What valuable lessons did you learn during your first year as a WO1?

Talk less, listen more, be humble.

I reported to my unit with a bunch of other W01s at the same time. What made us stand out from each other was how we managed our additional duties. Your primary job is obviously where you need to shine, but make your name known by doing your additional duties better than the rest of your peers do theirs. And especially important in this process, is to trust and leverage your NCOIC for that additional duty.

One lesson you will learn is how eager junior officers (like me) are to seek you out for advice and your subject matter expertise! I had some outstanding WOs in my brigade in the 25th ID (Schofield Barracks), and I must have asked them hundreds of questions by the time I left the unit. WOs and Senior NCOs are often an endless repository of knowledge. ;-)