Don't promote anyone. Leave all members at Recruit. Otherwise the spies will go to terminal at your base and "Claim Leadership" and become leader the next day or so. Next time you log in, you'll see you're no longer in your own faction, which gets "auctioned" to highest bidder on the forum. And yes, you will get spies - the type of people whose enjoyment here is twisted - they delight in ruining this game for other players.
And don't store important stuff at any of your bases. Spies will steal it.
And watch your party when traveling - spies will tag you and follow you to bases/tents, murder you and steal all your stuff.
Oh and when all this happens anyway, don't be surprised if the spies blame one of your members (who is likely innocent) in order to disrupt relations within your group of friends. It's a tactic they use to destroy the game for other players.
And when your people get upset and quit, hang in there because this game is the best. Did I mention spies?