The 5 questions a former Delta Force officer asked himself to evaluate his skill as a leader

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As a special operations leader, whether a commissioned officer or sergeant, you've paid your dues.

You've been assessed against the best our military has to offer, undergone countless and exhausting mental, physical, and psychological tests, and have been knighted as a guy our nation has absolute confidence in. You're the sh-- and it's indisputable.

Not so fast. In Delta Force, there is a saying that clings to you no matter how talented, committed, or mean you might think you are: "Selection is an ongoing process."

Simply put, rank or tenure garners no privilege. You either perform to the high standard required on a daily basis or they will find someone else who will.

Along the way, while you are doing your best to keep up with the extraordinary men and women you are so humbled to stand the ranks with, it's a good idea to look in the mirror. Formal written performance evaluations are few and far between, and in elite units public "attaboys" — even within the ranks — are as rare as the times you bag an elusive High Value Target.

So how can you evaluate your performance as a leader when it's not obvious?

In over 20 years in the Army, I found five non-intuitive steps to do just that. They required focused thought and felt at times more grueling and challenging than the toughest obstacle course. You'll find they can also be applied far from the battlefield.

Do your team members go the extra mile for you?

As a commissioned officer, you have dozens of subordinates, and in Delta Force, we call them "mates." It's up to the officer to recite the oath for a mate that wants to stay in the fight, and this re-enlistment process is the ultimate show of loyalty and trust.

These moments, where a mate elected to continue to serve his country and raised his right hand as I provided the oath of re-enlistment near an American flag, are among my most treasured memories.

I've re-enlisted mates in situations that asked major sacrifices of them, from re-enlisting one during an operation near the banks of the Drina River with Serbia in the background, to re-enlisting one in Afghanistan in an area surrounded by land mines left over from the Soviet War, to re-enlisting another just a few minutes before loading the helicopter for a night raid.

I can't think of a greater honor.

Do you recognize their accomplishments?

Stay in the military long enough and you are bound to have a chest full of medals. There's nothing wrong with that, since you earned them, but more importantly, how many have you awarded to your mates?

You need to promote the successes of your mates within the organization and stand up for them when someone outside of your team tries to unfairly downgrade an award. I tried to shoot for a 10:1 ratio of award I gave to those I humbly received.

Can you adjust your subordinates' attitudes?

In special operations, you're leading a bunch of wild horses mostly with Type A personalities, and at least in Delta Force, these operators are expected to have their own opinions. There are times then, of course, when one of your mates gets out of line.

Sure, nobody is perfect, and most offenders deserve a second chance, but everyone will be watching how you handle these internal challenges.

If you expect to be treated as a leader and not merely a manager, then you must possess the moral courage to confront your mates who have stepped out of bounds and correct their poor behavior.

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