What are Officer Like Qualities (OLQs)?

Officer Like Qualities (OLQs) are a set of personal attributes that are essential for becoming an officer in the Indian Armed Forces. These qualities include leadership, effective communication, problem-solving ability, and team spirit, among others.

Can OLQs be developed?

Yes, OLQs can be developed through consistent practice and self-improvement. Candidates can work on developing their leadership, communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills through various activities, such as participating in team sports, taking up leadership roles, and practicing effective communication.

How to Develop Officer Like Qualities (OLQ) for SSB Interview

Table of Contents

How to Develop Officer Like Qualities (OLQ) for SSB Interview

For Defence aspirants, developing Officer-Like Qualities (OLQs) is paramount as the Services Selection Board (SSB) assesses candidates based on their personality traits. Success in the SSB and a future military career depends on the presence and demonstration of these qualities. To boost their chances of recommendation, candidates should focus on developing leadership skills, effective communication, teamwork, problem-solving abilities, and other traits that reflect the qualities of an officer.

Your recommendation totally depends on how well your performed in the tasks that were assigned to you in the five days of the selection procedure.
Our personality totally depends on our upbringing and the environment that we have lived in. We tend to learn from our surrounding.
Personality refers to individuals pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving. We already have developed most part of the personality but still we can improve everyday.

In this article we will give you information about how to develop or inculcate Officer Like Qualities for the SSB Interview.

How to Develop Officer Like Qualities

Many candidates are even recommended in there 10th attempt. It is your dedication that plays a great role in SSB and time you take to reach the level of recommendation. First lets see what are these Officer Like Qualities that SSB is looking in the candidate through the help of the table:

Factor I – Planning & Organisation	Factor II – Social Adjustment	Factor III – Social Effectiveness	Factor IV – Dynamic
1. Effective Intelligence	5. Social Adaptability	9. Initiative	13. Determination
2. Reasoning Ability	6. Cooperation	10. Self Confidence	14. Courage
3. Organisation Ability	7. Sense of Responsibility	11. Speed of Decision	15. Stamina
4. Power of Expression	8. Ability to Influence Group	12. Liveliness

15 Officers Like Qulalities

The SSB interview is designed to test a candidate’s Officer Like Qualities (OLQ), which are essential for becoming an officer in the Indian Armed Forces. Some of the key OLQs that the SSB looks for in a candidate are leadership, effective communication, problem-solving ability, and team spirit.

Effective Intelligence
Reasoning Ability
Power Of Expression
Organizing Ability
Social Adaptability
Sense of Responsibility
Co-operation
Self Confidence
Initiative
Ability to Influence the Group
Speed of making Decision
Determination
Liveliness
Courage
Stamina

How to Develop Top OLQs in Your Personality

Effective Intelligence : We all have basic level of intelligence but as we grow up we tend to lose curiosity to know things. We lack practicality in our thoughts that’s where we lack. To inculcate this quality, you must start observing things and think in very practical manner. Have good presence of mind. Don’t let your mind control you, instead do vice versa. Meditation, solving puzzles and mind games and other good hobbies can help you in developing this quality to a acceptable level.
Reasoning Ability : This is also very important quality that SSB looks for. You must have logical reason to whatever you say. You must have very practical and logical reply to “WHY” that will be asked in the SSB interview. Reading Newspaper and opinions of senior Journalists and Army Officer will Help you in making your own Opinion. The best answer comes when you remain true to yourself and be honest instead of trying to prove yourself in the Interview.
Power Of Expression: This quality is also important but to a certain level it can be trained in the academy but candidates must be able to put his ideas and thoughts in front of his subordinate in crisp and clear manner.
To develop this quality the best way is to practise in front of the mirror and give interview to yourself sitting in front of the mirror. Reading the Newspaper louder in your room will help you in developing this quality.
Reading self development book will help you to keep yourself motivated and your aura will be positive. Power of expression is important because an officer is responsible to led his men to war so his words should be able to ignite the fire in the soldiers blood.
Organising Ability : This is yet another important quality that has got trainable factors but still plays a important role in SSB recommendation. How well organised you are. How do you organise your resources.
You must have heard motto of Special Forces “Minimum Men Maximum Impact”. This is related to organising ability and resourcefulness. You must think and act in very smart manner. To develop this quality you must take part in college fest and be the member of organising committee and think smartly before investing your resources. How can you use minimum resources and make maximum output from it.
Social Adaptability: A very important quality that SSB looks in the candidate is how well you can adapt to the new situation and new people. How well he can win the trust of the people. The sole reason behind this is that every two year an officer has to move to a new place and to a new regiment so he must have this quality to adapt to new people. To develop this quality you must open up to people, initiate a talk, start doing conversation and don’t limit yourself. Be very humble to everyone. But don’t get attached to anyone emotionally, it can have negative impact on your personality. Know your limits and self dignity.
Co-operation: A key quality that SSB looks for because without Cooperation no army can win a war. Army is all about Teamwork. An officer shall be very cooperative towards his men and fellow officer. You can develop this quality by playing team games like football, basketball, taking part in team plays, dance. Start thinking from your team’s perspective instead of being selfish. Remember Army is all about selfless service to the nation.
Self Confidence: Leading men into war requires huge self confidence. So this quality is very important in your personality. Whatever you do or speak have faith and confidence in yourself. You should have that gut power and fire in the belly to have this quality. However, this quality comes from within but still you can develop this quality by watching motivational army videos and doing meditation and having faith on self.
Initiative : One of the quality that leader needs to possess is to take initiative. He must have the guts to take risk for his men. He must be intelligent instead of being a fool as life and responsibility of various soldiers families are on his shoulder.
To develop this quality start taking initiative in your home affairs and participate in extracurricular activities. Take stand for what is right instead of being diplomatic and supporting wrong. Have courage of conviction.
Ability to Influence the Group: This quality is also very important yet has trainable chances, it is linked to power of expression. How well are your able to influence your group in the group discussion. When you have very good content and are able to express it in effective manner you can easily influence your group towards your point. Reading newspaper and keeping updated about current affairs helps in developing this quality.
Determination: An officer is required to be determined towards whatever is assigned to him. He cannot have casual behavior and keep things for tomorrow. Determination comes from focus and dedication.
Unless you don’t have this feeling to become Indian Army officer from heart, you are not meant for it. Joining Indian Armed forces should come from inside than only you will have determination. You can develop these quality by regularly watching Indian Army videos and war movies.
Liveliness: Everyone love a person who is cheerful and happy, instead of boredom and depressed person. An officer must be very cheerful and lively in any situation he is put in. He must understand the feeling of his subordinates and keep them happy by cracking joke time to time and making fun in any stressful situation.
You can develop this quality by being natural and cracking real life joke. Understand what your friends and surrounding requires. Watching Comedy shows and keeping mind relax helps in developing this quality.
Courage: Courage is the must quality that an Army officer should possess. He must be able to have guts to risk his life for his subordinates. This is the quality that SSB will not compromise, you should not have any fear.
You must have courage to do anything assigned to you. To develop this quality you need to take stand for what is right. Participating in debates and other events will inculcate this quality in you.
Stamina: An officer is required to run for kilometers, for this he must have stamina. Physical and mental stamina are interrelated, you can run 5 km when you have physical stamina but to run 20 Km, you need is the mental stamina.
So start practicing from now to inculcate this quality in your personality. Yoga and meditation will also help you in developing this quality.

OLQ Conclusion

Future Warriors, you need to understand that all these qualities are interlinked so it is impossible to fake your performance. Start developing these qualities from now so that you shall develop your overall personality and see yourself in Olive Green uniform with two stars on your shoulder.