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Badge of Leadership: The Art of Making Every Cop a Leader
Your officers are thoroughly trained in the technical aspects of policing, but what about ethics, integrity and accountability? Ken Morris of the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice and consultant Dennis Haley say a new model of leadership training can change the face of policing for the better.

Richmond, KY (February 2004)-Police department officials, do you worry that there's a dangerous lack of professionalism in the ranks? Sure, we all know that there are plenty of great cops out there. But there is also plenty of highly publicized evidence of "bad apples" and bad judgment. And what's just as troubling as the isolated incidents-the Rodney Kings and the Abner Louimas-is the widespread reality that though police officers are highly trained in technical skills, in the realm of leadership they're too often left to feel around in the dark.

According to Ken Morris of the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice and a 30-year-veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps-the average police officer isn't trained in leadership. When he receives a promotion, he's pulled off the street, shuffled up to his new office and left to fend for himself. His only real option is to mimic the leadership style of his superiors.

"There is a real need for a strong leadership training model in policing," says Morris. "That training needs to start when cops begin their careers. Whether he realizes it or not, a first-level officer is already a leader, which means leadership skills are just as critical as self-defense techniques, crime investigation and properly written police reports. When I took my job at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice, I looked to my military training and realized that the values I learned there-ethics, discipline, accountability-were the heart and soul of good leadership. And so I started searching for resources to help me teach these principles." 

One such resource turned out to be Dennis Haley, CEO of Academy Leadership, a consulting firm that uses principles taught at West Point and the Naval Academy to help organizations develop leaders who achieve powerful business goals. Haley is also co-author (along with colleague Ed Ruggero) of The Leader's Compass: Set Your Course for Leadership Success (Academy Leadership Publishing, 2003, ISBN: 0-9727323-0-6, $14.95), a book that teaches the art of writing a personal leadership philosophy.

"There are many parallels between the military and law enforcement," says Haley. "Both institutions protect and serve, and the officers of both make life or death decisions every day. That's why the leadership principles emphasized in service academies are more than appropriate for police force training. And it's why I have been happy to serve as an advisor for the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice . . . and why I hope police departments everywhere will someday implement leadership training for officers at every level."
So what can your police department do to improve its leadership skills and professionalism? Obviously, every department has different training needs depending on such factors as size, budget and location. But Morris offers the following guidelines based on the successes of his own department:

Acknowledge that the most responsibility rests with those who have the least amount of authority. Discuss this paradox with the men and women in the field. Make it clear to them that even though they may not supervise other officers, they are leaders in the truest sense. They are charged with protecting the life and property of everyone in their community. They have the ability to use deadly force against their fellow human beings. Make it clear to officers that shouldering such awesome responsibility with grace and commitment is the very definition of leadership. 

Demonstrate and emphasize ethics and integrity. "Admittedly, it's hard to teach good character," says Morris. "But if you are a sergeant, for example, you must always demonstrate honest, ethical behavior-for its own sake, but also for the benefit of subordinates. The lack of formal leadership training means that subordinates will typically mimic your leadership style if and when they're promoted. But don't just practice, preach. Be sure to include some sort of 'ethics and integrity' component as part of a rookie's training. Explain that true leadership does not and cannot exist without such traits. Even a heart-to-heart discussion over coffee can go a long way."

Have everyone write a personal leadership philosophy. This may be the single most important component in your leadership training program. A personal leadership philosophy (PLP) is a written document that includes your values, how you will carry out your responsibilities, what your priorities are, and what you expect from yourself and (if appropriate) your people. Since every officer is a leader, every officer needs a PLP. When Morris charged his officers with writing theirs, he used Haley's Leader's Compass as a how-to guide and a source of inspiration. 

"Even though Haley's book uses a business scenario to illustrate the PLP, the concept is just as appropriate in a law enforcement setting," says Morris. "It's all about pondering what you believe and what you expect of yourself-within the confines of departmental standards, of course. How can you ever be an effective leader if you don't know what standards you would hold others to? Having to put it down on paper forces you to confront vital questions about who you are and what leadership means. It's a powerful exercise." 

Realize that personal accountability is the key. "Something happens when you articulate a personal leadership philosophy," explains Haley. "It becomes crystal clear what your standards are, and it becomes equally clear when you fail to live up to them. The PLP holds you accountable to yourself, which is much more effective than complying with rules out of fear of being caught breaking them. Personal accountability is the measure of leadership. It's easy to see when someone is practicing it. And in an environment steeped in personal accountability, it's pretty easy to recognize and get rid of the bad apples."

Institute a fair and just evaluation system for promotions. Don't promote people solely on years served, quotas met, or perfect by-the-book records. Like real life, police work is messy. Good leadership means making the hard decisions and it's not always reflected in having the i's perfectly dotted and t's immaculately crossed. Be sure that your evaluation system takes into account the evidence of true leadership. Don't practice crony-ism. Promote others as you would like to be promoted.

Train people every time they move to the next level. Leadership training must constantly be reinforced. When an officer is promoted, her need for skills like communication and delegation will increase. See to it that she receives training in areas commensurate with her new responsibilities. The good news is that if she has been properly trained in previous positions, she will already have a strong base of leadership skills.

"Much of the bad publicity law enforcement receives can be traced to a lack of leadership training," concludes Morris. "If officers were trained from Day One to see themselves as leaders and acted accordingly, ultimately things like police brutality and corruption would dramatically decrease. 'Bad apples' would be tossed out immediately and never have the chance to be promoted. The image of law enforcement would change for the better, our work environment would improve, and, ultimately, America would be a safer, better place to live."