A cadet leader was a student attending the Imperial military schools. These individuals were placed in charge of a squad of soldiers and tasked with overseeing a small-scale military engagement as a component of the Omega Exercise.
One well-known example of a cadet leader is Kyle Katarn. He successfully led Imperial forces to a win against Alliance soldiers stationed on AX-456. Katarn became celebrated within the Empire and even received an award from Jerec, who would later become his adversary.