The Most Powerful Question

Courageous Leadership is about going left when everyone else is telling you to go right. It’s telling the truth regardless of the consequences and it is the willingness to derail your career for doing the right thing.

In a society that values narrative over truth with the “outrage” gauge constantly moving, the cost of courage in leadership has never been so high while at the same time, it has never been so important.

As the year comes to an end, the law enforcement profession is suffering in areas that should have never been and I believe that the next 12 months is vital for every leader if they want to save any resemblance of the profession as an effective tool for providing safety within our communities.

I’m a year into my commitment to provide you content on a weekly basis and I hope some of it has helped. I’d love to hear how I can help you next year and I’ve made it easy to reach me. You’ll find my phone number at the top left of my website and the below contact form on every page. Of course, I’ll see your comments here and it gives our audience a chance to weigh in as well.

That leads me into what I believe the most important question any leader can ask. It’s a question I found by accident but it is one that has helped me immensely through the years.

The Most Powerful Question

A few years ago I was in a briefing with a group of officers. I asked if any of them had any questions and they remained silent.

Frankly, that was a common occurrence. At the time, I commanded over 140 personnel and while I tried to be present throughout the 24 hour day to see as many officers as I could, the graveyard officers saw me the least and were always less likely to engage in conversation.

That was my problem but I’ll hold that article for another day.

When the uncomfortable silence came, I typically liked to bring some comfort to the room with a little comedy but there’s a reason I don’t do that for a living so I decided to do something else.

I asked a question.

Slowly, a hand went up.

“Sir, the television is broken. We would like it fixed.”

That wasn’t exactly a question that would change our city or revolutionize our operations, but to that officer and to many others sitting there, it was important to them.

I later found out the television in their squad room had been broken for years and there had never been a request to fix it.

It was an easy solution to solve but oddly, it was not easy to find out.

What You Don’t Know

I’ve asked that question a lot since that fateful night and I’m surprised at some of the things I thought I knew but knew very little about and this doesn’t just apply to law enforcement.

I love the last week of the year because there always seems to be an emphasis by others to be a little extra friendlier but I wonder what 2024 would look like if we carried that over past the holidays.

What would your kids say if you asked them how you can help them?

What would your wife say or the store clerk or the waitress?

More importantly, what would it do for you as a leader, parent, or spouse, if you simply asked others…”what can I do for you?”

Until next time…Lead On & Stay Courageous.

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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.