're doing your job. You've got a responsibility to your people, so if your boss may be asking you to do something that is bad for your people, you may fight that, but fight it understanding why he's doing that. Even if you decide to still fight it, you may not understand that there really are bigger reasons for doing it his way. They what you have to do is try it in a way that will accomplish his objective, not to undermine it, but at the same time protect your people, if that is an issue.

Admiral Stansfield Turner