You are entering our profession with a world that is more dynamic and volatile than I have known in my time in uniform. Warfighting is evolving as rapidly as the technology in all our pockets. You will see more change in the next five years than senior leaders today have witnessed in the last twenty, and you will help lead that change. You’re going to need to think creatively, decide quickly, and act purposefully.

And yet, what won’t change is our Army’s need for physically and mentally tough leaders of character. You are trained for that role. You are ready for what’s next. As you take the next step in your journeys as leaders in the profession of arms, I’d like to share three qualities that good leaders embody.

First, good leaders immerse themselves in their craft. They understand the importance of self-development and spend the effort necessary to properly prepare themselves before they train their units.

You must do this because you will be asked to lead incredible soldiers, who have made it their duty to prepare themselves for combat. Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha was one of those soldiers in my formation. His tireless preparation paid off when he and his team at Combat Outpost Keating in the mountains of Afghanistan found themselves with the odds stacked against them. They kept the base from being overrun and saved many lives because they were experts. You will lead soldiers like Romesha—soldiers who are immersed in their craft—so take full advantage of the training, coaching, and mentoring that’s available to you. As President John F. Kennedy said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

Second, good leaders focus on the here and now. In other words, they play the positions they’re assigned. They are laser focused on the jobs they’re in and aren’t consumed worrying about their ratings or their next jobs. Over the years, I had jobs I didn’t really want. As a brand-new major, I was assigned to the National Simulation Center. That job wasn’t even at the bottom of my wish list. I wanted to head back to a field-grade job in a division. Years later, I got pulled into a joint job in the basement of the Pentagon after coming back from an Afghanistan deployment. In both cases, I heard whispers that these jobs would put me behind in my career. I saw them as setbacks and worried how or even if I would recover. And yet, the truth is those two positions were probably the most developmental jobs I’ve had in my career. They certainly didn’t hurt me. Be an asset to your team. In my experience, good things happen to leaders that buckle down and play position. Don’t spend a minute moping. Learn the job. Build the team. Accomplish the mission.

Third, good leaders are phenomenal teammates. They’re always professional and prepared. They are ambitious for their teams, not for themselves. And, even more important, they are trustworthy. They genuinely want to do whatever they can to help their team and teammates succeed.

One of the best leaders I’ve known through my years in the Army is retired Lieutenant General Walt Piatt. Everyone who had served with Walt, said the same thing—Walt’s an incredible teammate. Walt and I ended up being division commanders at the same time. When Walt got his ass chewed by our boss or made a mistake, he immediately sent a note or picked up the phone and called to offer some thoughts to spare me and his other peers the same pain. He never wanted his teammates to make the same mistake. I remember when Walt’s unit went through a training exercise before my division executed a similar event. Walt reached out and spent hours with our team helping us to prepare and doing everything he could to prevent us from making the same mistakes. He would do anything and everything he could to help his teammates. That was his reputation, and he was universally respected because of it. Learn from and imitate those kinds of leaders. You want to have a reputation like Walt’s.

Much of your Army experience up until now has centered around your personal performance—your GPA, class rank, PT score. That changes upon commissioning. From here forward it is about your soldiers. You will succeed when they do. It’s your responsibility to make sure you are truly prepared to lead them.

I am excited to see you out in our Army.

This We’ll Defend.

General Randy George is the forty-first chief of staff of the Army.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense.