1. Always set an example is all situations of your lives, especially in crises.

2. As soon as you have been given a troop, check your knowledge with inner self-restraint before speaking before your people so as not to run the risk of losing your authority right away.

3. Bring all your educational interference into harmony with your own more or less present authority.

4. Avoid using too sharp a voice. It is generally a sign of uncertainty

5. Before you start giving orders, take a good look at your people and try to see the men in them. Knowing men is a prerequisite to treating men properly.

6. Orders are only sensible if they are convincing.

7. All educational and training work must, in order to have persuasive power, be preceded by the purpose thereof and followed by the reasons as to why it must be so.

8. Do not become a critic-addict. It usually arises from tactless superiority. The only person who has the right to criticize is the one who has proved that he can do better.

9. Listen to experienced people and friends. By listening and reflecting you can gain nothing but profit.

10. Be reticent in your judgment of things that you do not fully know about; you’ll otherwise make fools of yourselves. Also, some of your subordinates know more about certain things than you do.

11. Before you condemn someone, always think first about what happened when you were once in this same situation yourself.

12. Always behave in a sensible and heartfelt way when you are responsible for valuable human lives, especially in war.

13. Always have the courage for the absolute truth.

14. Always stand by your words and your actions, even if they were wrong.

15. Always keep the necessary distance to your superiors and your subordinates. This protects you from awkward situations.

16. Always be open to your superiors, but always be tactful, as befits younger people as a matter of principle.

17. Learn from being reprimanded and do not take offense. That always shows a lack of self-discipline.

18. Make use of the fleeting time of your youth for self-education and training.

19. Keep your bodies fit at all times and steel them systematically into old age. Self-control and moderation are masculine while compliance and letting yourselves go are despicable.

20. Always make sure your posture is good and your clothes impeccable, even when you are not on duty. The slightest slovenliness will be detrimental to your esteem.

21. Avoid excessive alcohol. It is usually the cause or mistakes.

22. Do not get into debt. Debts restrict your free activity and your enjoyment of life.

23. Be careful about the company you keep. You will be judged by it.

24. Sharpen your understanding by systematic mental work in the fields of general knowledge and of career related knowledge. You must always find time to do this, even if it is short. Education is mental discipline. An uneducated officer is not up to standard.

25. Shape your personality by studying great men.

These are very high standards indeed. Do you know who wrote these standards, for whom, and when? It is not necessary to answer because we will have the answer in KTB #159 next month.

Answer (KTB 159)