By James B. Stull, Ph.D., and T. Jacob Stull, M.S.
In law enforcement, people often equate rank with leadership; however, they could not be more wrong. Just because someone holds a position of authority does not mean that person is a good leader. Rank usually means an increase in pay, responsibility, power, recognition and status. These motivators alone may not be enough. Altruistic motives — wanting to help others and grow the organization — may complete the recipe for success.
We may obey authority figures, but we may not want to follow them. We follow leaders because they are willing to innovate; to meet challenges, rather than run from them; to express uncertainty; and to lead by example. Employees like or dislike their bosses and jobs mostly because of leadership. People do not typically leave bad organizations — they leave bad bosses. Simon Sinek observes that leaders are willing to take care of people around them at any level of an organization, with or without rank. [1]
A common statement in the leadership field is “leadership is trust.” Expecting total trust may be idealistic. However, for teams to perform well, individuals must be able to count on each other. It is particularly important in police departments for leaders to develop a strong level of trust while protecting lives and ensuring public safety.
Key components of trust include:
- Integrity is honesty, truthfulness and ethics. It is knowing the right thing to do, even when it is unpopular. If people believe you are of sound moral character, they will trust and follow you.
- Competence refers to your technical, business, interpersonal and leadership skills. You need to assure your followers that you know what you are doing,
- Consistency is being reliable, predictable and stable so you inspire confidence from others.
- Loyalty is your allegiance to others and willingness to protect them. You should manage the tendency to split your loyalty between those who follow you and those whom you follow.
- Openness means being truthful about what others need to know. It also means being able to receive messages without judging or dismissing the other person. This applies to both task-related and personal matters. [2]
Some leadership skills are innate, and others can be developed through observational learning. How might organizations develop effective leaders? Workshops have proven to be beneficial for people of all ranks and positions.
Hosting a leadership workshop
Leadership workshops are designed to provide the necessary theory and practical training for those wanting to develop into better leaders. Trainees can be sent to established off-site workshops, or law enforcement organizations can host them. Here are a few guidelines for hosting.
Purpose
The first thing a workshop host must do is to specify clearly the workshop coverage and the intended audience — new leaders, experienced leaders, or executive leaders.
Trainer
Contact a credible trainer or training organization. Assess their ability to meet your needs. Ask about the preferred training group size, workshop venue and number of training sessions necessary (half days, full days, weeks, etc.). Ask if the trainer has ever trained law enforcement personnel. Discuss costs, training materials, certificates, etc. Determine if the trainer or you will provide materials. Ask about audio-visual equipment. Ensure that training booklets cover PowerPoint slides and allow space for note-taking.
Police1.com provides names of training organizations; here are a few:
- Law Enforcement Supervisor Leadership Training Program (LESLTP)
- National Sheriffs’ Association
- International Association of Chiefs of Police: Leadership in Police Organizations
- FBI National Academy: Supervisor Leadership Institute and Command Leadership Institute
- Southern Police Institute
Budget
If your organization provides a budget for the event, determine how much more you will need to meet your expenses. Determine how much to charge each trainee to help cover those costs.
Venue
Once you have decided the above, locate a venue where you can hold the workshop. They should be able to accommodate the size of your workshop on the dates you wish to hold it. Be sure the area has space for classroom seating, experiential exercises with dyads and groups, and outside activities if necessary. Be sure the training area is comfortable and air-conditioned, and sends the message of the importance of this training and the respect for the trainees.
Vendors
Contact vendors regarding any food you wish to provide trainees. Most workshops will include morning and afternoon snacks; inform trainees they can find several restaurants nearby or bring their own lunch. Otherwise, schedule a lunch service.
Advertise
You need to advertise your workshop through a medium that will reach your intended audience. If you are choosing participants from within your organization, send each one a personal invitation. You should include the title of your workshop, location, dates, registration dates and fees, and the learning objectives/desired outcome of the workshop. Emphasize that the workshop will include experiential exercises to apply theoretical material. Be sure to word your outcomes using measurable, attainable goals; for example: At the end of the workshop, you should be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to send and receive open messages about work-related and nonwork-related matters.
- State the importance of the basic managerial functions such as planning, organizing, staffing, coordinating, delegating, decision-making, time management, controlling, and more.
- Describe the benefits of self-awareness and how it benefits your ability to lead others.
Audio-visual equipment
Work with trainers to determine any special equipment they need and show up early to ensure that it works properly.
Additional staff
Determine where you might need help in coordinating the workshop, and recruit staff to assist.
Greetings
As a host, you should be prepared to welcome everyone to the workshop, highlight its importance, introduce the trainer and their credentials, and conduct a brief ice-breaker exercise, whether it is having participants stand and stretch, have each introduce themself to the person on the right or left, or any other activity. Consult with the trainer before doing this. It may already be included in the trainer’s program.
Survey
Following the workshop, ask participants to complete a survey telling what they learned, liked best, felt could be improved, felt could have been included etc. Encourage constructive feedback that can be used for future sessions.
Conclusion
Hosting workshops provides the unique opportunity to customize and direct the content to meet specific needs and goals. This tailored approach ensures that participants gain the most relevant and impactful insights.
References and suggested readings
1. Sinek S. (2014.) Leaders eat last: Why some teams pull together and some don’t. Woodland Hills, CA: Penguin Audio Books.
2. Schindler PL, Thomas CC. (1993.) The structure of interpersonal trust in the workplace. Psychological reports, 73:563-573.
Stull TJ. (2009.) Trust in police officer-sergeant relationships. Professional issues in criminal justice, 4(2):59-70.
About the authors
Jim Stull is an Emeritus Professor of business at San Jose State University, where he spent over 30 of his 44 years in higher education. He earned his Ph.D. in organizational communication from Purdue University, specializing in openness and trust between leaders and team members; his teaching and research emphasized cross-cultural communication, diversity and inclusion in the workforce. He has served in various administrative roles, authored over 200 publications, and provided coaching, training and presentation services for individuals and more than 80 business, government, educational and community organizations.
Jake Stull has served as a police officer in the Aurora (Colorado) Police Department since 2003; he currently holds the rank of Lieutenant and the position of Deputy Commander. He taught criminal justice courses at Purdue University Global for over a decade. He completed the Leadership Trilogy through the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association, the Public Safety Leadership Development Program at Daniels College of Business/University of Denver, and the Leadership in Police Organizations presented by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Prior to law enforcement, he worked with incarcerated juveniles at the Santa Clara County Probation Department in California and coached high school athletics.