Courage Is Rare
The Latest Attack On A Courageous Leader Proves It
We launched Courageous Leadership a decade ago and it was born out of the continued failure of law enforcement leaders to do what was right in the face of unfiltered attacks against the profession and those that wear the badge.
The lies were so outrageous (Hands Up…Don’t Shoot, etc) I simply did not understand where leadership was. Our leaders had been to more training and had access to more resources than any law enforcement leader in our history but when it came time to practicing that leadership, we ran away.
Leaders are forged in times of crisis and the truth is, it took the dramatic attacks and lies on the profession to see who the true leaders were.
We had a few and most were pushed out of the profession when they stood up for truth. One of those was Madison Police Chief Mike Koval. He never wavered and I would encourage you to listen to my conversation with him. But there are others that I’ve highlighted on our podcast including Chief Weitzel, Chief Jim Franklin, Chief Deputy Matt Thomas, Captain Rankin, Sheriff Andy Hughes, Steve Friend, Brian Ellis, Duane Wolfe, Kevin Davis, Danny King, John Kelly, Roland Clee, Dr. Olivia Johnson, Dr. Chaix, Darrell Kriplean, and many more.
There has always been a price to be paid for courage. Some, like Martin Luther King Jr., paid that price with their life. In our profession, it typically means you don’t get that comfortable retirement job or DOJ Consulting Gig.
Regardless, let’s not act like this cowardice has left us.
Chief Tim Barfield
I woke up yesterday to my friend, Chief (ret.) Tim Barfield being canceled by a local media outlet. Well, that’s kind of a 2020 thing but it was ridiculous and what we have seen repeatedly over the last decade.
Tim happens to be one of the best men I know. He not only displays every aspect of courageous leadership but I spoke about him in my book. You can read my discussion about Tim here but once again, a real leader had to pay the price for telling the truth and never wavering.
But here’s the interesting thing.
Few spoke up for Tim. If you’ve spent 5 seconds on social media, we seem to have more “leadership gurus” than ever. I see the posts of grandeur and the marketing schemes of many in this space but few will ever take a REAL public stand.
I get it.
Who wants to jeacoradize their speaking gigs or their stage time at IACP? After all, if anyone has ever written an article or given an interview, any reporter, anywhere, has been trained to destroy you within the boundaries of defamation laws that side with journalism at every corner.
But that is the definition of a coward and we still have them. Self-proclaimed “leaders” in name only, willing to sacrifice anyone around them for their personal gain or more subtly…simply staying silent.
The Choice Is Yours
In times of peace, you can get away with the soft cowardice of leadership “theory” and no action. But we will never be in that place again. We have to stand ready to tell the truth and defend legal actions of our men and women behind the badge.
If we don’t, the recruiting and retention crisis today will look like Disneyland tomorrow.
The Greatest Leader of All Time
In my last article I spoke about David and Goliath in terms of the traits it takes to be courageous for the coming year. I lost more subscribers that week, than all year. You should get used to it because if you say you are a leader and you don’t think scripture has been the basis of every modern day leadership trait you’ve been told in those fancy classes or books, you haven’t been paying attention.
I start my day reading scripture. I’m not telling you to do it…It’s just what I do and often, it applies to the day to day leadership issues we all face. This morning was no exception.
“The one whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matthew 13:20-21).
It’s never too late to turn a passion for leadership into true courage. Yes, it could threaten your status but that’s why it’s called courage. Great risks bring great gain and if you want to see the law enforcement profession rise to the greatness it deserves, we need courage to prevail.
The time is now!
We are working on a variety of resources to help with your Courageous Journey and the best way to plug in to that is to plug your email in here and you can download our Principle Poster for your office or agency while you are there.
Spread this content to those around you.
Plug in to our Podcast wherever you listen to them at “Courageous Leadership with Travis Yates”
If you haven’t read the book that started this movement, you can get it here. If you can’t afford it, I’ll send it to you.
Encourage your agency or conference to host our training. It will throw gasoline on the match you have already lit.
If you need anything, call me. My number is located at the top of the main websiteand you can reach me through any of the contact pages as well.
And always remember, Lead On & Stay Courageous!
Dr. Travis Yates retired as a commander with a large municipal police department after 30 years of service. He is the author of “The Courageous Police Leader: A Survival Guide for Combating Cowards, Chaos & Lies.” His risk management and leadership seminars have been taught to thousands of professionals across the world. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy with a Doctorate Degree in Strategic Leadership and the CEO of the Courageous Police Leadership Alliance.
Spot on. It's no surprise to see Chief Hughes act immediately to stand up for the truth and defend Chief Barfield. It's easy to spot the real leaders. They're out in front speaking the truth without hesitation.