helping  hand.  While  tolerant  of  your  inexperience, they will insist that you do your duty and master the job as quickly as possible. Your petty officers will also teach you provided you show them you are  willing  to  benefit  from  their  experience.  If necessary,  the  petty  officers  will  "carry  you"  (as the   expression   goes)   as   long   as   you   try   to learn.  The  instructions  may  be  subtle  or  frank, depending upon the personality of your teachers. A few old hands may persist in their offers of aid even  when  rebuffed,  but  the  majority  will promptly lose the desire to help as soon as you, the  officer,  lose  your  desire  to  learn.  Therefore, it  pays  to  be  willing  to  listen  to  advice  and suggestions. Even the newest seaman apprentice might be able to make a worthwhile contribution. SELF-CONFIDENCE As  an  officer’s  knowledge  grows,  self- confidence,  a  most  important  quality  of  leader- ship,  should  grow.  A  vast  store  of  knowledge  is meaningless  without  the  confidence  and  ability  to use it. Never, however, should leaders become so swelled  with  the  importance  of  their  “superior” education,    “vast”   professional   knowledge,   or “noteworthy” accomplishments that they dispIay arrogance. Remember that the ordinary enlisted person is not overly impressed with the number of  academic  degrees  officers  hold;  the  enlisted person   is   most   impressed   with   the   officers’ abilities. Enlisted personnel can understand self- confidence in proven officers, but they will regard arrogance   in   new,    untried   ensigns   as   sheer buffoonery.   They   will   meet   arrogance   with indifference   and   resentment.   The   officers’ accompanying  loss  of  respect  will  greatly  diminish their  control  over  personnel. INITIATIVE  AND  INGENUITY Junior   officers   are   confronted   with   a multitude  of  Navy  rules,  regulations,  operating instructions,  procedures,  and  the  policies  of  senior officers.  Therefore,  junior  officers  may  assume they have little room for personal initiative and ingenuity  in  the  Navy  today.  Actually,  the  reverse is true. With its new ships, equipment, technology, and concepts, the Navy has a demand for officers with  initiative  and  ingenuity.  Today’s  naval officers  need  the  imagination  to  realize  their potentiality  and  the  skill  and  daring  to  develop their potentiality to its fullest extent. Although  limited  by  rules  and  regulations, officers have an opportunity to exercise initiative and  ingenuity  nearly  every  day.  At  first,  these opportunities  may  entail  only  small  problems requiring  only  a  little  ingenuity  or  initiative. However,  if  officers  don’t  take  advantage  of  the small  chances  offered,  they  will  never  gain  enough self-confidence  to  tackle  the  bigger  problems. COURAGE Courage   is   one   of   the   more   necessary characteristics of a leader. It is that quality of the mind  which  enables  us  to  meet  danger  and difficulties  with  firmness.  It  enables  us  to  over- come  the  fear  of  failure,  injury,  or  death  that normally precedes any difficult or dangerous act we may attempt. Further, courage enables us to acknowledge   our   responsibilities   and   to   carry them  out  regardless  of  consequences. Courage is a quality of the mind and, as such, can  be  developed.  Like  a  muscle,  you  can strengthen it with use; the more you exercise it, the stronger it grows. Each time people meet and tackle  an  obstacle,  whether  it  is  a  particularly tough  assignment,  an  examination  in  school,  or a  hard-charging  fullback  on  the  football  field, they strengthen their courage a bit more. While succeeding  at  an  attempt  might  provide  a  great deal of satisfaction to people, success itself is not completely essential to the development of their courage.  In  fact,  people  who  frequently  become frustrated  in  their  attempts  but  continue  to  try again  and  again  probably  develop  their  courage faster than those who succeed at every endeavor. Young  people  thinking  about  going  into  battIe for the first time may have difficulty believing that anything in their background has prepared them to overcome the fear they will experience. Having doubts about their ability to conduct themselves with  honor  is  normal.  Because  the  military services  recognize  this  fact,  they  condition  and train   their   warriors   under   the   most   realistic conditions   possible. Our  Navy  is  no  exception.  Before  going  into battle, all hands have become well acquainted with the smell of gunpowder. They have been trained and  drilled  at  their  battle  stations  until  their actions  are  almost  automatic.  Because  of  this training,  the  fast  action  involved,  their  sense  of duty,  the  inspiration  of  their  cause  and  their leaders,  and  the  close  proximity  of  others,  even timid persons can develop courage. This courage will help them endure without faltering during the comparatively  short,  though  terrible,  periods  of battle  or  emergency. 5-5