Tag Archives: law

5 Killers of Positive Culture

July 15, 2015Squad CultureCulture, enforcement, law, leadership, police, positiveThin Blue Line of Leadership

A leader must be intentional in the culture they wish to create, because if they aren’t, then there is no telling what kind of culture may grow in its place. For all of the time and effort put into creating a positive culture, it only takes a few poorly timed miscues to throw away everything. To help avoid these culture development pitfalls, let’s explore 5 killers of positive culture.

This is the way we’ve always done it.

One of the greatest benefits that stems from having a positive culture is the feeling of security that allows officers to take initiative and innovate. When an officer feels safe enough to share a new concept or idea for improvement with their leader, that is a sign that there is a good, positive culture established. They are focusing on solutions instead of complaints. When this environment is effective, the innovators of the team will naturally try to find ways to contribute to the culture’s success. Unfortunately, if all or most new ideas get shot down solely because it is not the way it has been done in the past, then the leader doing the shooting down is teaching their officers not to waste their time innovating. A group that feels as if they do not have the power to assist in improving their current situation is a defeated group that will specialize in mediocrity and complaining.

You’re just doing your job.

Any supervisor that feels the need to tell their officers that they are “just doing their job” will never wear the title of leader and eventually kill any positive culture that may have been present. Leadership 101 states that you should educate your followers on the value they bring to others through their work; assist them in recognizing their purpose. The more value someone feels their work has, the less it feels like something they have to do and more like something they get to do. When someone feels like they are contributing to a cause greater than themself, then they will be more motivated, productive, and fulfilled while doing their work.

It’s all about me.

One aspect of a positive culture is the feeling that they are a part of a supportive, team environment. When those on the team feel that everyone has a “we” before “I” approach to their work, great things can be achieved. But, if the leader of any team has an “it’s all about me” attitude, then the team is sure to fail. An “it’s all about me” attitude can take on many different forms. It may be a leader that only cares about doing what needs to be done to get their next promotion as quickly as possible. It could be a leader that has a C.Y.A. philosophy and does not hesitate to throw their officers under the closest bus should it be needed to protect their own interests. Ultimately, leadership has nothing to do with “me” and everything to do with “we.” The most successful leaders recognize that their success comes through the success of their officers; not at their expense.

It always rolls downhill.

Everything rolls downhill when those at the top want nothing to do with it. So, the question you, as a leader, have got to ask is this . . . where should it stop? A leader must constantly evaluate those things that roll downhill and decide if whatever it is should continue rolling or should it stop at my level? If the answer is that it should always roll downhill until it reaches someone that does not have a choice in dealing with it, then you have found yet another way to kill positive culture. A leadership position means that you take on the role of an umbrella; shielding your officers from having to deal with everything that rolls downhill by truly assessing the best place for things to be taken care of. If it is an issue created directly by one of your officers, then by all means the best learning experience will be for them to deal with it and develop their own solution. But, if it has absolutely nothing to do with any of your officers and it is just a crap job that no one else wants to do, then that is your opportunity as the leader to stand tall and confront the problem yourself. Delegating is an excellent tool, but not one to be taken advantage of just because you have the authority to do so or do not like the task at hand.

Do as I say, not as I do.

As a leader, you set the example. You are the prototype for how you want your officers to carry themselves, treat others, be productive, and handle their work. If you show trust, loyalty and appreciation; then your officers will reciprocate by showing you trust, loyalty, and motivation. On the other hand, if what you say does not match what you do, your officers will be the first ones to pick up on that. Hypocrisy will take any existence of a positive culture and snuff it out like a candle in the wind. Then a culture of self-preservation, fear, and confusion will be what takes root since the actions of the leader do not match the words they are saying which creates an environment of uncertainty.

These 5 killers of positive culture are not elaborate, complex behaviors. They are simple, basic actions that anyone, if not careful, can make the mistake of committing. No person takes on a leadership role with the intention of destroying or hampering a positive culture, but it is easy to see how simple miscues can quickly lead to that result. If you find yourself in the position of having made one or more of these errors, there is a solution . . . all is not lost. Stand tall in front of your team, admit your mistake, and apologize. Then give a vision of where you would like to go from here and ask for their assistance in getting there.

The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement supervisors to be the best leaders they can be by providing positive leadership and culture development tactics. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time.

Thin Blue Line of Leadership is here to help. Continue reading our Twitter feed and check out our other blogs for tactics on creating positive culture. Share your thoughts or comments on this blog below or on our Facebook page. You can also follow us on Twitter at @tbl_leadership.

Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

4 Keys to Building Influence

June 23, 2015LeadershipCulture, enforcement, law, leader, leadership, police, positiveThin Blue Line of Leadership

Leadership is derived from influence…

Leadership is not born out of a title, a position, financial well-being, or seniority. While those factors may force someone to listen and do as you say in a particular moment, without influence they will never go above, do anything extra, or show true selflessness for those around them. In short, leadership from position only breeds mediocrity, short-sightedness, and selfishness.

When I say influence, I am referring to influence that inspires others to work hard because it is the right thing to do, put “we” before “I,” and to think of themselves as being a part of something greater. As in most professions, but especially in law enforcement, if you lead a team or squad with true influence, then they will do amazing things when it comes to saving the world one call at a time.

There are 4 keys to building true influence with your officers – contact, communication, connection, and contribution.

CONTACT: Contact is time, nothing more. While time may seem like the simplest of things you can offer, remember that it must be focused and consistent. Here are 4 opportunities to build contact into your everyday routine as a law enforcement leader…

Be purposeful in your briefings by finding ways to make them worthwhile for your officers.
Get out of the office and go handle some calls with your officers.
Find time to meet informally with each of your officers just to chat, see how things are, grab a coffee or beverage of choice.
Schedule department required trainings together with your whole squad or at least as many as possible.

COMMUNICATION: Two people can sit in a room for hours, but without communication during that time it means nothing. This is where building influence starts to require foresight, vision, and patience on your part. Communication by definition is a two-way street; an exchange. It requires that you not only have the ability to speak with meaning, but just as important you must be able to listen. Sometimes the most difficult part of communicating effectively is being quiet and listening to what your officers are telling you through both their words and actions. Here are 4 opportunities to increase your level of communication with your officers . . .

Consistently repeat, reword, and incorporate your squad expectations into everything you do. The more they hear the message, the more they will believe in it.
Be specific when praising your officers for a job well done. Don’t just say, “great job” and walk away. Say something along the lines of, “The way you were handling that interview with our victim was awesome, you really showed some empathy which got them talking. Thank you!” Not only have you praised them, but now they know exactly what you liked about what they did. Remember, what you reward will be repeated.
Before leaving from a call, make it a habit to go up to the case officer on scene and ask if there is anything you can do for them to help. This quick moment of communication shows that you are not above getting your hands dirty and shows that police work is a team effort. Of course, if they ask something you better be willing to do it.
Create a feedback form and give it to your officers to complete anonymously. Be specific about the traits you want them to evaluate you on and provide space for open-ended comments. This must be done in an environment of trust where the officers know that any advice they give will not be taken personally, but as constructive criticism. If you cannot handle open, honest feedback from your officers, then you need to reevaluate your leadership style and the environment you have created.

CONNECTION: Consistent contact and effective communication lead to the development of a connection. Connection is a bond developed in which there is mutual respect, honesty, and confidence in one another regardless of rank or position. Both sides of a connection trust that the other person has their back, will hold them accountable, and wants what is best for them as a team. Here are 4 opportunities to increase connection with your officers…

Build mentoring relationships with your officers. Have meetings with them regularly to discuss their career goals and give them ideas regarding things they can do in their current position to reach their career goals.
Know your officer’s strengths and put them in positions of leadership to make the most of them. If you are weak in a particular area of policing (tactics, investigations, traffic, etc.), empower an officer with those skills and defer to their expertise. If a call comes up that would give them some valuable experience in their area of interest, call them over to handle it.
Admit when you are wrong or could have done something better. When in briefing going over the latest hot traffic, do not let position or ego stand in the way of you admitting that there could have been a better way to handle it. Policing has many moments that force a leader into making quick decisions with limited information. Thus, we are bound to make mistakes. Treat mistakes, both yours and your officer’s, as learning opportunities so long as they are not injurious or a violation of rights.
After receiving feedback from your officers, show them that you have read them and are willing to improve in the areas they identified as your weaknesses. Inevitably, they are going to see things about you that you do not; recognize it and learn from it.

CONTRIBUTION: Contribution is when your officers show that they have bought into your influence through their wording, actions, and attitude. They are willing to not only follow your leadership, but they are also spreading your leadership themselves. Contribution is your confirmation that true influence has been established and if nurtured properly will be self-sustaining. Here are 4 examples of contributions you might see from your officers that reinforce your true influence in a positive way. . .

When discussing how to handle a call, they are exemplifying similar values and beliefs in policing that you have been instilling in them through your contact and communication.
When your officers are on a call with officers from an overlapping squad, they are confident enough in their knowledge, skills, and your leadership support to step up and take the lead on the call when others are hesitant or indecisive.
You will see your officers making the effort and taking the road that has more work because it is the right thing to do; not because it is the easiest.
When new officers arrive on your squad, your officers will immediately help them to feel like a part of the team, get them involved, make them feel comfortable, and teach them the culture of the squad.

The road to building true influence is not an easy one and it cannot be circumvented; the same 4 steps will always apply – contact, communication, connection, and contribution. If you want your team to excel and your officers to reach, not just their career goals, but their true potential as law enforcement professionals, then it is incumbent of you to build true influence with them and deliver the right message. This will then build the right concepts of leadership into the department’s next generation of leaders.

The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement supervisors to be the best leaders they can be by providing positive leadership tactics and ideas. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time and Thin Blue Line of Leadership is here to help. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have ideas to share or suggestions for improvement.

Share your thoughts or comments on this blog below or on our Facebook page. You can also follow us on Twitter at @tbl_leadership. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

Squad Expectations: The P.R.I.D.E.S. MODEL

April 21, 2015Squad CultureCulture, enforcement, expectations, law, leader, leadership, police, positive, sergeant, squadThin Blue Line of Leadership

The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. Positive leadership starts by creating a positive squad culture. The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model is a framework for establishing squad expectations that support the goal of cultivating a positive squad culture.

The purpose of establishing a framework is to create guidelines that are flexible to any situation’s circumstances, easy to remember, and easy to apply. The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model is a framework that is clearly defined and sets officers up for success. Consistency is established by routinely reminding officers that this framework is the expectation that governs everything they do and how they will be evaluated.

The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model directly addresses two prongs that define a squad’s culture – actions and attitudes. Actions and attitudes that fall within the framework of the P.R.I.D.E.S. Model should be rewarded as a matter of routine practice to reinforce desired behaviors. Rewarding positive behaviors will foster a positive squad culture where every officer knows how to excel under your supervision. Actions and attitudes that fall outside of the framework become easy to address because the model clearly defines the boundaries of what is acceptable. By regularly referencing the P.R.I.D.E.S. Model, common ground is already established to start conversations addressing issues of concern.

The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model – PATROL CULTURE

The “why” behind using this model is that it focuses on establishing a positive patrol culture. By establishing a positive culture based upon actions and attitudes, not a generic list of rules, officers recognize a supervisor that truly cares about doing the right things for the right reasons. Once this model is established and being supported by the supervisor, it will begin to support itself through momentum. Officers that are engrained within the P.R.I.D.E.S culture will bring new officers into the fold as soon as they join the squad. This momentum occurs because, deep down, everyone wants to belong to a group that is truly doing something positive and bigger than its individual pieces. In the end, a positive patrol culture will reflect in how officers interact with the public that they serve.

The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model – RESPOND AND INITIATE – ACTIONS

The first task in establishing a framework that supports a positive squad culture is to clearly define what actions your officers are expected to do during a shift. These actions can be broken down into two categories: respond and initiate.

RESPOND: Any action not generated by the officer: report calls, domestic violence calls, fights, alarm calls, disturbances, emergency traffic, etc. Any paperwork generated on any of these calls for service would also fall into this category. Responding is not just work based. It also means reminding officers to respond to their fellow officers, their families, and themselves.

INITIATE: Any action generated by the initiative of the officer: traffic stops, check subjected, close patrols, consensual contacts, beat problems, motorist assists, community policing activities, etc. Any paperwork generated due to the initiative of the officer would also fall into this category. Beyond police activities, initiating also includes functioning as a team and maintaining the P.R.I.D.E.S. culture.

These two actions, responding and initiating, are a simplified way of categorizing the plethora of actions that may be taken by an officer during any given shift. The expectation is that when the officer is not responding to activity, then they should be looking to initiate activity. On a busy shift with a lot of calls for service, there would be a rise in the amount of time spent responding to activity. On a shift with minimal calls for service, there would be a rise in the amount of time spent initiating activity. This does not establish any specific minimums or maximums limiting an officer’s activity level; nor does it define a hierarchy of actions. This allows officers the ability to work within their areas of strength and succeed accordingly. The key simply to maintain a high activity level.

The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model – DECIDE, EVALUATE, AND SERVE – ATTITUDES

The second task to establishing a framework that supports a positive squad culture is defining how your officers go about the actions of responding and initiating. While this is the last piece of the model to be discussed, its importance should not be taken lightly. Establishing the proper attitude is the foundation for the whole thing. There are three necessary attitude components to properly support the actions taken by your officers.

DECIDE: All decisions should be made based upon the law, department policy, best practices/procedures, officer safety, spirit of the law, equality, fairness, and in support of the department’s mission. A sound decision will apply all of these sources equally. As a TBL Leader, you should be conducting briefings with purpose to make sure your officers are trained in the most accurate and up-to-date information possible.

EVALUATE: Every decision, even those made with the best of intentions, should be evaluated as a standard practice. The more that is at risk in the decision, the more evaluation that should be done. Routinely discuss evaluation questions with your officers. When an officers calls you with a question about a call for service they are on, use these same questions to walk them through your decision-evaluation process instead of just giving them the answer. Examples of evaluation questions: What are the options? What evidence is present to support a particular decision? What is the ultimate goal of this decision? What was the decision made and how was it reached? Why was/is this the best course of action? What could be done better the next time a similar situation presents itself? The more officers practice evaluation, the less they will need external confirmation they are making correct decisions you support.

SERVE: Law enforcement serves to protect the community by establishing the thin blue line separating the good from the bad; order from chaos. In doing this, it is imperative for officers to recognize that they have chosen a profession based on service. This is NOT to be confused with being subservient. People are policing and as such officers must always remember their duty to serve their community, department, family, fellow officers, citizens, victims, and even the suspects they arrest. Throughout their careers, your officers are going to be asked to take on tasks or assignments that they do not like. The TBL Leader must consistently and strenuously remind them that the work they are doing is valued no matter how big or small the task. Serving is an officer’s “why.” When officers lose their “why,” they lose their way.

By operating within the framework of the P.R.I.D.E.S. Model, officers are given clear expectations related to time management, production, public interaction, officer interaction, decision making, evaluation thinking, etc. Discuss it daily. Walk through situations/scenarios using it. When you feel sick of talking about it, you will be about halfway to your squad fully accepting, understanding, and integrating it.

The absolutely vital key is for you, the TBL Leader, to consistently reinforce the model and explain the “why” behind it. What is the “why” behind the P.R.I.D.E.S. Model? To build and establish a positive squad culture that officers desire to be a part of because it is something bigger than themselves.

Do you think the P.R.I.D.E.S. Model could work in your department?

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

Good to Great: A Law Enforcement Leadership Interpretation

April 15, 2015Leadershipaccountability, Culture, enforcement, expectations, law, leader, leadership, police, sergeantThin Blue Line of Leadership

Jim Collins starts his book, “Good to Great,” with this simple quote: “Good is the enemy of great.” That quote struck me like a lightning bolt because, all too often, law enforcement gets stuck in the rut of thinking that good is a fine place to be. How often have you heard the phrase, “Good enough for government work” thrown around the department? We, as first-line supervisors, preach to our officers about avoiding complacency, but if we allow our squads to just be good then aren’t we exemplifying complacency in our leadership?

Whenever I read a book of this type, I am always thinking about how I can apply it in my role as a sergeant of eight officers that are within my span of influence. So, I decided that I would write this blog to share my thoughts on the major concepts described in “Good to Great” and how I see those applying to law enforcement leadership.

Before going any further, let me give you an idea of how the “Good to Great” concepts were formulated. Jim Collins and his research team conducted a detailed analysis of over 1,400 Fortune 500 companies looking for ones that demonstrated a very specific pattern of growth: At least 15 years of good results, a clear transition point, followed by at least 15 years of great results. Great results were defined as having a total stock return of at least 3 times the general market over the same period in time. Of the 1,400 companies they looked at, only 11 met that very specific criteria. They then began the lengthy process of analyzing what the distinctive traits were that those companies had in common which took them from good to great.

Now the question becomes, what does this business mumbo jumbo have to do with policing? Following the success of “Good to Great,” Jim Collins began hearing a similar question from multiple areas of social sector work – law enforcement, non-profit organizations, hospitals, education, etc. In 2005, he released a monograph (like an additional chapter) to supplement the book entitled, “Good to Great and the Social Sectors.” This supplement is geared specifically to the social sector and the unique constraints faced by these types of organizations such as hiring, firing, compensation, etc.

As he did in the original book, Jim Collins starts the monograph off with a profound statement, “We must reject the idea – well-intentioned, but dead wrong – that the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is to become ‘more like a business.’” Business concepts on leadership have their place, but they must be properly interpreted in order to effectively be applied in law enforcement. Law enforcement must be led in a way that only a law enforcement leader can; by someone that has handled calls, made arrests, used force, and been in situations that they will never forget. The bottom line is this . . . law enforcement measures greatness through their service to the community, not profits.

Before proceeding into the “Good to Great” framework, the question law enforcement supervisors must answer is how do you define greatness in policing at your department? What specifically defines a good officer and what specifically defines a great officer? The only way to determine that answer is to look at your department’s mission statement, goals, strategic plan, performance evaluation process, etc. and understand how those things are measured at the officer level. Once it is understood what your officers must demonstrate in order to be considered great, under the guidelines of your department, then you can proceed in applying the Good to Great concepts. Just a quick note to any chiefs or command staff that may read this . . . if you cannot define greatness in your organization in concrete detail, then neither can your officers or first-line supervisors. Honor-Initiative-Excellence are great qualities to put on the side of a patrol car or hang on a wall in the briefing room, but if you don’t define them in concrete, “this-is-what-it-looks-like” terms; then they are just words.

STAGE 1: DISCIPLINED PEOPLE

Level 5 Leadership: For a squad to go from good to great, it is first necessary for them to have what Jim Collins refers to as a Level 5 Leader at the helm. A level 5 leader is ambitious and initiative-driven when it comes to applying their department’s definition of greatness to their work as a police officer. I say police officer because regardless of rank, we all started as police officers and that is the common denominator when it comes to the reason we started in this career. Level 5 leaders demonstrate that it is more about the job and their officers than themselves. They share a passion for learning, teaching, and leading other officers in the proper way to police. Ultimately, level 5 leaders realize their success comes through making those they lead successful. (For more similar to this, see our blog entitled, “The 10 Law Enforcement Leadership Commandments.”)

First Who…Then What: The most valuable resource in a police department is not people, it is having the right people. The only way to take a squad from good to great is to have the right people on it; ones that are willing to get on board and make the transition to greatness. Unfortunately, due to the structure of police departments, we cannot always control who we have on our squads. Therefore, it is incumbent of the first-line supervisor to do everything within their power to mold their officers into being the right people. This will not always work, but it is an effort that must be made. Developing the right people can be accomplished through training, honest evaluations, handling call with them, briefing discussions, assigning them to ride with more experienced officers, good field training officers, etc. Once you have the right people on your squad, then you have to get them into the “right seats on the bus.” Assess the skills and talents that your officers possess and assign them to beats where those skills and talents can be best applied. Then, help direct those officers into specialty units that fit their skills and talents to benefit the department as a whole. (For more similar to this, see our blog entitled, “6 Ways to Positively Influence Officer Behavior.”)

STAGE 2: DISCIPLINED THOUGHT

Confront the Brutal Facts: Confronting the brutal facts is all about retaining unwavering faith in the goal of becoming great while at the same time recognizing the challenges to that goal. They may stem from the community, the department, policies, staffing, politics, compensation, or internal squad issues. You must possess the discipline to recognize your current reality and work tirelessly to improve the circumstances you find yourself in no matter the difficulties. Find like-minded individuals within the department that also have the desire to be great and collaborate with them to begin tackling the issues that you can control. Don’t waste your time on things you can’t control. Dealing with these issues will take dedication, time, and effort; but as long as your intentions are directed towards reaching the goal, the squad will come along. (For more similar to this, see our blog entitled, “Change and Reputation.”)

The Hedgehog Concept: The Hedgehog Concept has to do with having simple, basic principles for your squad to follow that support the goal of becoming great and maintaining that greatness. These principles should be the intersection of the 3 circles – what you can be the best at, what you are passionate about, and what drives your department’s vision of greatness.

The first two circles are pretty self-explanatory, but measuring a police department’s vision of greatness can be difficult because it is not as simple as measuring profits in a business. A police department’s vision of greatness comes through in their community’s perception of them. Does the community trust that the department is there to protect them and act in their best interest with the power and authority that has been granted upon them? Like the Colorado River slowly forming the Grand Canyon, the thing to remember about the Hedgehog Concept is that the simple, basic principles of your squad need to be applied and reinforced on a consistent and on-going basis. (For more similar to this, see our blog entitled, “Setting Squad Expectations: The R.I.D.E.S. Model.”)

STAGE 3: DISCIPLINED ACTION

Culture of Discipline: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. As law enforcement, we have a great deal of power and authority and we must be constantly accountable to the community we serve. There are many pressures that can instigate the slide down the slippery slope of dishonesty, malfeasance, and abuse of power. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the first-line supervisor, to nurture a culture of discipline within their squad that does the right things, at the right times, for the right reasons without emotion or prejudice and for the good of the community at-large. If a culture of discipline is set in place from the beginning, then having to deal with actual discipline will be limited to the minor mistake that can be handled and put into the past. (For more similar to this, see our blog entitled, “The 3 Accountability Relationships in Law Enforcement.”)

The Flywheel: The flywheel is about consistently applying the concepts listed above in such a way that you start the flywheel of greatness spinning. The more the above concepts are applied, the faster the wheel begins to spin, and the less effort necessary to make it continue. Eventually, so much momentum is gained that it generates its own energy. The patrol culture you create is the first-line supervisor’s version of a flywheel. By putting the time and attention necessary into nurturing the right patrol culture, the first-line supervisor can start the flywheel of greatness spinning. If focus begins to slip and the Hedgehog Concept gets muddled up, the flywheel will begin to slow and greatness will begin to slide back to good or worse. Therefore, the entire process must be internalized by the first-line supervisor and assume their role to actively lead their squads towards greatness. (For more similar to this, see our blog entitled, “A Law Enforcement Leadership Reward.”)

The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement leaders to be better than they were yesterday. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time by anyone in a law enforcement leadership position. By discussing topics like this, law enforcement leaders are tending to the welfare of the “whole” officer, not just the one in uniform.

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

A Law Enforcement Leadership Reward

April 7, 2015LeadershipCulture, enforcement, law, leadership, police, positive, sergeantThin Blue Line of Leadership

“Leadership is not a license to do less. Leadership is a responsibility to do more.” (Simon Sinek) The results of your leadership, no matter how hard you work, cannot be easily measured. But every now and then you receive something like the letter below and know that all of the effort that has been put into leading your officers is worth it. These are the rewards of positive law enforcement leadership.

The names of the subject, officer, and police department have been removed for privacy.

One final note regarding a leadership reward of this nature. Always be sure to appropriately recognize, reward, and promote the officer that earned this kind of respect from a subject they arrested. Recognize them by reading the letter in front of their squad mates and reward them with whatever means your department provides or you have developed within the squad. Promote the officer by forwarding the letter up the chain of command so their name gets attributed appropriately to this type of excellence.

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

The 10 Law Enforcement Leadership Commandments

March 25, 2015LeadershipCulture, enforcement, law, leader, leadership, police, positiveThin Blue Line of Leadership

The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement leaders to be better than they were yesterday. Sharing positive leadership tactics and creating a positive law enforcement culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time by anyone in a law enforcement leadership position.

Here are 10 Law Enforcement Leadership Commandments . . .

Emphasize good culture over rules. Good culture within the organization or squad will take care of the rules.
Create and train your officers to be the next leaders of the organization. Develop them through mentorship.
Remember your “why” and share it often. Know your officers’ “why” and don’t let them forget it.
Your officers will only be as good as they are trained to be. Work to create a learning culture.
Emphasize the value in doing the right thing at the right time for the right reasons.
Teach your officers not to operate in fear when intent is pure.
Recognize, reward, and promote good police work as a matter of routine.
Be purposeful in your briefings. Don’t let the little time you have with the whole squad go to waste.
Create influence through contact, communication, and connection. Then you will get contribution. Get out and handle some calls with them.
You will succeed the most through your officers succeeding. Don’t put personal gain above their needs.

Have something that you would have added to this list? Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

Thin Blue Line of Leadership Blog: Table of Contents

February 25, 2015Introductionbriefing, Culture, enforcement, expectations, law, leader, leadership, policeThin Blue Line of Leadership

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have ideas to share or suggestions for improvement. You can follow us on Twitter at @tbl_leadership or check us out on Facebook.

Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

This blog is meant to serve as a table of contents for all of our past blogs. Click on any of the titles to be taken directly to that particular blog.

06/25/14 Welcome to Thin Blue Line of Leadership

06/25/14 Thin Blue Line of Leadership Logo Explanation

06/29/14 Law Enforcement Lingo 101

07/10/14 Defining the Thin Blue Line Leader

07/17/14 Power, Passion, People, and Production

07/24/14 14 Ways to Create a Positive Squad Culture

08/07/14 3 Keys to Squad Expectation Success

08/14/14 Saving the World One Call at a Time

08/27/14 6 Ways to Positively Influence Officer Behavior

09/04/14 The 3 Accountability Relationships in Law Enforcement

09/30/14 Welcome to the Squad: New Officer Checklist

10/23/14 5 Basic Leadership Lessons

11/23/14 A Law Enforcement Recognition Idea

12/17/14 Intentional Culture

01/07/15 Confusion of Sacrifice

01/21/15 Don’t Get Captured

02/09/15 Change and Reputation

02/19/15 Insubordination?

03/25/15 The 10 Law Enforcement Leadership Commandments

04/07/15 A Law Enforcement Leadership Reward

04/14/15 Good to Great: A Law Enforcement Leader’s Viewpoint

05/18/15 BRIEFING IDEA: What makes a great beat cop?

06/02/15 Shifting Gears in Policing

06/23/15 4 Keys to Building Influence

07/15/15 5 Killers of Positive Culture

07/23/15 10 Keys to a Successful Oral Board

08/03/15 Creating “Wow” Moments in Policing

08/10/15 5 Steps to Develop Squad Culture

09/23/15 7 Core Values for Building a Team – Part 1

09/29/15 7 Core Values for Building a Team – Part 2

01/19/16 Transactional vs. Relational Policing

02/16/16 3 Components to Law Enforcement Leadership

02/29/16 HELP WANTED: Police Officers

03/16/16 Culture in Just 4 Words

03/29/16 A Simple Gesture

04/27/16 Trickle-Down Leadership

05/11/16 10 Steps to Teaching Leadership in Law Enforcement – Part 1

05/25/16 10 Steps to Teaching Leadership in Law Enforcement – Part 2

06/08/16 3 Signs of a Miserable Law Enforcement Job

07/12/16 TBLL Leadership Reading List

10/26/16 10 Tips for New Sergeants

11/01/16 PRIDE Adaptive Decision-Making Loop

11/16/16 The 3 PRIDE Loops

11/30/16 Leading with P-R-I-D-E

12/07/16 Predictive Policing

01/09/17 Briefing with Purpose

Insubordination?

February 19, 2015Leadershipbriefing, Culture, enforcement, law, leader, leadership, police, sergeant, squadThin Blue Line of Leadership

“Sergeant, what if blah, blah, blah, blah…”

If you have never had the pleasure of being a sergeant for a squad of new officers, then that first sentence may not make a lot of sense. But, if you have, then you know exactly what I am talking about. How many briefings turn into “what if” sessions with each situation getting a little less likely to ever occur? Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty to be gained by playing the “what if” game in briefing, but sometimes even you, the sergeant, get hit with a question you’re not sure of the answer to…

So, what do you do? You put on your best pondering face and say, “that’s a really good question.” Secretly you’re just trying to buy more time for yourself to create a reasonable response so you can maintain that all knowing aura about yourself as the sergeant. Immediately after giving your best s.w.a.g. (scientific wild ass guess), one of your slightly more experienced officers blurts out, “You can’t do that.” The officer then proceeds to give the correct response. Silence fills the room as everyone waits for your reaction…

Before you continue reading, I want you to pause and consider what would you do? I ask that because in this very moment you are about to make a leadership decision that will have far reaching consequences. Your reaction will answer 3 questions for every officer in the room…

Do you value different thoughts/opinions than your own?
Is briefing a safe learning environment?
Where does your pride and ego stand when it comes to being wrong?

Here is how I replied, “You’re right – I hadn’t thought of it like that.” We then pulled up the applicable Field Order and read over it as a squad while discussing other situational possibilities. What easily could have been viewed as insubordination or a challenge to my authority was turned into one of the most productive briefings I ever had. I valued the fact that he had the gumption to speak up and say something when I was wrong.

Ultimately, if you limit other thoughts and opinions, you limit not only your own growth, but that of your entire squad. Obviously, in police work there are times and places when an officer just needs to do what they are told, but this was not one of them. The next time you find yourself in a similar situation, consider the subliminal messages you are sending to your squad based upon how you respond.

The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement leaders to be better than they were yesterday. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time. By discussing topics like this, law enforcement leaders are tending to the welfare of the “whole” officer, not just the one in uniform.

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

Change and Reputation

February 9, 2015Leadership, Squad Cultureaccountability, briefing, Culture, enforcement, law, leader, leadership, police, positive, sergeant, squadThin Blue Line of Leadership

As a police sergeant, I have 2 primary goals regarding the officers on my squad: 1. Keep them safe. 2. Assist them in being successful at reaching their goals. To assist them in being successful with their goals, I find it is necessary to help give them perspective on the “big picture.” In law enforcement, it is easy to get caught up on short-sighted issues that demoralize a squad like staffing, compensation, negative public perceptions, etc. With that being said, I wrote this and read it in one of my recent briefings.

Change and your reputation go hand in hand in any organization, but in a mid-sized police department it is even truer – there is nowhere to hide within a 400 person department. We all know the phenomenal street cop whose career was or is being derailed by their poor reputation/attitude. More times than not, their poor reputation/attitude is related to their inability to deal with change effectively.

Change is inevitable. The only thing that stays constant is that circumstances and situations are always changing. How you deal with change comes down to your own personal responsibility and accountability – What do you expect of yourself? This defines not only your ability to deal with change, but also develops your reputation within the organization. Are you a whiny victim of change or are you someone who can deal and work within the system that is present?

The sooner it is accepted that the system is what it is and will always be slow to respond, the easier it becomes to deal with organizational lapses. Organizations, like people, are inherently flawed – no organization is perfect because they are run by human beings who are made up of attitudes, egos, and emotions. To move beyond the lapses, though, you have to take the long view and not be focused on just the short-term. So, the question becomes, how can you react to change to get the best outcome and solidify a reputation as a positive, forward thinker?

First, when change is approaching, ask this question of yourself, “What can I do?” This is the most direct and proactive response you can have. Sometimes you’ll have the ability to affect change before it is upon you and sometimes you won’t. The key is to remember that working within yourself is the only thing you actually have true control over. By taking initiative and working from the front, you can often help direct change in a more palatable direction.

But, what if there is nothing you can do to directly affect the change that is coming? I answer that question with a quote from Maya Angelou, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

If you can’t effect the situation directly, then whining, complaining, or having beat office bitch sessions will do nothing but hurt YOUR reputation. The perceived “problem” will rarely be blamed because it is so ambiguous and comes from “they” levels. You know who “they” are, right? I implore you not to see change as something that is out to get you – it is vital to your career success to be a person who can identify the positives and opportunities that come with change.

There are 3 things you are always in control of when it comes to change – your actions, your attitude, and your effort. The common denominator to all 3 of those is YOU – you are in control and no one can take that away unless you let them. It is all about being proactive, not reactive.

Here are 5 steps to help deal with change in a positive, forward-thinking manner. These steps are adapted from the book Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson.

Change Awareness

Accept that change happens.
Anticipate change.
Affect change, if possible.
Adapt to change quickly by adjusting your perspective.
Enjoy change by being in personal control of your response to it.

Ultimately to succeed, not just within an organization, but in life, it is about survival of the fittest – your ability to adapt and overcome to change. Just like responding to a call, the situation is always going to be fluid. How you respond is your choice and builds your reputation either for better or for worse!

The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time by anyone in a law enforcement leadership position. By discussing topics like this, law enforcement leaders are tending to the welfare of the “whole” officer, not just the one in uniform.

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

Don’t Get Captured!

January 21, 2015Squad Cultureblue, briefing, Culture, enforcement, law, leader, leadership, line, police, positive, sergeant, squad, TBL, thinThin Blue Line of Leadership

“Work hard, have fun, be safe, and don’t get captured.” I end every patrol briefing with those four simple requests. The first three are pretty straightforward. It was the last one that generated snickers from my patrol officers, but that was fine by me; I knew they had heard it. Each briefing for a month and a half ended in the same way, but the snickers slowly faded. I assume they probably thought I was nuts to continue making the same dumb joke every shift. Then, I shared the meaning . . .

A few years ago, I was sitting in my living room watching one of the best television shows ever made, HBO’s The Wire. Jimmy McNulty, played by Dominic West, and the group of characters that had come together to run a wiretap had been disbanded and reassigned back to their old assignments. The scene opens with a Baltimore Police Department lieutenant giving a patrol briefing. At the very end of the briefing, he closes by saying, “Don’t get captured.”

As a patrol officer at the time, I thought that was a pretty funny way to end a briefing. The simplistic meaning I came up with was that it was a comedic way for the writers to get across the danger that exists on a daily basis working patrol in Baltimore. For some inexplicable reason, this phrase stuck with me. I decided, years before promoting, that I would end every briefing I lead with “don’t get captured,” but for very different reasons than the simplistic one I thought of the first time I heard it.

Don’t get captured truly has a much deeper meaning. Think about it, what does it really mean to be captured? Here are my two reasons for ending each briefing this way:

First, to be captured means you or someone leading you has created a situation that is beyond your control; too far behind enemy lines, surrounded. In law enforcement, it is very easy to metaphorically get too far behind those lines. It could be walking into a domestic violence call without backup, trying to break up a fight without recognizing the encircling crowd, or getting pulled into a foot pursuit without knowing what is around the corner. These are all situations that good patrol officers need to learn to recognize and respond to appropriately so they don’t get behind those lines. The same sentiment holds true for law enforcement supervisors that are running emergency traffic and leading officers during the most volatile moments policing has to offer.

Second, to be captured also means that you gave up and stopped fighting. As officers, we all accept the reality that we may have to physically defend ourselves and survive long enough for backup to arrive. If we give up, quit, and stop fighting; then the consequences could be life threatening. Babe Ruth said, “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” Could there be any truer statement than that for the patrol officer that is in a fight for their life?

So, why do I end every patrol briefing by saying, “don’t get captured?” I do this because it serves as a subtle reminder to the men and women I’m leading to always be cautious of what they are heading into and to never give up. Backup is coming . . . just keep fighting.

Thank you for reading our blog. The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time by anyone in a law enforcement leadership position. Development of a positive culture must be intentional; otherwise, who knows what will develop in its place.

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!