Leadership Is Easy But Rare

Leadership May Not Be What You Think

I recently asked a law enforcement officer how the job was going and he beamed pride as he told me it was going great. I don’t hear that very often so I wanted to know the why.

“The sheriff calls me about once a week just to check in,” he said.

That was it…pretty crazy isn’t it?

Of course there is more to it than that. This is a road deputy, not an administrator and the agency isn’t exactly small. The deputy knows that gesture takes effort and more importantly, shows a level of caring that he has rarely seen with other bosses.

Sometimes they talk about the job and sometimes they just talk about family, life or sports but they talk and they talk often.

Leading By Example
After hearing the story, my thoughts immediately went to Eureka County Sheriff Jesse Watts who last year worked dispatch for a few weeks that included a week on graveyard. I asked him why he did it and he simply told me that a dispatcher needed the time off and couldn’t get it unless he filled in.

Sheriff Jesse Watts Working Dispatch

Simple But Rare
How could a simple phone call or a few shifts at dispatch earn a loyalty and respect that leaders dream of?

How could it not.

I can count on one hand how many times a police chief called me in 30 years and I was in middle management and higher for 20 of those years. Like many of you, when life handed me struggles, I rarely heard from those that were busy building their resumes and trying to impress the media but I did hear from a few and I’m grateful for that.

They were the unicorns among the cowards.

What About You?
Regardless of your experience, I want to challenge each of you to consider the power in the simple things with leadership. Real leadership isn’t always what we think and it’s definitely not the things that movies are made of.

But if you truly want to make a difference and lead others, consider what you could start doing today to make others feel like they matter.

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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.