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An Article I wrote on Police Leadership
June 07, 2019, 08:15 PM
enidpd804An Article I wrote on Police Leadership
I have a monthly (kinda) column in Police One. I decided to stir the pot a bit since I haven't been on the shitlist in a while and start writing on leadership.
https://www.policeone.com/lead...-in-law-enforcement/June 07, 2019, 08:23 PM
sigfreundAn excellent article!
As I read it I found myself thinking of all the times I have seen your points ignored and (to toot my own horn) how many times I tried to do things similarly in my careers.
► 6.0/94.0
To operate serious weapons in a serious manner. June 07, 2019, 08:42 PM
PalmGood article, and since you are a Lt. I don’t necessarily think you are stirring the pot, just talking to your peers in supervision.
June 07, 2019, 10:52 PM
slosigThe best boss I ever had explained that his job had two main parts: managing up and managing down. Managing up was to keep the management pyramid above him happy, informed enough, and the heck out of our hair. Managing down was making sure we had the right priorities (even if that meant slow walking useless stuff that folks upstairs thought was an emergency), the resources we needed to address those priorities, and the peace and quiet to address those priorities (ie keeping upper manglement out of our hair). It was a welcome contrast with some folks I had worked for...
June 07, 2019, 10:58 PM
YooperSigsDuring my career, it was clear that The Peter Principle was the predominate factor in police promotions and leadership.
Fill whats empty.
Empty whats full.
Scratch where it itches.
Well written article.
End of Earth: 2 Miles
Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
June 08, 2019, 04:17 AM
chongosuerteAny recommendations of additional books/articles?
I’m 6 months into being a first-line supervisor in the busiest division in my city (100 citizen-initiated calls a day just in my division). Think feeling like the “Broken Arrow” scene from We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson, on a nearly nightly basis.
Trying to figure my way around between trying to keep the world from falling apart with the 7 or 8 cops I can get to come to work between training, vacation, FMLA, military leave, etc.
That’s just for my 65 square miles of 180,000 people. I’m open to any leadership guidance I can get. I feel like I’m on the brink of failing my people almost every night. The work they are asked to do with what they have is unbelievable.
Knowing what one is talking about is widely admired but not strictly required here.
Although sometimes distracting, there is often a certain entertainment value to this easy standard.
-JALLEN
"All I need is a WAR ON DRUGS reference and I got myself a police thread BINGO." -jljones
June 08, 2019, 06:57 AM
MWGExtreme Ownership by Jocko Wilink (sp?)
June 08, 2019, 07:28 AM
MaestroVery well done. I believe strongly in servant leadership.
June 08, 2019, 07:31 AM
enidpd804quote:
Originally posted by chongosuerte:
Any recommendations of additional books/articles?
I’m 6 months into being a first-line supervisor in the busiest division in my city (100 citizen-initiated calls a day just in my division). Think feeling like the “Broken Arrow” scene from We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson, on a nearly nightly basis.
Trying to figure my way around between trying to keep the world from falling apart with the 7 or 8 cops I can get to come to work between training, vacation, FMLA, military leave, etc.
That’s just for my 65 square miles of 180,000 people. I’m open to any leadership guidance I can get. I feel like I’m on the brink of failing my people almost every night. The work they are asked to do with what they have is unbelievable.
Leadership, Teambuilding and Culture Change - Senn Delaney
The No Asshole Rule - Robert I. Sutton Ph.D.
Leadership and Training for the Fight - Paul R. Howe
Dichotomy of Leadership - As well as the above mentioned Jocko Willink book
Cop leadership is unique. The fact that you are concerned about failing your folks means you probably won't. The biggest long-term failures in LE leadership are afflicted with Dunning-Kruger, hubris and a lack of introspection.
June 08, 2019, 01:42 PM
flashguyquote:
Originally posted by slosig:
The best boss I ever had explained that his job had two main parts: managing up and managing down. Managing up was to keep the management pyramid above him happy, informed enough, and the heck out of our hair. Managing down was making sure we had the right priorities (even if that meant slow walking useless stuff that folks upstairs thought was an emergency), the resources we needed to address those priorities, and the peace and quiet to address those priorities (ie keeping upper manglement out of our hair). It was a welcome contrast with some folks I had worked for...
He was right. I like to think I applied those principles as a middle manager (Captain) in my USAF career. (It didn't get me promoted, though, and I got RIFed.)
flashguy
Texan by choice, not accident of birth June 09, 2019, 07:09 AM
RNshooterI am a few months into my first leadership job. I try to approach it from a service position and I appreciate any pointers I can get.
I am attempting to lead a staff of nurses through a complete remaking of a hospital. Nurses aren't cops but there is a reason so many are married to cops: Very similar hearts and minds. I see my job as needing to make sure they have the resources to do their jobs, an adequate understanding of the expectations, and then the freedom to do it well.
I will be referencing many of the above mentioned books
Bruce
"The designer of the gun had clearly not been instructed to beat about the bush. 'Make it evil,' he'd been told. 'Make it totally clear that this gun has a right end and a wrong end. Make it totally clear to anyone standing at the wrong end that things are going badly for them. If that means sticking all sort of spikes and prongs and blackened bits all over it then so be it. This is not a gun for hanging over the fireplace or sticking in the umbrella stand, it is a gun for going out and making people miserable with." -Douglas Adams
“It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to try to enslave a people that wants to remain free."
-Niccolo Machiavelli
The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. -Mencken
June 09, 2019, 09:55 AM
enidpd804quote:
Originally posted by RNshooter:
I am a few months into my first leadership job. I try to approach it from a service position and I appreciate any pointers I can get.
I am attempting to lead a staff of nurses through a complete remaking of a hospital. Nurses aren't cops but there is a reason so many are married to cops: Very similar hearts and minds. I see my job as needing to make sure they have the resources to do their jobs, an adequate understanding of the expectations, and then the freedom to do it well.
I will be referencing many of the above mentioned books
Bruce
Senn-Delaney is the place to start for leadership and culture change. The book I mentioned above is a textbook for one of their really expensive courses. It's the one I use for reference most frequently. I never attended the course. My wife worked for a McDonald's franchise for twenty years as a District Supervisor. They sent her to several leadership courses over the years including Senn-Delaney. In fact, she has more hours of training when she took over her own store than I did when I became a police chief.
June 09, 2019, 10:45 AM
gpbst3I am in no position of leadership or authority so all my opinions are me looking up the chain.
A good bit of it comes down to the simple phrase "we've always done it that way".