16 leadership books, podcasts and resources police chiefs find invaluable

By Police1 Staff

Moving into a leadership role can be an exhilarating and proud moment; it can also be a daunting one. To succeed in your new role, you’ll need to identify the support systems, processes and tools that will help you overcome challenges and maximize opportunities.

Police1’s Police Leader Playbook is one such tool that can increase your effectiveness as a leader. It’s designed to enhance your leadership skills, build trust with those you lead and boost your confidence. “The Leadership Beat” column is an important part of our Playbook, in which we interview current police chiefs about the challenges they are facing and the recent leadership successes they have seen.

We also ask them to share what leadership resources they find most valuable. Here’s a handy list of their recommendations. Find the complete Police Leadership Playbook here.

1. “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Dr. Travis Bradberry and Dr. Jean Greaves. — New Mexico State Police Chief W. Troy Weisler
2. “The Wisdom of the Bullfrog” by Admiral William H. McRaven simplifies timeless truths to effective leadership — Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama
3. “Trust and Inspire” by Stephen Covey explains a modern philosophy to helping those under you reach their true potential while feeling valued and effective. — Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama
4. “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek is truly spot on in its depiction of servant leadership and what people need in a leader. — Wright State University Public Safety Chief Kurt Holden
5. “The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership” by James Hunter. — University Circle Police Department Chief Tom Wetzel
6. Leadership First is a great online periodical that I follow on LinkedIn. — Evanston Police Department Schenita Stewart
7. “The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business” by Patrick Lencioni — City of North St. Paul Chief Phil Baebenroth
8. “Leadership: Theory & Practice” by Peter Northouse — City of North St. Paul Chief Phil Baebenroth
9. “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don’t” by Jim Collins — City of North St. Paul Chief Phil Baebenroth
10. “Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance” by Tony Dungy — City of North St. Paul Chief Phil Baebenroth
11. “Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times” by Donald T. Phillips. — Oceanside Police Chief Kedrick Sadler
12. “Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead” by Jim Mattis. — Greensboro Police Department Chief George Paugh
13. Simon Sinek podcasts. — Greensboro Police Department Chief George Paugh
14. The California Police Chief’s Association (CPCA) leadership series prepares individuals wanting to join the executive leadership team or become a police chief by learning from peers, chiefs and city managers throughout the state. — Fremont Police Chief Sean Washington
15. The California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Command College challenged me and other future leaders to think differently about law enforcement and develop anticipatory skills to identify issues that are on the horizon for our profession. — Fremont Police Chief Sean Washington
16. The series “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win,” “The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win” and “Leadership Strategy and Tactics” offer a blueprint for leaders. — Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei