Obviously, a leader is someone who leads others. As a colorguard officer, you are responsible for leading your guard to success. You will be the one that every member will look to for guidance... you want to be sure not to let them down or lead them the wrong way. Although your director should have laid out what is expected of you as an officer, in general a leader is someone who gets things done; they will never sit around and wait for things just to happen. Are you prepared to pave the way to success for your guard? Are you ready to take risks and open yourself to criticism?

Your most powerful tool as a leader of your guard is the example that you set. As a colorguard officer, everybody is watching you... you and your decisions will influence every single guard member in some way. Make sure that you're making the right choices!

• Be on time
• Have a positive attitude
• Work hard
• Never talk about other members, officers, or directors. They WILL find out (directors have eyes & ears everywhere!) and it will be very difficult to regain their trust.
• Don't play favorites. It will encourage cliques and give you a bad reputation.
• Don't give empty praise... mean what you say!
• Don't take criticism personally
• Be flexible and open to change. Guards are notorious for changing routines, changing drama, and changing members and directors.

You are responsible for teaching your guard members the way that they should act. They will follow your lead... so lead them well! Also, as an officer, you are responsible for setting a good example ALL the time... not just at practice and games. Act the way you want your guard to act - LEAD BY EXAMPLE!

Because you are near the age of all of the members of your guard, they are going to be resistant to listen to or respect you. It will be hard for them to see why one of their peers should be in charge of them. However, your director obviously thinks you have what it takes to lead your guard, so you're just going to have to work to make your guard believe the same thing. Give your guard members a reason to respect you... prove to them that you are capable! Setting a good example will help, but you'll have to do more than that. Show your guard that you can keep them in line and that you can stay in control... but do it without seeming like the power has gone to your head. Once they see that you're not going to be a pushover or a dictator, they will learn to respect you.

You know what your duties are as a guard officer... basically, you have to lead the guard, keep things running smoothly, and help them improve. However, leaders should always do more than what is expected of them. For example, as an officer, you are responsible for recognizing problems other than the ones your director brings up. You have to make it your job to fix things that aren't necessarily "your job". Also, you're going to have to go out of your way for some things... you should be the one to stay late after practice and help clean up. And you should be there to make goodie bags when your guard goes to competition. Going above and beyond what is expected of you is the mark of a true leader.

Sometimes, you might get so caught up in being a good example and doing the right thing for your guard, that you feel like you can never mess something up or make a mistake. But you should never feel like it's your job to have all the answers, or that you have to fix every problem. Your director didn't make you an officer to be perfect or to do everything! It's always okay to ask for help when you need it... you should never feel like you have to do it on your own. As an officer, you're expected to work with your other officers and directors to make things work - you're supposed to share the responsibilities! So, if you need help, or another opinion, or someone to listen to you, just ASK for it. You will be more respected if you admit you need help and get it done right, than if you act like you can do it by yourself and someone has to go back and fix it. Remember it's a sign of strength to ask for help!

It's a very humbling experience when you are in a leadership position and you make a mistake... you want SO BADLY to do everything right when you know everyone is looking up to you. But that is an unrealistic goal! You need to realize right now that you are going to make mistakes (probably lots of them) and that your guard will not think less of you for being wrong, as long as you accept responsibility for it. By saying, "Yes, I made a mistake, but I'm going to learn from it," your guard will probably respect you more... they all know that it takes guts to do that! The wrong thing to do is to still insist that you're right when you are blatantly wrong, or to get your feelings hurt that you weren't right. Just say you're wrong and move on!

Your guard will respect you SO much more if you get in there and do things with them, than if you stand on the sidelines and just boss them around. Your officer title means nothing... it certainly doesn't mean that you are any better than any other member. You may have a few more privileges, and you may even have more experience and skills than other members. In the end, though, you are all still just members. As an officer, you need to realize that it's not about YOU! Trade yourself for the team!

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