This article originally appeared in the April 2023 Police1 Leadership Briefing. To read the full briefing, see 8 integral leadership qualities; Are you leading from the front? and add the Leadership Briefing to your subscriptions.
While attending a guest ranch in Colorado with my wife, we signed up for a horsemanship clinic with renowned stockman, Curt Pate, who said something the first day that resonated with me when it comes to leadership: “You can’t push a rope.”
Curt went on to explain that when riding a horse, you need to identify the point where you want to ride to if you want to ride in a straight line. He said if all you do is push the horse from behind with your legs but you have no goal or end point in mind, the horse will wander from side to side not sure where they are supposed to go. But if you look ahead and keep your eyes where you want to go, you can “pull” the horse to go in a straight line. Your eyes dictate what the rest of your body will do to move ahead in a straight line.
The small corrections that continually need to be made by the rider will be made subconsciously, and you will end up at your destination.
Look where you want to go
I found the same to be true when teaching Emergency Vehicle Operations. I told my students, “Keep your eyes up and pick a line up ahead to drive to.” When a student would go off the racetrack at EVOC or an officer ended up crashing into an object while on patrol, I often heard them say, “I knew I was going to hit that telephone pole.” When I asked why they were so sure, they told me, “That is what I was looking at the whole time.” I advised the students in the future to be an optimist and to “look where you want to go, not where you don’t want to.” I would tell them that what their eyes are focused on is what matters. The same is true for leadership.
Movement without a clear goal is wasted energy
As I thought about that rope concept in a leadership context, I realized it has value when leading people. I have observed leaders “push” people with no idea where they want them to go. That leader applies pressure in the mistaken belief that “movement” is progress. But movement without a clear goal is just wasted energy. The harder you “push the rope” the more it will bunch up and look like a 70-car pileup on the interstate freeway. “Pushing” is done by a boss from the rear, out of sight of the workers. They feel driven, not led. They know they are working hard but wonder about you since they can’t see you working. So, if the answer is not to push people, what is effective leadership?
Pull from the front
With a clear goal in mind, you can “pull” the rope in a straight line toward that goal. There is no wasted energy, and the line stays straight until it reaches the goal. How is this done? Pulling is done from the front, not the rear. This reinforces the concept that leading from the front is truly an effective leadership strategy.
Being in “front” puts the leader in the “battle zone” and provides the leader with real-time knowledge of any challenges or obstacles the group is facing. It allows the followers to “see” the leader is present and actively engaging with them in achieving the stated goal. The leader can make timely corrections to the strategy as needed to achieve the goal. It becomes a “we” effort and not orders from an unseen boss.
It is easy to lead from the front when you are on a defined trail or road. It gets harder when the goal is off the beaten path and the followers need to rely more on the leader’s vision of the goal. Curt Pate took us off the trail and across a large pasture. He advised us to pick out a bush or rock and fix our eyes on that object and ride directly toward that. I noticed that when I had an object in sight, I was able to keep my horse going in a straight line rather than wandering in a general direction. The goal I had my eyes fixed on was communicated to the horse nonverbally through my posture and gaze, effectively allowing us to reach the goal I had set for us.
Making course corrections
Law enforcement has changed dramatically in the past several years and leaders are forced to make corrections and get off the easy trail they have followed for years to navigate new territory across the pasture. Laws and policies nationally have been changed to restrain police tactics and procedures. These changes have resulted in resignations and retirements from departments across the country.
Mature leaders know there is little value in focusing on the things they can’t change so they focus their efforts on what is in their power to control. Effective leaders pick out a goal up ahead and “ride directly toward it.” They communicate to their followers where they are going, thereby allowing them to identify the goal as well. Once everyone knows where they are headed as a department, they can feel secure in “moving toward something” and avoid the small challenges or obstacles that will be encountered on the way.
Everyone wants to know “Where are we going?” Effective leaders provide that information to their followers and then get in front and take them there.