Toxic Boss Blues

I recently provided the forward for Steve Neal’s updated book called “Toxic Boss Blues.” I interviewed Steve earlier this year on my podcast and I just received my copy of his excellent book. Steve’s book relates to the tough truths our profession is going through and I believe it would be very beneficial to anyone inside or outside of the profession.

Below is the forward I provided for the book.

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As a 30-year law enforcement veteran and an ardent supporter of the law enforcement profession, I struggle in telling you that “Toxic Boss Blues” by Steve Neal is one of the most important resources you can possess. What you hold in your hand is both kryptonite to the cowardly leader and a cure for those suffering under the oppression inside many law enforcement agencies today.

It took decades in law enforcement to truly understand the disease plaguing the profession and while many inside and outside the profession easily point the blame to outside forces as the cause of the epidemic, the sickness within law enforcement resides within the toxicity that leaders display, promote, and unfortunately spread to others.

The results of toxic leadership have been devastating and it not only threatens the men and women behind the badge but the very communities they are sworn to protect. Every conceivable metric used for success within law enforcement has been ravaged in recent years.

Crime is up and recruitment is down.

Morale is rock bottom and employee retention isn’t far behind.

Officer assaults are at an all-time high while the mission of law and order has been replaced with an all-consuming fear that we will be fired or imprisoned for simply doing the job we were called and trained to do.

At the same time, Toxic Leaders are too busy congratulating themselves on their latest reforms or signed pledges to even recognize or acknowledge that they have been the problem all along.

If it’s hard to understand the generational damage that Toxic Leaders can do in a short time period to an organization, then you haven’t experienced it and I pray you never will. I watched from a front row seat as the agency I dedicated my adult life in making better be completely destroyed from top to bottom.

Toxic leadership is a disease that spreads far past the leader that possesses it. The entire culture of the organization is infected with a mixture of distrust, arrogance, incompetence, and dishonesty that turns those leading law enforcement into the haves and have-nots. A leader can choose to participate in the pandemic and be rewarded or they can reject it and be a target of destruction by those infected.

The line officers become the sheep in the narcissistic game of toxic leadership and rather than serving the community in their highest capacity, they spend most of their time avoiding the wolves that surround them.

To anyone inside the profession, it’s a feeling of loneliness and helplessness and often manifests itself into a host of negative behaviors and stressors that is often not understood. Before I read “Toxic Boss Blues,” I would have said that all hope is lost for those working in toxic environments. Thanks to Steve Neal, who has displayed meticulous courage for tackling this epidemic of destruction, the entire profession can yearn for a brighter future. 

Steve Neal provides both the diagnosis and the cure to the most damaging and dangerous threat that the profession has ever known…The Toxic Leader.

This is not just a book telling you what you already knew but rather the pages describe in grisly detail the “what, how and why” of toxic leadership and more importantly, how to cope with it and eliminate it.

Indeed, Steve Neal has provided a weapon against those that seek to blow the flame of passion out within our law enforcement professionals, and he goes on the offense to not only expose the cowards within our ranks, but he calls them out on all their carnival games and does not attempt to rehabilitate those that are actively destroying this fine profession. Regardless of their pathological and narcissistic ideology and behavior, “Toxic Boss Blues” serves as the playbook to send toxic leaders to their rightful place…far away from law enforcement.

While Steve has written the last book you will ever need on toxic leadership, he has also provided a significant contribution to those that desire a style of leadership that will not only reverse the damage done by toxic leaders but will leave a legacy for the next generation of crime fighters.

The crescendo of “Toxic Boss Blues” is a call to action for courageous leaders to fight and persevere with dignity, respect, and love for their fellow brothers and sisters behind the badge. While toxic leaders may have seemingly won the day, the future belongs to the bold and the brave that stand up against those that seek to destroy the selfless servants protecting our communities.

Just as Mordecai warned his royal cousin in Chapter 4 of Esther that remaining silent and not acting would be a destructive decision, “Toxic Boss Blues” provides the encouragement and confidence that our heroes need more than ever in a time such as this.

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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.