"Roberts Under the Hat"
In the last few weeks’ leadership has been the topic of many of my conversations. Good leadership and bad leadership. At first, I said maybe my ideas only pertain to the profession of arms, since that is the world I live in. Well, I think that good leadership applies everywhere. Leadership is in every aspect of our lives, such as leading your household or leadership at work. Principles of good leadership are fluid and will fit in every scenario. What is a good leader? Well, in my opinion, a good leader is a servant. The first principle of leadership is servitude. A leader is simply not a position of authority and greatness. It is, in fact, a position of service. As a leader, we must be willing to serve those we lead. We must be willing to sacrifice and go above and beyond for those that look to us for leadership. We must be willing to work harder and longer. We must be willing to put ourselves out so that our people can be successful. We must be willing to work for free, work tired, work hungry and take the jobs nobody wants. We must serve our people! The next principle is setting the example. Many leaders out there lead with the mindset do as I say not as I do. This for a lack of better words is a big pile of horse S***. In the Army we lived the standards of being, know, do when it comes to leadership. We must set the example of success and greatness. How can you drive your followers to greatness and success, if you are jacked up like a soup sandwich? If you want your patrol shift to achieve the intermediate and advanced level licenses, then you better already have it or better be steadily working on it. You want your men to shoot expert at the next qualification then you better be shooting that 36 or better out of 40 on the range. If you want your children to be respectful and clean, well then mom or dad better fix yourself. You as a leader are the walking and talking standard. Your followers should be able to look at you and know what they are working towards. Never ask your men or women to do something you are not willing to or haven’t done yourself. Integrity is the foundation of it all. The third principle, but not the least by any means is Integrity. You must be honest. You must be willing to admit your faults and take responsibility for them. Sometimes you have to take the heat for one of your people, welcome to leadership. Be honest with yourself and with your people. They will truly respect you more if you have integrity. By taking responsibility good or bad and learning from it, you are setting the stage for greatness with your followers. Growth is the fourth principle. You as the leader must grow. You demand excellence from your followers, make sure you are giving them the same. You as an individual while pushing your team to greatness should be reaching for it yourself. Always work towards being a better leader, better cop, better soldier, better parent, better Mailroom guy, etc…. Being promoted is not a stop sign of progression, if anything it’s a turbo boost. Not only should you and your followers grow as a team you should all be growing as individuals as well. Push yourself as well as your team to achieve greatness. Push them to grow to be the very best. The fifth and last principle are to be firm but fair. Being a leader is not a position of friendship it is a position of leadership. You must be fair but firm with those you lead. Establish the standard and enforce it. You are not helping them grow if you try and be their friend instead of their boss. Sometimes honesty hurts, but it is almost always productive. Do not be afraid to correct them, they expect it and need it. Always congratulate a good job and help fix the bad ones. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Servitude, setting the example, integrity, growth, and firm, fair leadership I feel are some of the most important principles concerning leadership. The Army non-commissioned officer’s creed has a line in it that is the truest line I have ever read. “All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership.” Ladies and gentlemen leadership is not about you; it is about your team and the mission. I once read that good leadership is telling your men, to go to hell and having them look forward to the trip. Unfortunately, in today’s society, we deal with more bad, unqualified self-serving leaders than we do a good leader. Be a good one. Always put your men first, lead from the front and achieve greatness.
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Robert HecklerFormer US Army infantryman and combat veteran. worked in law enforcement as a patrol supervisor, instructor, and SWAT operator. Holds a BS in criminal justice management and currently working towards his masters Archives
August 2015
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