The 'Big Picture' Leader

Go Big Or Go Home

The law enforcement profession has done an excellent job of developing “managers” but there remains a woeful lack of courageous leaders in the profession. There are a myriad of reasons for the lack of leadership and the abundance of managers but ultimately, there are very little incentives for strong leadership within the profession.

Not only is management much easier, but it’s far less risky. In fact, if your goal is to rise in the ranks, pad the pension, and not piss off the political decision makers, management is the golden goose.

But managers can never match what leadership provides and while it’s much more risky to the individual, the law enforcement profession needs it more today than ever. The few in our profession that have embraced real, authentic leadership have an incredible opportunity to impact generations and I believe that is an opportunity that should never be wasted.

Here are a few suggestions on how leaders can capitalize on the influence and impact they possess.

Listen

Listening to those around you is vital for leaders but saying you listen is much easier than actually implementing the mechanisms and putting out the effort to listen. The act of listening is not simply a passive activity but requires action.

An environment must be created and cultivated to promote listening and leaders must continually solicit feedback to activate and encourage employees to participate. The success of an organization is dependent on everyone within the organization and leaders listening and acting will place gasoline into that success.

Go Outside The Box

Status quo is the enemy of our profession and while leaders shouldn’t change things just to do it, there are a myriad of areas in many agencies that clearly need to change. To explain the lack of forward thinking by leaders is easily understood when we look for others to help, reform, or change our agencies. It should be embarrassing and unacceptable to lean on the DOJ or private groups to do what our leaders should be doing and this begins with a daily intention of thinking bigger and better.

Authenticity

Authenticity is the cornerstone of effective and sound leadership. Being authentic is not just a trait but it's a way of leading that fosters trust, connection, and engagement. By cultivating self-awareness, transparency, consistency, vulnerability, empathy, genuine relationships, adaptability, and self-reflection, leaders can cultivate authenticity and create environments where individuals thrive and organizations succeed. The action of authenticity cannot be faked and while rare as a unicorn, is the key to true greatness in law enforcement leadership.

Take Risks

At the heart of courageous leadership is the willingness and ability to take risks. Taking risk is not an action done in haste but requires leaders to give up their authority by empowering others, leading by example, and constantly having an attitude of flexibility. In an overall culture that often promotes “the way we’ve always done it,” taking risks may not appear to have upside to leaders but leaders aren’t actually leading if they refute all risks in the name of comfort. At the heart of courage and resilience resides risk and leaders must be willing to step outside their comfort zones, embrace uncertainty, and confront adversity head-on. Courageous leaders understand that failure is sometimes inevitable but this is always viewed as an opportunity for growth and learning. It is through that growth and learning that greatness begins to emerge.

Decide

One of the primary benefits of a big picture leader is enhanced decision-making. When leaders can see the broader context, they are less likely to make shortsighted choices driven solely by immediate gains. Consequently, not making a decision is a decision and our profession has far too many managers that either won’t make a decision or pass that decision to others. I understand the hesitancy as our critics are around every corner but leaders make decisions and they own them regardless of the outcome or what others may think.

Keep Learning

“Leaders Learn” is an overused term but the truth is, actual learning is not easy for anyone. We live in a consumption world and while it’s easy to consume information, it is much more difficult to learn from it. Leaders must invest time in continuous learning but that learning goes far beyond a class, conference, or organization. Leaders must embrace learning from not only industry experts but those within their own agency that may not have the rank but the passion and expertise to help and educate.

If you are reading this, I’m hopeful you have subscribed to get notified weekly when each article drops. I would also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast on your preferred platform and our training is always available to your agency or conference. Fortunately, there are many other great resources at your disposal and regardless of where or what that is, let me encourage you to go deeper than consumption and strive towards application.

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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.