Navy SEALS are a crucial part of the US defense, and hence they are required to have a tremendous mental and physical strength, as well as efficient life skills. As per Stephen Varanko, leadership skills are quite integral to becoming a Navy SEALS, in addition to having a lot of courage and candor. Varanko himself has gone through the rigorous Navy SEAL training, and boasts of having a great number of academic, business, and athletic leadership accomplishments well. From his personal experience, he has gotten a first-hand idea of how people need to hone their leadership skills prior to going for SEAL training, in addition to having a lot of dedication and capacity to work hard.
Navy SEALs have to conduct a number of severe and sensitive operations. In many cases, they have to lead a team of agents as well. Hence, having adequate leadership skills is extremely important for such individuals. Going through the SEAL training processes himself, Stephen Varanko is well aware of the qualities and skills that are required to become successful in this domain. Here are a few of those skills:
- Communication skills are important in almost every field, and the sphere of defense is no different. All leaders must have good communication skills, and this is especially true for the people who are a part of the SEAL community. Leading others involves a lot of active communication. A leader would typically be the one responsible for inspiring and motivating others, as well as provide them with constructive criticism from time to time without being too discouraging. Good communication skills are a must in order to conduct all these tasks in an efficient manner. Poor communication skills often lead to unfortunate or negative outcomes, Stephen Varanko marks that in the line of work of the Navy SEALs such negative outcomes may even be the difference between life and death. In addition to effective communication skills, Navy SEALs are also required to have remarkable listening skills. Communication is a two-way street, and hence listening skills are also an important part of this aspect.
- Passion and dedication are two of the most important qualities of a SEAL agent. If a person is not passionate about and dedicated towards the work they do, it is highly unlikely that they would be able to inspire a whole team. Inspiration is a major component of leadership, and in order to lead others, people must have the fire within them that helps them to boost and encourage others.
- Apart from having loyalty towards their country, Navy SEAL agents would also have to be loyal to their team members. Much like communication, loyalty is a reciprocal concept and it is crucial to understand that. If these individuals are not loyal to their team members, they cannot also expect any kind of loyalty from them.
In addition to the qualities mentioned above, the ability to work in a team is also crucial for Navy SEALs.
