Command and Staff Program

By Readiness Network, Inc.

Leadership in Practice: Effective Leadership

Replies
458
Voices
237
Dr. Mitch Javidi
Instructions:  
  1. Post a new discussion related to the topics covered in this module.  Your post needs to provide specific lessons learned with examples from this module helping you enhance your leadership capacity at work.
  2. After posting your discussion, review posts provided by other students in the class and reply to at least one of them. 
  • Justin Haynes

    I can not place more emphasis on one of the traits than another. I think the lecturer did a great job by continuously stating that these build upon on another and all culminate in collaboration. I would not have thought this way had I simply read the titles but now I am left with the likelihood/possibility that collaboration in conjunction with the previous five is where I will lay my opinion on as far as importance.

  • Clayton Feagins

    The instructor explained the styles of some very successful leaders during watching this material. Despite the fact that these leaders differed greatly from one another, they were all able to lead because they shared the qualities of competence, empathy, communication, bravery, and effective teamwork.

    • Justin Haynes

      Clayton, what I like about you wrote was the part about shared qualities.

      Great post.

      Justin

  • I believe that credibility is the most vital trait of a successful police leader. Credibility is the foundation of trust and respect, both within the department and on the street. To me, credibility equals honesty, respect, and trust. It transforms good leadership into great leadership, creating an environment where officers feel empowered, supported, and motivated to strive for excellence in their duties. Maintaining this credibility requires continuous effort and integrity. This is undoubtedly challenging, because none of us are perfect, but in the end, the results are well worth the effort.

    • Clayton Feagins

      I agree a leader with credibility creates a positive work environment where officers feel empowered and motivated to excel. They will be more likely to follow the leader's guidance and directions, knowing that it comes from a place of honesty and integrity.

  • Lewis Blanchard

    This module had several great leaders referenced. Hearing from people such as a talk show host, all the way to a former President was insightful. Each has a myriad of different leadership experiences and offers something worth learning or learning what not to do. Their leadership styles differ slightly, while offering perspectives to think or approach problems. I personally thought that General Patton was interesting as I have never listened to a speech given by him. I also thought that Jack Welch was interesting to hear again. I have read many articles written by him.

  • Thomas Shay

    Of the six traits of successful police leaders I believe communication is the most important. When in a leadership position, you are in constant communication with the people you lead. At times, you will need to relay messages that your people may not always like. This is the true test of your leadership and credibility come in to play. Another part that was discussed is the need to influence those who have authority. I have seen this multiple times when change is needed that requires a collaborative agreement. Due to working in a chain of command, when there is a supervisor in the line who doesn't have the ability to communicate or the courage to do so, it can cause problems to linger until that supervisor is replaced.

  • Reynaldo Gregory

    I enjoyed the lecture from these leaders. My biggest take was courage. Having the courage to stand up for what’s right with your team and supporting them when they are at odds with management I believe helps build confidence in your team members that you will support them no matter what.

  • Mitch Allen

    This was a great teaching module. I took away from this module that you lead from the front, mean what you say, and trust is imperative for both the leader and the followers. If you are not a credible leader and people do not trust you then you will never survive in law enforcement. Trust is a two-way street in law enforcement that moves back and forth between the leader and followers.

    • Lewis Blanchard

      Mitch:

      To repeat what General Patton said, “Never tell people how to do things tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” This is certainly a way to lead people. In law enforcement, we can train people until we are blue in the face, but until they get out there and do it themselves, they might never learn. To me, this is the “ingenuity” part that General Patton is talking about. You are right, trust is a two-way street.

  • I really enjoyed hearing the overviews from these effective leaders throughout history. After learning all of these leadership concepts and methods, it was nice to see them put to work by identifying them throughout the speeches and overviews.
    The 6 Traits of a Successful Police Leader lecture truly drives home the leadership concepts I have been studying throughout this program. Of these noted traits I think courage can be the most challenging at times. We must grow this trait so we can be able to make those hard, tough decisions. We must have courage to have tough talks with our personnel when needed. Although it can change a relationship, it helps us stay true to our values and morals and I think people can respect that.

  • Ben Jones

    I enjoyed this module from Dr. Larry Long. He used several inspirational leaders from various time frames to paint the picture for effective leadership. The six traits of a successful police leader are traits most leaders need to encompass. The two traits that stood out to me were credibility and courage. These traits form the foundation of a leader and build off one another to reach collaboration. With being credible, a leader exhibits effective communication, possess competence and cares about their subordinates. General Colin Powell painted the picture of being firm, but fair and having the courage to do the right thing for the betterment of the organization, even if that means disciplining individuals who aren’t living up to organizational standards.

  • This module was very inspirational and motivating. I enjoyed Jack Welch’s look at leadership and how he emphasized that leaders need to try to not manage everything and try to manage less. Law Enforcement officers don’t want to be micromanaged and want to feel they can do their job without always being shadowed or under a microscope in everything they do. Allowing your employees to do their job will help them gain the confidence it takes to do the job well and in turn will help build trust in the leader-employee relationship. His 3 great advice points were also enlightening. When training new hires, I try to encourage them to go above and beyond what is asked of them because it will influence their relationship with the people they are helping, which is most often community members. Staying positive is essential in a job that we are frequently dealing with negativity and can greatly impact your outlook life as a whole. The last piece of advice of not wearing your ambition on your forehead is also great advice as we need to stay humble with everything we do, otherwise, at best, you look like a jerk and will hinder your relationships with your partners.

    • Ben Jones

      Adam:
      This is spot on with law enforcement. The primary issue I hear from subordinates deals with micro-managing. Perceptions of what micro-managing looks like differ from person to person. I have had success by adjusting my leadership styles to fit the narrative to overcome this. One of the topics I stress and believe in is the concept of leading by instruction, not necessarily by example. Leading by example should be the job of the Field Training Officer. Even though at times supervisors are doing the same thing, it is viewed different when it’s peer to peer. It has been through my experience that some supervisors are too involved on a call for service, while assisting an officer. There is a time and place for this, but not on every call. This is typically caused by the building of frustration dealing with time management and wanting quick results. In my opinion, this only hinders the officer’s ability with learning the job and understanding their purpose. I have no problem with supervisors going to scenes with their officers, as they should, but for some, they need to take a step back and let the officer work and only intervene when necessary. As for the additional advice points, I agree with those too.

  • Jessica Daley

    Learning about the 6 traits of successful police leaders was eye opening. I have never thought of summing up a leader with those 6 traits. However, if I look at the successful leaders I know, they all thrive at those traits. Specifically caring. In the police world if you are seen as a caring person then you are often seen as soft. The police world often frowns on having feelings. But the truth is we all have them. We all care on some level. The best leaders I know, care. They show they care as well in their everyday actions.

    • Thomas Shay

      The best leaders I have worked for in law enforcement showed their caring by pushing for the development of their team. They would push for their officers to get additional training, worked side by side with them when taking on a new challenges for guidance and stood up for them when complaints were not warranted. Some supervisors are mad or hold back a good officer from transferring to specialized units because they don't want to lose their talents in their own unit. Caring leaders are happy that the officer has progressed to these new assignments.

  • Derick Eidahl

    The lecture covered many good points when referring to effective leadership. I am military history nerd so I really enjoyed the video from Colin Powell. Though he said many great things, I can’t help but to disagree with one. He talks about not looking back and only looking out the windshield of life. I personally think it’s extremely important to look back sometimes. It helps you remember where you came from and will help understand the current path you are on.

    • Derick, I agree that I think it is important to look back. We must reflect on our past in order to grow. Like you said, it also helps us remember where we came from and truly understand our current path. I have always said I never want to be one of those supervisors that just makes admin decisions and forgets about all of my patrol experience and working the roads. I do think we should be cautious when looking back though. Sometimes, we can tend to dwell on it too much, which becomes detrimental rather than beneficial.

  • Michael Kathman

    I find that courage is the most challenging trait. Not the courage to face danger or some other traditional interpretation. But, having to make those tough decisions or having to have those tough talks. Especially so, when it's about or with someone whom you have a long-standing, maybe even friendly, relationship with. Those talks and decisions sometimes seem to be in contradiction to another trait--caring. Worrying that someone will perceive that you don't care about them can cause fear that can result in inaction. That is when you need courage the most.

    • Derick Eidahl

      Yes, courage is paramount in leadership. I feel that making those hard decisions is one of the most challenging parts of leadership. Without the courage to make that decision or hesitate to make the decision, the repercussion can cost people their lives. I always tell my younger leaders or leader potentials, its not if you make the right decision its merely the the fact that you made a decision.

  • Christopher Kozub

    I am a firm believer that trust is the most important thing that we need to have in law enforcement. We need to trust our subordinates to do the right thing and to make the right decisions. This trust also should come by not having to to micromanage individuals as well. I see that as a lack thereof trust in those that you supervise, if you trust them, give them space and allow them to do their jobs.

    • Couldn't agree more. Without trust agencies will fall apart and people will not want to come work for you. Allow your employees to do their job, then watch them learn and grow as this helps build on their confidence.

  • Jon Swenson

    I enjoyed learning about the different qualities of each of the showcased leaders. I was familiar with all of them but didn't fully realize all that each were known for. I particularly enjoyed learning more about Gen Colin Powell. I found his statement "The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stop leading them" interesting.

    • Michael Kathman

      Gen. Powell's statement struck me as well. I've always enjoyed the fact that a wide array of people bounce in and out of my office. A lot of the time it's to discuss problems--both professional and personal. I felt pretty good about that after hearing Gen. Powell say that. It also made me aware that I need to make sure that it continues.

    • Jessica Daley

      I agree. Learning about all the different leaders was great. We know the names, but not necessarily what they are really know for. I did not realize how many awards Gen. Patton had received.

    • Jon, I clung to that statement he made as well. If we lose the trust and respect from our people, our credibility has tanked, and we have failed at leading. This statement accurately depicts why we need to be deliberate in growing relationships with our personnel that focus on trust, respect, and two-way communication.

  • Nicholas Wenzel

    The quote that really hit home was General Colin Powell. "The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stop leading them." I know it can be frustrating when you are trying to do something and get approached with a problem. I know there are times that I think why can't they solve this without me. Although this is the wrong response for being an effective leader and I need to put a bigger focus on my people then the project I am working on. I thought about this more during the lesson with the amount of problems being brought to me. I changed my view and felt that they trusted me with their problems and what needs to be done.

    • Reynaldo Gregory

      I agree when team members can come to you with their problems it’s not a sight of weakness on their part but a sign of trust in your leadership qualities.

  • Caleb Tesdahl

    This module helped me to understand the importance of the 6 traits of successful police leaders. I know there are some I need to work on and some I feel I excel at. I loved the quote "credible leaders effectively motivate their members" and "lead by energizing others". I find easy to follow someone who is passionate about what they are doing as long as they are doing it for the right reasons.

    • Mitch Allen

      Caleb, you make a good point regarding the 6 traits of successful police leaders. I too feel that I could improve in some categories but just taking this course is energizing to me. This course is opening my eyes to things that I do or don't do and giving it meaning to me as a leader in my agency.

  • Emily Warnygora

    Of the six trails of successful leaders, I feel that courage is the most important. With courage you can say and do the more difficult things. The quote from Colin Powell that "the good followers know who the bad followers are and they're waiting for you to do something about it" is something that I will keep as a reminder on dealing with problematic people as their behavior impacts the entire organization.

    • Jon Swenson

      I completely agree with you when it comes to courage. Having courage is what distinguishes high quality leaders from the rest of the pack.

  • Brian J. Blache, Sr.

    I found this module on effective leadership very relatable to my current role. I have seen how important it is for leaders to possess credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration traits. Leaders who embody these qualities inspire trust and promote teamwork. As I aspire to take on more significant leadership roles in the future, I understand the value of applying these traits, especially credibility. This knowledge will help me develop a leadership style that creates a positive, inclusive, and productive work environment, benefiting my career growth.

    • Brian, I also found the insights from the module on effective leadership to be relevant to my position. In my role, the importance of credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration cannot be overstated. I've witnessed firsthand how leaders who exemplify these traits create trust and teamwork within our department (and the opposite). Credibility has been particularly crucial; it's the foundation upon which all other aspects of effective leadership are built.

  • Gregory Sumner

    The 6 Traits of Successful Police Leaders are care, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration. In this module, there were numerous video's about different leaders and their leadership. Throughout the videos, all of the leaders showed that they displayed the traits of care, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration, which made them successful leaders.

    • Brian J. Blache, Sr.

      It's remarkable how these leaders were able to exemplify these traits and achieve success.

  • Angel Maranto

    Credibility is the cornerstone of leadership that revolves around the leader being believable. That leader needs to show empathy, respect, foresight, and trustworthiness. Without communication, the leader's acts may be misunderstood and unweighted by their followers.

    • Gregory Sumner

      I believe credibility is the most important trait of a successful leader. I was always taught that a person is only as good as their words.

  • Lawrence Hurst

    This module covered effective leadership and six traits of successful leaders. All six of these traits are truly valuable but if could choose one as my foundation it would be caring. I feel that if a leader truly cares about others then the other 5 traits will simply be a byproduct of caring. Caring will ensure that an effective leaders embodies all six of these traits listed.

  • Jeffrey Snyder

    Effective leadership requires a combination of various qualities such as communication skills, integrity, empathy, emotional intelligence, and having a clear vision for the organization or group being led. These qualities are essential in inspiring and motivating team members toward achieving success while fostering a positive work environment.

  • Jason Demoulin

    I was really intrigued by the overview of Jack Welch. His philosophies should be required reading in any leadership course. "Do not manage by authority, direct by intellect, and put values first" is great advice. This man lead a fortune 500 company to great success and his philosophies hold true for any profession.

  • Credibility is the most important trait for a successful leader to possess. Having credibility as a leader means that the leader is well put together, and they have a group of followers that want to be just like them. If a leader did not have credibility, it will make they job twice as hard as it should be and no one will true them.

  • Kyle Webb

    Many of the leaders highlighted in this module show that the traits of a true leader are universal no matter the industry or profession they are in. I can think of good examples and bad examples I have been shown over the years. I have found that if one genuinely cares about his people, and is willing to admit he is "not the smartest person in the room" and will collaborate with his people, everything falls into place.

    • Lawrence Hurst

      Kyle a very much agree without your statement. If a leader truly cares about their people then they will do whatever it takes to ensure that others succeed.

  • Giovanni Tarullo

    The foundation of trust is built on the skill of credibility, this is what leadership is built on. When a leader has no credibility, they are viewed as untrustworthy by their peers and are seen as lacking ethical and moral values. An effective leader uses the six traits as described in the module to empower their people with knowledge and the abilities for them to grow. This can be done by listening, encouraging, mentoring, providing training opportunities, and giving sound advice when needed.

  • Allan Tabora

    What I took away from this training is that credibility is priceless. Once a leader has earned the credibility of his/her team, they will be able to sell a goal. People want to be led, but by leadership built in trust and credibility. Of the six traits to be a successful police leader, you can teach competence, communication and collaboration but a leader must develop caring, credibility and courage by leading with integrity and his/her core moral values.

    • Giovanni Tarullo

      Allan Tabora, I agree with you on this. We both have worked under supervisors who lacked credibility and learned a lot of ways a leader should not conduct themselves. The lack of credibility will create a culture that does not trust their leader and view them as having a lack of integrity.

  • Jennifer Callaway

    Vince Lombardi was more than just a football coach. He was a credible leader with trust and integrity. His effectiveness and credibility as a leader and a role model in football is his legacy. Many quote him to this day. I have been to more than one leadership training that has quoted him. To have an award established in your name is symbolistic of effective leadership, especially a trophy that signifies one has done their best.

  • Jesse Tallant

    Effective leadership combines all of the other leadership ideas we have recently studied. The skills have to come together and guide a leader to be successful. Ideas are nothing if you don’t have a plan and an action plan including those skills when leading others. Caring is listed first among the six traits of successful law enforcement leadership. If we don’t care about others or the department we work for, our administration will be weak, and we want to be able to inspire followers.

  • I believe that being courageous is important. You have to be mentally and morally courageous in order to do the job as an effective law enforcement leader. Hard decisions and allowing for open feedback are part of being courageous.

    • Jesse Tallant

      I agree that courage is a strong factor in being a great law enforcement leader. It takes courage to make decisions and to put your name on it. It takes courage to take responsibility for positive and negative outcomes.

    • Angel Maranto

      Troy, I agree! Courage is required in all that we do. Courage to overcome fears and barriers, to go outside the lines!

    • Emily Warnygora

      I agree, Troy. You need courage to say and do the more difficult things that may need to be done.

  • Megan Russell

    This module explained the six traits of a successful police leader. We learned how important caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration are in leadership. Credibility stands out to me the most in this module. In my opinion, a leader with no credibility cannot possess the other five traits.

    • Allan Tabora

      I agree Megan. Out of most of the traits we have been exposed to during this leadership course, credibility seems like the one as law enforcement professional can't do without. If a leader is not credible to his/her team or the community, it can not effective lead.

    • Kyle Webb

      I agree with you that a leader who has gained their credibility with his followers is the result of their incorporation of the other traits.

    • Jeffrey Snyder

      I agree, Megan. People may have other leadership traits, but those traits are useless without credibility.

  • Amy Pope

    I believe that Jack Welch's statement about over-deliver is just as applicable to a leader with their subordinates as it is to an employee to a supervisor. When employees see that their leader routinely goes above and beyond what has been requested or what is needed at the time then they will begin to mirror the behavior. But not only is the result of their behavior, but the leader builds credibility as someone that can be trusted and counted on in any situation.

  • Travis Dunsford

    I have always believed that trust is the most important trait that anyone in law enforcement could possess. Credibility is what defines each of us and the legacy that we create. Without credibility we are destined to fail.

  • Eric McElroy

    This was a great module of influence. The recognized people are very influential and continuously remind me of what I can accomplish. The brands of leadership are different, but the accomplishment is what defines the individuals. Followers are responsible for absorbing all they can and establishing a pattern of successful behavior that will ultimately result in a better work climate.

  • Bill McGuire

    Credibility to me stands out as the most important trait because it is the sum of all the other traits combined.

    • Travis Dunsford

      Yes, Bill, Credibility is definitely one that sticks out. To me, all the other traits combined are what create a leader’s credibility. As all of the traits are important, without credibility the other traits will fail.

    • Megan Russell

      Bill, I agree with you statement! Without credibility all the other qualities are lost in a leader.

    • I agree, credibility is important for law enforcement leaders. If followers don't see you as a credible person and leader, they will lose respect and it promotes cynicism within the agency.

  • Credibility is the most important trait without a doubt. To me, you can be a good communicator, caring, competent, have courage, and collaborate with others but I don’t believe it’s truly effective if you don’t have credibility.

    • Eric McElroy

      A credible leader is a brand of leadership that creates an environment for success. If people are confident in those that lead, it is easy to create a compelling atmosphere with open lines of communication.

  • Jeffrey Griffin

    During the module, Dr. Long referenced a quote from Ronald Reagan that highlights the importance of not being concerned about receiving credit in order to accomplish great things. Additionally, he expressed the belief that a leader's greatness is not measured by their own accomplishments, but rather by their ability to inspire and guide their team to achieve greatness. This underscores the significance of building a strong team and giving them the freedom to do their best work.

  • Chiquita A. Broussard

    I liked Oprah Winfrey's speech. I like that she realized she had a problem, changed her approach, and pulled her network up. Successful people fail sometimes. Failure prevents plateaus and promotes growth. Learning from the experience and using it to inspire others is a great accomplishment.

    • Jeffrey Griffin

      I completely agree with your assessment that her speech was truly inspiring. In particular, the way she effectively leverages adversity to propel the growth of the OWN network is a testament to her remarkable fortitude and unwavering determination to succeed. It is truly impressive to see how she has been able to channel her animosity into something positive, and as a result, the network has flourished under her leadership.

    • Jennifer Callaway

      I loved this speech as well. Oprah is correct that you cannot change anything if you do not do anything about it.

  • John Lynd

    In law enforcement, my mentors have always told me that the two most powerful tools we police officers have are our mouths and an ink pen—both used to communicate. We can use our mouths to communicate with a suspect to elicit a confession to a crime or to talk a suicidal subject down from a ledge. We can certainly assess every situation we face regarding our fellow team members and adequately communicate. Without good communication, none of the other traits can be adequately conveyed to succeed as a police leader.

  • Josh Cathcart

    This module was a very good reminder of what we as leaders should all strive to be like. The effective leadership styles presented by the many great leaders in the module were impactful and motivating and would benefit anybody watching. While there were many great quotes contained in the module, my favorite leadership quote was “You know you are a leader when, people follow you just out of curiosity”. – General Colin Powell.

  • Randy Stallworth

    I think one of the biggest issues that face leaders in our profession is communication. Mr. Sam Walton stated that "none of us was smarter than all of us". This has been proven time and again. Yet we still have leaders that feel that knowledge is the power that they are not willing to share. This has to change.

    • John Lynd

      Communication is one of the most significant issues among leaders in the law enforcement profession. Without good communication, none of the other traits can be adequately conveyed to succeed as a police leader.

  • Robert Fennell

    I enjoyed Jack Welch’s presentation. His suggestions of maintaining a positive attitude and “don’t walk around with ambition on your forehead” are spot on. I thought his first suggestion of “over deliver” was excellent. This is something I have failed to do in the past, but intend to implement going forward.

    • Amy Pope

      I agree, the concept of over-deliver is a trait that is often left out when people are developing their personal work and leadership styles. With the busyness of work and life, we do what needs to be done and then move on to the next project without considering that we could have done more.

  • The six traits of a successful police leader are caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration. Courage in this reference is courage to do the right thing. I believe this is the most important trait. Police leaders that fail in this category are the ones that could likely be subject to a federal indictment and tarnish the reputation of our profession.

  • James Mackey

    This module spoke to the importance of developing relationships with those within and, more importantly, outside our organization. This includes staff, clients, stakeholders, and other members of our community. Building strong relationships based on trust, respect, and understanding can create a positive working environment wherein our team members are motivated to work together towards common goals. Moreover, these connections become invaluable when we need to rely on the support of others to fulfill our objectives.

    • Josh Cathcart

      I agree with you that it is important to develop relationships. The module was full of leaders who believed you must develop relationships to be successful. This was especially true for Sam Walton. I really enjoyed his quote that stated, "None of us is smarter than all of us". - Sam Walton.

  • Mitch Nelson

    These six successful police leader traits may seem like a daunting list at first. But if you are a credible leader than you probably already exhibit most of these. However, we should never feel we have arrived as leaders and should always seek to improve on our foundations and seek to learn more skills.

    • James Mackey

      Agreeing with the sentiment that leaders should continuously seek to improve their foundations, it is important to note that there are many different ways this can be achieved. Developing soft skills such as interpersonal communication and problem-solving is essential for successful leadership, as these skills allow leaders to collaborate effectively with others and strategically solve complex problems.

  • Jason Wade

    Most law enforcement leaders will see themselves as courageous, because we put on armor and wear weapons to protect others and have done so for years with several accomplishments to show for their courage. In listening to the strengths it made me consider the level of courage leaders must have in order to lead these similar types of courageous personalities. This is the courage to do what is right when no one is looking, not just when the fight is on. This is also giving that feedback to friends and do-workers that maybe painful but is the right thing to do.

    • Randy Stallworth

      Jason, you hit the nail on the head. Courage has nothing to do with what we wear to work. Some of us confuse this. Courage is standing up for your people and making sure they are taken care of.

  • Daniel Hudson

    I enjoyed the embedded videos featuring key leaders over the years. It was interesting to see that the leadership principles we have been studying throughout this course are present regardless of the type of work they were in.

    Colin Powell's quote, "the good followers know who the bad followers are and are waiting to see what you do about it," is a real thing. Everything you do or fail to do as a leader is being looked at and judged.

    • Mitch Nelson

      Dan, I too enjoyed hearing from the different key leaders perspectives and also to kind of mix up the module a bit.

    • Robert Fennell

      I enjoyed Powell's video also. I liked his attitude of "always looking forward" and his quote you referenced here. They are both sound advise and things we should always remember.

    • I enjoyed all of the different videos featuring key leaders as well. Some of the quotes I have heard before and some I have not. The quote you reference is definitely real. I remember younger in my career watching to see what some of the leaders we had would do with some of the bad people who were employed at the time with us and judging their leadership based on this.

  • Patrick Brandle

    Dr. Long mentioned a famous General George Patton quote, “never tell people how to do things. Tell them what you want to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity”. I really liked this quote as a reminder to let others shine and give them the opportunity to do something amazing. We might even learn something new from their creative solutions to a problem. This also gives someone ownership of a task if they take charge from beginning to end.

    • Jason Wade

      I have enjoyed learning about Payton as well, and that quote was one of those statements that seems so simple, but even decades after it was said we still struggle with not letting our troops learn to do the work. This goes back to the life lesson of teach the man to fish or giving them several fish, and which is better for long term and short term.

  • Jarrett Holcombe

    I enjoyed the breakdown of the six traits and how they were illustrated through the nine speakers. For me, caring, competence, and credibility are the cornerstones to successful leadership. When we excel at each of these three, communication, courage, and collaboration tend to fall into place accordingly. I believe that we as leaders must work at each of these traits daily. By committing to development and application each of these traits each day on a micro level, over time we will see the results on the macro level in regards to our leadership capital and influence.

    • Patrick Brandle

      I liked the six traits as well. Noting people in law enforcement chose them was a plus. I agree that each trait learned and practiced will build a leader from the foundation up if these traits are brought together and used daily.

    • Daniel Hudson

      Jarrett,
      This video is also a part of this module that I enjoyed. We have seen this within our organization in recent supervisor meetings; It was interesting to see how members came up with solutions to the issues that were brought up. People are an essential part of any organization; use them wisely.

  • Patrick Hall

    In this module presented several different leaders and their leadership perspectives on how they motivated others or used to motivate themselves to succeed; they all shed a grounded root in the caring and serving of others. caring for those they lead rather or more than for their own personal reasons. I especially loved Mr. Sam Walton's values of "We are in business to serve people" and "none of us is smarter than all of us." A successful leader must be caring, be seem as competent, have credibility from his followers, must communicate strategically, have courage, and finally be able to collaborate others to work as a team.

  • Chad Parker

    This module help me understand some leadership traits I’m lacking in as well as some I do regularly. I enjoyed listening to all the speakers give their perspective, knowledge, and real life experiences on being an effective leader. Most of them said a lot of the same things which means to me that it must works. I liked the analogy that Colin Powell said about looking at life through the front windshield and not looking back. You can’t do anything about what’s behind you. Learn from it and move on.

    • Patrick Hall

      yes, yes, yes. I understand this view. How can you go forward if you are always looking backwards. time waits on anyone. So, why waste your time and energy look at the past when you ca not do anything about it. Instead focus on the future and the things that you can change or influence an outcome on.

  • The six successful traits taught in this module are extremely important to be a great leader, and most other characteristics can be defined within these traits. Compassion is equal to caring; Competence is equivalent to knowledge; credibility is similar to trust, and so forth. To me, the most crucial issue among these is understanding each one of them and ensuring that you possess something from each one. You must set ego aside and know that we are there for them, and we must teach them everything we can. I was told this when I was a young Marine, “When you do a task or a job, do it better than what your boss expects.” This is an example of Gen. George Patton’s statement: “never tell people how to do things, tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”

  • Elliot Grace

    Having a knowledge of all of the leadership traits, caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration provides what an effective leader needs to know in order to lead guide and direct his organization. However, to be successful, the leader has to implement those traits into their leadership and to be genuine while doing so. If they’re needing adjustments due to areas they’re weak in, then they need to address their deficiency by seeking out honest feedback from their team so that improvements can be made.

  • Kevin Carnley

    I enjoyed the modules and the various examples presented. Its sad we don't have more current examples of effective leadership in our county today. I often wonder why we lack these qualities in presidential candidates today. Back to the assignment. I hadn't heard the Ronald Reagan quote before "If we don't worry about getting credit we can all get things accomplished". I have never been big on seeking credit for something. I have to remind myself to acknowledge others, when its something I wouldn't expect.

  • Joe Don Cunningham

    I enjoyed the videos of the leaders of the past. Those where people who were educated, not only in formal education but many of them during a time of war. We can learn a lot from these leaders because they cared for their people and this country.

  • Jeremy Pitchford

    Session #015
    The Patton quote, "Never tell people what to do. Tell them what you want done and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." is an underutilized tactic in law enforcement. We get so concerned with process that we turn officers into robots. I think we should practice letting our officers surprise us. This will give them confidence and help them to develop leadership skills.

  • Joseph Spadoni

    Joseph Spadoni Jr.
    Session #15

    In this module, we saw overviews of great leaders throughout the world but most importantly we learned about the six traits of a successful police leader. We were lectured on the importance of possessing qualities of integrity and proficiency and that we must be seen as possessing the knowledge to solve problems and move the relationship between the leader and follower to goal attainment, and effectively motivate our team and inspire goal achievement.

  • Cedric Gray

    These traits, or a lack of them, are part of every exchange leaders have with followers, even if the exchanges are personal. They help guide behavior that shows we act in the best interests of our organizations and their members.

  • Paul Smith

    Effective leaders should have the 6 traits of leadership. I don’t believe they need to be an expert on all six, but must know what they do wrong and correct themselves as they go. An effective leader will make the greatest impact on the agency.

    • Paul, this is good to understand. Many supervisors today don't admit when they are wrong or see what they are doing wrong. The old saying, "It's my way or the highway," is a saying that has no meaning today. Through feedback from our subordinates, we will get (for the most part) honest answers about how we are leading. If subordinates don't like how we supervise/lead, they will quickly advise us on what they want. Taking that into account and adjusting our methods will allow us to be better leaders.

  • Jason Doucet

    Being an effective leader is truly a something to work on daily. The impacts that a person can have on an organization is tremendous, especially with the 6 most common traits of leadership. With the 6 traits, you are more rounded to an organization and are in a situation that you can provide yourself to be useful to all.

    • Paul Smith

      I agree and will also say that leadership is a life time of learning and adapting to the changing culture and environment.

    • Cedric Gray

      I agree that we must work on these traits daily and that is part of remaining grounded

    • Joseph Spadoni

      Jason, I agree. Utilizing the six traits of a successful police leader taught to us in the module will help us in becoming well-rounded leaders and become a more valuable asset to our subordinates and organization.

  • Jimmie Stack

    Of the 6 straits discussed of being a successful leader, I believe credibility and competence are the most important. If you have no credibility I do not believe people will trust you or the information you are trying to convey. Competence is also a trait that a leader must have in order to be effective he or she should know what and why we are doing things.

  • Lance Richards

    Of the 6 listed traits of a successful leader, I believe that credibility and communication are the most important. A leader must be credibility to have have followers and communication is important so that the can effectively communicate his plans and goals to inspire others.

  • Walter Banks

    An effective leader has to have the ability to inspire and motivate others to believe that the task he needs them to perform is worth the effort required of them. Communication is a vital resource when inspiring those who can make the leader's visions reality.

  • Kecia Charles

    Of the 6 traits learned in this lesson, I deemed credibility as being the most important. It is derived from character and competence. Without honesty and trustworthiness others will not share in your vision and work toward the common goal.

    • Lance Richards

      Yes, I agree that being credibility is absolute derived from your character and competence. I think it would be hard for someone who is not credible to have any influence or followers.

  • Tommy “Chris” Weeks

    I have always been a tremendous fan of General Colin Powell and have referenced his leadership primer several times throughout my career. In Lesson #1 of this, he gives the example of what we learned in the last module of being a highly credible leader. He states, "Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off. Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. It's inevitable if you're honorable. Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity: you'll avoid the tough decisions, you'll avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted, and you'll avoid offering differential rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset. Ironically, by procrastinating on the difficult choices, by trying
    not to get anyone mad, and by treating everyone equally "nicely" regardless of their contributions, you'll simply ensure that the only people you'll wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in the organization."

  • Mitchell Lofton

    The six traits of successful police leaders are caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration. In the lecture, it seems each leader was utilizing multiple traits. While one trait has seemed dominant for each leader, I think all are needed to be an effective leader. Each one is like a link in the chain; the stronger the links, the stronger the chain.

    • Jason Doucet

      I agree with you, it definitely takes practice daily to make each link stronger. It opened my eyes to see each of the leaders' tactics and the success they've had with them.

    • Joe Don Cunningham

      I agree Mitch. They must all work together as chain. One without the others cause the chain to become week.

  • Lawrence Dearing

    One of my favorite segment in this module is the interview with Jack Welch. His advice to “always over-deliver”, to have a positive attitude, and to have ambition but not to the point of gloating about it, is invaluable. So many times, people try to just get by with the bare minimum, and we have become a society that makes fun of “over-achievers,” but shooting over the mark, especially in leadership, is what sets us apart from other leaders and managers.

    • Jarrett Holcombe

      I agree. I also believe that the term “over-achieving” is a relative statement to the perception of the individual claiming there was an over-achievement. What some call over-achieving, you or I may call the standard. Very few individuals, in my experience, recognize this or are even willing to acknowledge that they may be complacent or below the standard in their acts. They then fall victim to the “justification game” to feel better about their subpar performance. I’m sure together we could name a plethora of these within our ranks.

  • Chris Fontenot

    – This lesson spoke of several great leaders and gave insight to their mindsets. I share General Patton’s thought of never telling people how to do something, only what you want. Sam Walton’s saying will stick closely with me in the future. (None of us are smarter than all of us!)

    • Lawrence Dearing

      I echo your comments, Chris. One of my Chief's favorite comments to command staff when dealing with challenging people or situations is: you may outsmart one of us, but you won't outsmart all of us. Although dealing with complex issues can be mentally taxing and exhausting, to get into a room with other people who are collaborating about how to solve a particular problem or handle an issue and come up with numerous ideas and finally to reach a solution is magic.

  • Matt Wieland

    What struck me as the most important part of this module were the 6 traits of successful police leaders. I like the concept that the 6 traits are building blocks that start with a very basic part of human dignity, caring about your fellow human. The ultimate goal of successful police leaders is collaboration. This includes collaboration includes community organizations, other governmental organizations, and the people our profession serves.

  • Todd Walden

    I feel like the traits are individual parts of the same machine. Caring is essential but incomplete without credibility or the others. If the machine you want is to be an effective leader, you best have all your parts. However, communication has kept coming up since the beginning of this course. It is hard to inspire without the ability to articulate the end goal.

  • Effective Leadership: The Jack Welch’s 3 great advice points struck a chord with me. The first point of “over-deliver” is something I always try to encourage in new team members. This is not a generational issue as I’ve had challenges with both young and old team members when addressing this notion. The problem I have seen is that some employees just want to do the bare minimum. There is little ambition or a built-in drive of excellence. Although not impossible, this is a difficult trait to teach.

    I also appreciated how the six traits of a successful police leader were laid out to build upon each other. This tied together the previous areas and modules.

    • Chiquita A. Broussard

      I appreciate your comment, Gerald. I don't think the issue is generational in the sense of age. It seems more generational in the hiring age, meaning the group being hired now regardless of their age. No one wants to do anything extra. It affects the quality of the output on all levels because while people are doing the bare minimum, others are gladly accepting the bare minimum. Then the cycle then repeats itself.

  • Devon Dabney

    All of the traits talked about in this module is key but I feel Communication is the most important in leadership. If you are lacking, you should work to improve your communication skills with your subordinates to develop trust. Most employees want a leader who listen and gives honest feedback.

  • Andrew Weber

    I loved the speech by Oprah Winfrey, especially when she made the comment: "There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to get you to move in a different direction." What an amazing way to look at it. I believe that things happen for a reason. We may not know that reason at the time, but looking back and taking an honest approach to things, we are today because of the things that has happened to us in the past. Life, in turn, is about your perspective. As I learned from Monty Python, "Always look on the bright side of life" Taking this notion, along with Winfrey's statement, assess what happened and change it. How can I alter what happened so that it does not happen again?

    • Matt Wieland

      I was also struck by Oprah's unique take on failure and learning from your mistakes. So many people try to do the same thing over and over with the same negative results.

      • Kecia Charles

        As effective leaders, we must first own our mistakes and then work to make amends. Learning from our mistakes is essential to our development as a leader.

  • Kent Ray

    I enjoyed the six traits of successful police leaders section of the module, which continues to reinforce many things previously presented throughout the entire course of study. The trait of communication, which was identified as the most important trait is of particular interest to me since it is required to leverage the remaining five traits. There are so many things that can go wrong if the communication isn’t formulated, adjusted, and presented correctly to the specific person or audience. This trait requires the leader to be very deliberate and calculated in the formulation of each communication regardless of delivery method, since each communication has the potential to help or hurt any given situation. Selecting the correct message and delivery method for a given audience seems to be an art that credible leaders must master. I have seen and had my share of miscommunications that caused unintentional setbacks that required significant work to correct.

  • Jeff Spruill

    At first I chuckled a little to see Oprah on the list of leaders, because I tend to think of her as a "celebrity" and not a leader (even though this was also Ronald Regan's path). But then I started thinking more specifically about how she did what she did. Even before she was founding companies based on her TV success, she was operating off principles that made her stand out. She began her daytime talk show at a time when talk shows were really starting to become the kind of low-brow conflict drama that came to define them. This was during the period when Geraldo Rivera was getting his nose broken by neo-Nazis and Sally Jesse Raphael was doing drag shows. Oprah, however, was convinced that a positive, up-beat style could be marketable. Her willingness to stick by the values that led her to believe this eventually made her the most successful talk show, so much so that we don't really even think of her show as a "day-time talk show." Instead, she is in her own genre. There is a lesson here about being true to what you think your organization is about, even when the trend seems to be going in a different direction.

  • Dan Sharp

    Ronald Reagan stated, “If we don’t worry about getting credit, we can get all things accomplished.” I found this philosophy to be something all leaders should follow. We need to be humble and build up our people by giving them the credit for their accomplishments. I have seen leaders take credit and put on a resume something that was accomplished by their troops and the leader had very little to do with it. Many leaders are too concerned about their own personal goals and fail to promote their people. This makes the leader more credible, caring and courageous.

    • Jeff Spruill

      I agree Dan. I would add that this means we need to put people in positions that will allow them to do praise worthy things. This means ceding control on important work/projects to others so that they have an opportunity to learn, develop, and occasionally fail forward. Then when they've dine the work, we brag not that we gave them such a smart assignment, but on how well they have done something. The more we leave ourselves out of the bragging entirely, the more credibility we gain with our people.

      • Todd Walden

        I agree with Jeff's agreement with Dan. The more we empower our people, the more they develop into productive team members.

        • Chris Fontenot

          Todd, I to agree with this thread and can see where my past leaders have provided the same opportunity for me.

    • Mitchell Lofton

      I agree this happens time and time again. Unfortunately, we have alleged leaders in our agency that are not competent to do the job they are assigned but instead are only concerned with getting to the next spot on the ladder to satisfy their egos and have to take the credit from others to make themselves look good.

    • Tommy “Chris” Weeks

      Great quote by a great President. Unfortunately, this behavior is all too prevalent. What is forgotten is if you are effectively leading your people, then their success will inevitably be your success as well.

  • Jeremy Harrison

    The most impactful point of this week’s lecture was the study on Ronald Reagan’s leadership. Specifically, letting people do their job without micromanaging, and not worrying about who gets the credit. Both of those leadership principles deal with pride in my opinion. The prideful leader is one who is so worried about their reputation, they micromanage in an attempt to prevent any negative outcomes. In actuality, micromanagement handicaps a team, and they have difficulty reaching their full potential. Pride also worries about credit. The prideful leader is typically fearful they will be overlooked and is so concerned about credit, they cannot even enjoy the groups victory in whatever project is taking place. I believe most of us struggle with pride from time to time and it is my hope more of us could come together to reject pride for the sake of others and the organization. I want my teams to enjoy their jobs and I know micromanagement will steal that joy. I also want don’t want to pursue credit because the pursuit of credit lacks joy and is an empty outcome.

  • Michael McLain

    I believe credibility is the most important. If you have credibility in my eyes in meaning to already have the ability to incorporate the other 5 traits or at least know where you need to improve and can admit your shortcomings.

  • George Schmerer

    This module on effective leadership builds upon the previous modules. I appreciated listening to the various speakers who put these concepts into action. There are many lessons one can take away from this module. The three pieces of advice from Jack Welch were exactly what I needed to hear. When given an assignment over-deliver, always walk around with a positive attitude, and what I appreciated most was the advice to not be excessively ambitious-no need to brag on yourself. If you are to brag, brag about your followers lift them. The discussion on the six traits of a police leader is very critical and needs to pass on to all who have a leadership role regardless of their rank within an organization. All six traits build upon each other starting with caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and finally collaboration.

  • Matt Lindsey

    Several of the described leaders had similar attributes and philosophies. One in particular was the idea of delegation and allowing those working with you to complete tasks on their own. Often, leaders attempt to micromanage a situation and try to control every aspect instead of allowing others to be innovated. I appreciated General Patton's philosophy regarding not telling people how to do something, but telling them what to do and being surprised with their ingenuity.

    • George Schmerer

      I truly agree with your post. I have seen many who see themselves as leaders but are stuck in the realm of managers. They attempt to manage or micro-manage the people tasked with doing the job. In part, it is a failure of their leaders who have not developed the leadership qualities within them. There is a significant gap when it comes to educating people on leadership skills. Far too often people are promoted and are left to figure out how to lead. When working with a team, they need a leader to point them in the direction they need to go, but also have the confidence and trust in the team to accomplish the goal.

    • Jeremy Harrison

      Matt,
      My discussion post covered generally the same topic, but I forgot about General Patton’s statement you outlined. His approach to empowerment is truly liberating for both the leader and the follower. Unfortunately, I believe many around us are either afraid to empower to that degree or have never been shown how. I believe there are those who are afraid they will be asked a question and if they are not micromanaging the situation, they may not know the answer until they go and ask. If they truly understood these principles, they would not be afraid to not know the progress of a project until they ask for an update. I hope our organization can grow in this area and have an attitude focused on limiting micromanagement. Leaders must let go of the reins a little bit and let those responsible for planning and implementation surprise us with their ability to do well. Additionally, if we let go a little bit, they will take ownership in the project, and it could be better than we ever imagined.

    • Dan Sharp

      Matt,
      I too liked General Patton's philosophy about not telling people how to do something but telling them what to do and letting them do it. Too many times we have leaders who micromanage for fear that they will look bad if someone under them makes a mistake. Trust must go both ways. We need to trust our followers and we need to build their trust in us.

  • Deana Hinton

    There were some excellent leaders discussed in this module. General Colin Powell has always been and always will be a leader that I respect. His viewpoint that we should not be afraid to fire and discipline those who do not get the job done, is one of the most powerful tools we need as a leader. I think organizations often fail to have the courage to do the right thing in this area due to perception and being weak. General Colin Powell's reminder that the good folks are looking to see what we are going to do about the behavior is on target. A leader or organization's failure to act is one of the most damaging things they can do as it undercuts trust. Without trust, a leader cannot lead effectively.

    • Matt Lindsey

      I agree. It is important we hold everyone accountable to the same standard. It is so true that good employees know who the bad employees are and failing to hold them accountable can damage trust and the motivation of others.

    • Kent Ray

      I totally agree that a leader or organizations failure to act is one of the most damaging things they can do significant damage. We have to train leaders to not avoid addressing poor performance and behavior, so we can work to mitigate and hopefully eliminate tolerance for substandard performance, which kills moral, damages the leaders credibility, and weakens the agency.

  • Rodney Kirchharr

    This lesson is so much on the what the great leaders of our time have done to be successful. Listening to the leaders in this lesson are inspirational and guiding to me. Looking to the 6 C's of police leadership, caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration it reminds that taking care of our people is so important to have the following that we desire,. If our people know that we have these traits then we will have no problem inspiring them to do the things that we require of them and the things that the community we serve deserves.

    • Nicholas Wenzel

      I agree letting our people know that we have their back and trust them is big. We will never develop those to take leadership positions unless we start to develop them early on and provide them the security that they are trusted, valued, and respected within the organization.

  • Magda Fernandez

    So much great information in this lesson. Mr. Welch and his 3 golden rules: reminding us to work hard and over deliver, being positive at all times, and being humble in public while remaining ambitious privately. The 6 C's of police leadership traits: be caring, having competence, always having credibility, clearly and openly maintaining good communication, being courageous, and collaboration. If we can consistently display all of these in our roles as informal and formal leaders, many points of friction between peers and between levels would essentially be eliminated. If you lack any of these traits, your credibility is nullified.

  • Jared Yancy

    Effective leaders in the workplace don’t have to be in management positions rather they are able to use their leadership skills to help all of their colleagues follow their lead to higher morale and better outcomes for their organization. These skills can help you be a better employee, colleague, and participant in your organization. Traits that help motivate, inspire, and create sound strategy effectively move you into a better leadership role, whatever your job title.

  • Steven Mahan

    Leadership is the power to inspire others. The short video on General Patton was an example I appreciated. As a student of history, I think leaders like General Patton are needed today in battle and law enforcement. We too often lose sight of our vision, which gets replaced with public image or acceptance. Peace is through strength. If your vision is confirmed, your heart is with that vision, and your actions are just, the public will know their interest is upheld.

  • Kimberley Baugh

    This module focuses on being a credible leader and about the six traits of a successful police leader: caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration. All six build upon each other and when the leader can develop and apply all six traits, he/she will become a credible leader. I thoroughly enjoyed the speeches in this module. I really like Jack Welch’s three great pieces of advice: over-deliver, have a positive attitude, and be ambitious in private.

    • Kimberly, we had the same response to this module. Jack Welch struck a chord with me too. In particular, the “over-deliver” point is something I’ve always tried to encourage new team members to embrace. That’s a tough one though if the member arrives with no ambition or a negative attitude.

  • Dustin Burlison

    This section really drives home the point that to be successful a leader must give it their all, everyday. Even we the leader builds a perfect team, is smashing every goal they set, and in continuously successful, they can not rest on their laurels. We must continue to raise the bar and push our team to get to the top, and once we are there the leader should find another mountain to climb.

  • Stephanie Hollinghead

    I liked the 3 things Jack Welch gave advice on. Over-deliver: don’t just do what your boss says, go beyond the average and do more than just what is asked of you. To walk around with a positive attitude. How many people can you say do this daily? It is hard to do but making a conscious effort makes it attainable. And lastly be ambitious but not so ambitious that it is written on your forehead, be ambitious privately. I have never heard this before, so this is a new one. I notice this with new employees because they are eager to learn, and they want to do a good job. You sometimes hear some of the seasoned officers say, “slow down, you are going to make the rest of us look bad”. Enthusiasm is a great trait to have as long as you can motivate the team.

    • Dustin Burlison

      I have never heard of being privately ambitious either, but it makes perfect sense. We have all been around people with their ambition stamped on their forehead, and honestly, they tend to turn people away from wanting to work with them.

      • Magda Fernandez

        Dustin, wow, this illness you perfectly describe regarding public self promotion and ambition that too many people in our profession have seems to get around! Practicing humility is a lost art in our society, especially in our profession. Unfortunately, some of these folks, though talented, seem to have a lot of difficulty in leading and building teamwork. Our informal leaders sometimes do a better job of leading than those who everyone knows "wants to be the next big thing", because they stay humble and invested in their agencies, peers, and the job.

  • I thoroughly enjoyed this lesson. I really enjoyed learning about the specific leadership ideologies of successful leaders. They all come from different backgrounds and have different views on leadership. However, they all still possess the six leadership traits that were explained in this module. Of all the traits, credibility is the cornerstone that all the others rests. If a leader does not have credibility, all the other traits are useless.

  • Trent Johnson

    I feel as if this module reiterated the importance of credible leadership, taking it deeper by bringing in Ellis and Normore's study of the 500 police officers over the course of 6 years. The other five traits are important, but again I feel like it all comes back to credibility. If you aren't credible and no one believes anything you say, then do any of the other traits truly matter when it comes to being really effective?

    • Rodney Kirchharr

      Trent - I think we have seen the effects that an low credibility leader can have on an organization as a whole, not just on individual officers. These last couple of lessons have really driven this home for me.

  • Joey Brown

    After reviewing the module, I feel that the turnover rate in departments across the country is where the return on investment in effective leadership is critical. From experience, the costs of turnover within law enforcement organizations ramp up a departmental budget in areas such as recruiting, interviewing, and training. This is only relevant when an agency hires someone that is not a good fit. Being an effective leader can help turn the situation around. People leave police agencies because of the leadership inside the organization.

    • Trent Johnson

      Joey,

      I think it has been outlines multiple times throughout these areas and modules, that yes, people don't leave organizations, they leave leaders. Spot on observations, just from the perspective of effective leadership.

  • Jerrod Sheffield

    I enjoyed this module as it dealt with the Effective Leader. In hearing the stories of each separate leader, I was influenced by the impact in which they made in their own way. The 6 traits of Successful Police Leaders show the need for all leaders to possess these traits and to instill each of them in the way they lead their organizations. Credibility is the one that stuck out to me the most because without truthfulness and integrity, our mission will not be carried out properly.

  • Tyler Thomas

    All six traits explained in the module build on each other. As Mr. Summerlin stated, each skill has it's place at the top of the list and depends on the situation. However, at the end of the day, our leadership comes down to how we communicate with everyone internally and externally. This communication isn't just about the words that are spoke, it's about written communication and body language.

  • Curtis Summerlin

    This module was a good reminder about important traits we need to possess. It’s hard for me to pick one that is most important. As I feel each has a place at the front upon a given situation. It’s important that we develop each skill to the best of our ability.

  • Glenn Hartenstein

    I think we can all agree that all six traits of a successful police leader are important, but I feel that Communication is the most important of the six. Communication is a core leadership function. I feel that communication and effective leadership are closely related and necessary for becoming an leader. Even if a leader has the other traits, communication is necessary to implement plans, changes and produce results for your organization.

    • Joey Brown

      Glenn, I agree with your statement. I have seen when communication is lacking, important information can be misinterpreted and will devastate the relationships within the organization.

  • Donald Vigil

    While all six traits of a successful police are important to possess, I believe credibility is first and foremost. Without a solid foundation of personal credibility, leaders have no hope of enlisting others in a common vision or achieving goals.

  • Andrew Ashton

    Very good module with excellent examples of the different leadership traits. When it comes to leadership style everyone is different as we have had different life experiences that may have shaped our views on things. It was interesting to see and listen to the various examples provided. True leadership is not about the short term but more about the long term systemic change that you can help bring about.

  • Jared Paul

    I appreciated all the examples of effective leaders. Each had their own unique styles and I think that is important to remember. As a leader in my organization I can look at these different styles, but it is important for me to find my own and probably will be using a mixture of all of them. I especially liked the leadership values of Sam Walton. He seemed to really care about what he was doing and the people he served. He seemed to be a servant leader which is the style that I employ the most.

  • Zach Roberts

    This module was very informative and really made me think about myself as a leader. I view myself as a caring leader. I constantly interact with my staff and have had numerous times where they have come to me to speak about issues in their life or at home. They know I will listen and provide resources that may be able to help them. They do know that I am very particular in the way I want things done, I want to be able to lead and guide my staff to the point they no longer need me to accomplish something. I want them to know I care and am there to help but have the confidence to handle it on their own.

  • Jacqueline Dahms

    I thoroughly enjoyed this module. The different perspectives of leaders, highlighting successes and at times, failures is important to grasp. We will fail and in doing so, hopefully learn from our mistakes and make those around us better for it. We all know the virtues being a credible leader. Being successful as a leader can be short lived, even as a credible leader. Being an effective leader is about creating a change in the behavior and attitudes of those that choose to follow us. This can lead to your legacy.

    • Jared Paul

      Jacqueline,

      I agree that it is a matter of when we will fail at some not if. However, as you sated the importance of failing is learning from the mistakes we made so we can be better next time.

  • Jeff Byrne

    This was a great lecture and it was interesting to watch and listen to the different leaders and their messages. It is clear to me that all six of these traits work off of each other, as they should, however, I believe credibility is the most crucial. Credibility is the foundation of leadership and without a foundation, it will be hard to build from there.

    • Andrew Ashton

      I agree all six traits work hand in hand but I personally feel that courage is the platform they all build off. Without the courage to make the difficult decisions we do not build credibility, caring, or communication.

    • Donald Vigil

      I agree that credibility is the most important of the six traits to be a successful leader. Seems to me that credible leaders possess all these traits in order to be credible to followers.

    • Jerrod Sheffield

      Jeff,
      I agree that all these traits are equally important. Credibility is one of the main contributors that each of us as leaders should possess. In the 6 traits presented, this is the most crucial in allowing the leader to constantly display daily when leading the people in your organization. Without being truthful, consistent, and even-tempered, it’s hard to get your followers to commit to your vision of what you see for the future if what you present doesn’t have credible meaning to begin with.

  • Brian Smith

    I am a caring leader and willing to put others over myself, but find I do like things done my way. I need to work on being a bit more like Vince Lombardi. I need to instill confidence in those around me so they can just jump right in knowing they can handle the task they face. Doing this means I need to model how to act or solve a problem, work with the other once or twice, and then allow them to act without my interference. People may fail, but as long as the consequences are not dire, those failures produce memories that lead to future changes and success. As I continue my leadership journey, I will work on developing confidence in others!

  • Jose Alvarenga

    It is interesting how effective leadership has no boundaries as far as profession. The 6 traits can be applied in any leadership environment. I believe Caring, Competence, Credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration are traits we should all continue to work at perfecting in ourselves. this will not only help us in our profession but in our personal lives.

    • Zach Roberts

      Jose,

      I could not agree more with this post. Caring, competence and credibility really stuck out to me in this module. Communication is also a strong one and agree it is something I need to work on in my own leadership. I like how you also touch on how perfecting ourselves will not only help us in our professional life but also in our personal lives.

    • Jared Yancy

      I agree! A Caring leader finds out what is best about others and do not prejudge them by letting biases give off a negative vibe. In the end you evaluate work but you do not judge the person. So Acceptance is a precursor to warmth before a connection can occur.

    • Deana Hinton

      There are leaders in every part of life. The good ones demonstrate caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage and collaboration. I sometimes think we forget a leader can be a parent, a lead salesman, or a band leader. It doesn't matter who you are, if you inspire and have the traits described, people will follow you.

  • David Mascaro

    This module was enjoyable with the interview clips of some of the most influential leaders in of our time. Credible leadership was the backbone to their success, and without that they would not have been able to influence their people, through instilling self confidence and the drive to accomplish the tasks at hand. Whether it be the military general, the CEO of a major organization or a professional sports coach, it all begins with a credible leader.

    • Jose Alvarenga

      it seems that mastering these skills should be a life long journey. all these people you mention are from different backgrounds and inspired people around them to accomplish goals. They were successful because of the people they influenced.

    • Jeff Byrne

      I agree, David. Without credibility your ability to influence up and down the chain of command will be significantly hampered. Credibility is a must to be an effective leader in any organization.

  • This was a great module with so many inspiring individuals and speeches. It really stresses also that a leader does not have to be the smartest person in the room. So many times you have individuals in a meeting; thinking they're smarter than the next. In actuality they are not even listening to anyone else in the room. If we take the time to humble ourselves and build each other up, our agencies would be a better place and would thrive.

  • Andrew Peyton

    The concept of credible leaders holds true for all levels of law enforcement. We must ensure that our agencies and its employees are maintaining a high level of credibility based on moral standards. We are constantly under public review and scrutiny and need to ensure we are acting with the highest regard to these two concepts. If the public loses credibility in our officers and our agencies, we have failed them. This leads to law enforcement agencies loosing trust and respect. Fortunately for my agency, we generally have a lot of support from people in our jurisdiction. Of course there are always one or two who disagree.

  • Darryl Richardson

    In comparison to other video lectures, I liked this one the more than most others. Being that I am a big sports fan, I love hearing Vince Lombardi's motivational speech. The six traits to being a successful leader were discussed. To become a good leader, you must use and strive to perfect those traits. The six mentioned traits all work together to make you the leader you should be.

    • Andrew Peyton

      I too enjoyed the speeches included in this module. It allows us to see how simply effective communication can lead someone. Vince Lombardi, Ronald Reagan, and Colin Powell were able to motivate hundreds of people over the years simply by the words the used and how they delivered them.

  • Kevin Balser

    Credible leaders effectively lead their followers. I would not want to follow a bad leader nor would I think that anyone would want to. One of the infamous military generals to ever serve was General Patton. He said to never tell people how to do things, rather tell people what to do and they will surprise you. I thought this was such a great way in which a leader used to empower his team to go forward, arm them with knowledge and complete the mission. I also enjoyed Jack Welch's interview describing his advice of three basics for employees to follow. First, over-deliver to your boss and don't do what is just required. Secondly, always walk around with a positive attitude. No one wants to be surrounded by a bunch of sourpusses as he described. Lastly, Mr. Welch advised that one should always be ambitious, but not to the point that it is being advertised. This can be used to also effectively lead a team. Don’t get caught up in over impressing the team. Lead by example and they will follow. Stay positive always even when there is a crisis or stressful situation. Be confident in your capabilities as you lead. There will be errors but you will be judged by the team based on your response.

    • David Mascaro

      I agree Kevin with your take on General Patton and Jack Welch's take on leadership.

    • Jason Demoulin

      Kevin, I absolutely agree with your take on this. Some leaders are toxic and those are the ones that are hopefully "moved aside" before all the damage is done.

  • Burt Hazeltine

    There were so many great speeches in this module. So many great points from different perspectives. The six traits of successful police leaders are all vitally important. I do believe that credibility is the most important and the one that will affect those around us the most.

  • Chris Crawford

    I had to laugh out loud at jack Welch's 3 advice tips because they were so simple yet incredibly powerful. But the second one; have a positive attitude was the best. We hear it so many time I believe its lost some meaning but it really is that simple and its contagious.

    • Burt Hazeltine

      I agree, so many times we forget that our attitudes are contagious and if we keep our positive attitude we can affect the environment we work in.

    • Darryl Richardson

      Chris, that is so true. On any given day you can walk around and just feel the energy that comes off people with a positive attitude. It makes the work atmosphere so much more enjoyable.

    • Kimberley Baugh

      This is so true. There are many times where I have come into the room with someone who is not happy and I can just feel the change in the atmosphere. It can be uncomfortable at times.

    • Steven Mahan

      Attitude is everything, and it's the communication of our acceptance of the vision. Through our actions and speech, we let all around us know how we feel about what we are all working for.

  • Stan Felts

    This is one of my favorite modules. I really enjoyed listening to the speeches of these great leaders.

  • Ronald Springer

    I really enjoyed this module the choices of the speeches were spot on. Very few people can complete with the leaders included in that module. I have always found General Patton and General Powell to be inspirational leaders. However the inclusion of Oprah to this module was especially significant to me. She has always been an inspiration because she began her story at in a place that is familiar to me. My mother gave birth to me at the age of 15 and similar to Oprah was driven to succeed in the face of adversity. My mom overcame her learning disability to not only graduate high school, but go on to college while working full time and caring for me and my siblings. Oprah has always been an inspiration because like my mom she faced adversity and thrived rather than crumble. We should all be so lucky as to be as kind, caring, generous, and driven as Oprah is.

    Long, L. (2017). Effective credible leaders. Module 6, Weeks 5 & 6. National Command and Staff College.

    • Curtis Summerlin

      I agree the choice of speeches was spot on. I especially liked President Regan’s, he seemed to have a way that gave hope to all in my opinion. Something that seems lacking in certain areas these days.

  • Kaiana Knight

    This lesson was full of great speeches and videos. I found a lot of the information shared helpful. I think that if more leaders were problem solvers they would have more followers. I agree with General Colin Powell that great leaders simplify and cut through an argument by offering a solution to the problem. Too often leaders put problems aside and do not address it until the problem is out of control. An effective leader will have compassion, solve problems, have integrity, and have a high energy drive as stated in the lecture.

    • Ronald Springer

      Kaiana,
      I completely agree. I have always found General Colin Powell to be an inspiration. I have signed my work emails with a line the lines from his speech for years.
      “Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” — General Colin Powell
      That quote has summed up leadership and how failing to connect and maintain the relationship with your followers keeps people from being true leaders.

  • Kenneth Davis

    Of the many leadership perspectives we have studied, I have to say the information in this module resonates, for me perhaps the most strongly. Welch’s mantra of over-deliver, stay positive and remain responsible in pursuit of one’s ambition shines a light on how leaders can conduct themselves while travelling the road towards authentic leadership. In essence, we have to view leadership in a holistic vein as opposed to a collection of singular facets (Long, 2021). I have fallen into that trap before, as I am sure many of you have. It is easy to rely on sound bites when we view our responsibilities as leaders. This module brings home the revelatio0n that the process is on-going, it is holistic and it is a lifestyle change.

    References

    Long, L. (2021). Leadership in practice: effective leadership. Module 3 6, week # 5. National Command and Staff College.

  • Robert Vinson

    Of the six traits listed I would have to say credibility is the most important. Without that as a foundation I don't think the other qualities will be executed successfully. That being said, I think collaboration is also important and perhaps often over looked. Cpt. Abrashoff did a good job discussing this in It's Our Ship.

    • Kenneth Davis

      Robert- I concur. The credible leader serves so many roles in reaching his team. Credibility is the foundation for courage. I believe the ability to speak to truth to power enhances one's effectiveness as a leader and as a team member. I found it heartening that so much weight was placed upon the tenet of Courage in this module. As being the tenet of greatest risk, it is obvious the importance placed upon being able to speak the truth, give honest feedback and challenge the status quo.

      Best and stay safe-

      Ken

  • Jay Callaghan

    "Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit...But more importantly, you've got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body. If you're lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he's never going to come off the field second" (Lombardi, 2021 para1 &3).

    Lombardi, V. (2021) What it takes to be number one. Retrieved from, http://vincelombardi.com/number-one.html

  • Derek Champagne

    One thing I’ve started doing since I became a Lieutenant was walking around with a positive attitude, not only in my office but in every office. This will wither wear off on people and they will begin to be positive with me, or they will continue to have a poor attitude. Since I started doing this it seems that my office section is the only section where people are actually happy to be at work within the criminal department.

    • Chris Crawford

      Agreed. Even before this module I saw the benefit of making a decision to maintain a positive attitude even on bad days.

  • Brent Olson

    I thoroughly enjoyed this lesson and learning about the specific leadership ideologies of successful leaders. I think there are take-a-ways from each of the leaders reviewed in this lesson. One of the biggest things I will take away is the quote from General George Patton where he said, "War's may be fought with weapons, but they are won with men." While law enforcement is not the same as a world war, there are many of the same characteristics. It is a great perspective to keep in mind that what we do everyday in law enforcement may be filled with many tools that we use to solve problems, but we would not be able to do a single one of them without the people we supervise. They are the single biggest asset that we have as leaders. This was also exemplified in the quote from former president Ronald Reagan who said "The greatest leader is not necessarily the one that does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things."

    • Jacqueline Dahms

      Yes, I completely agree. People are our biggest asset. They are the ones that will move the mountain, they are the ones that will execute the plans. Our followers are the ones that will make the impression in the public eye. I don’t do what I do for myself, I do it for them, for my people and I want them to reach farther than I ever will myself.

  • Based on the current climate of police, I found this section very informative particularly the section on credibility. As noted by Long (2017) “Credible leaders take care of their people, while at the same time they recognize the importance of protecting the integrity and reputation of the organization.”. I think this is an incredibly important statement as it shows support for the individual member of an organization and also shows support for the greater organization. It recognizes that the individual members are the origins of the organization’s reputation and legacy; both giving them credit for such as well as subtlety warning members about soiling it. This rings very true in police work.

    If we are not willing to protect our agencies reputation and legacy, even from those within it, then all of our individual efforts are for not.

  • Buck Wilkins

    Of the six traits learned here I have to say the credibility is the most important. Having the ability for others to believe what you say as proven in your actions, is the key to a solid foundation of leadership.

  • Eric Sathers

    I like Jack Welch's three points of advice: overdeliver, have a positive attitude, and don't be overly ambitious. I think it is always a good idea to underestimate and overdeliver, that way you will almost always succeed and appear successful. I also think it is crucial to maintain a positive attitude, which is crucial to the effective operation of a team. Finally, I also agree that too much ambition, especially when it appears as brown-nosing does not go over well with colleagues. It is typically best to remain humble and work toward the success of others.

    • Robert Vinson

      Great point. Some of the best advice I've ever received was given to me by a current supervisor. When I was first promoted he called to congratulate me and told me to stay humble. He's continued to remind with each promotion and evaluation since, and this simple advice has been invaluable.

    • Kaiana Knight

      I agree Eric. Those three points were the truth. We should always have a positive attitude, and we should be ambitious privately. I like how he explained this. I agree that you should remain humble and work toward the success of your followers.

  • Steve Mahoney

    I think that one could pull small examples from all the leaders that were presented in this module. They each had their unique style to lead and motivate. The line I liked the best was from Reagan when he said, " the greatest leader doesn't necessarily do the greatest thing...the greatest leader gets people to do great things."

  • Travis Linskens

    Being an effective leader means you demonstrate caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage and collaboration. All are equally important to develop working relationships, inspire people, and help leaders serve their people.

  • Scott Crawford

    When discussing the 6 traits of a successful police leader, it comes as no surprise the mentioning of credibility. That to me is the basic foundation for being successful not only in law enforcement. Of all careers, law enforcement is one where your lack of credibility usually gets called out.

    • Buck Wilkins

      I agree Scott Credibility is the major component here because with out it none of the other traits really matter.

  • Sgt. Samantha Koscher

    I enjoyed the video of Gen. Collin Powel. His statement regarding putting the best people in the best positions to get the work of the agency done is a great philosophy. He understood his job as a leader was to provide a purpose to guide his people in their work and to make sure his people had what they needed to get the job done. His followers respected him for this. I think we can apply this same thought process to our agencies. Hire for character and values, train the skills, and develop them by providing mentoring and an environment that promotes growth. We as leaders need to focus on guiding our staff toward our mission and developing them into our future leaders.

    • Brian Smith

      I’ve respected Colin Powell for years and this video was good to watch and hear his perspective on leading. I appreciate his thought process of being a problem solver as a leader, not merely expecting others to solve all the problems on their own. By modeling problem solving, the leader is promoting this philosophy so others also know the importance of finding solutions and the authority to do so. I am in full agreement with you on hiring for character and values and developing the skills in others.

  • Paul Brignac III

    I believe that all 6 traits of the successful police leader are important, but I believe that credibility encompasses the other 5. To me, in order to be credible, a leader must by default possess the other 5 traits. I feel that removing one of the other 5 traits voids credibility.

  • Thomas Martin

    Regan said, "the greatest leader is not the one who accomplishes the greatest things, but is the one that gets the people doing them." As effective leaders, we should remember these words and apply them in our daily duties. I know that I am fully capable of performing great things and will complete most assignments with ease. Recently, I have found greater reward in the tasking of others with tough assignments, and coaching them during the difficult portions.

    • Steve Mahoney

      I agree with you. The mark or a true leader and one that leaves a legacy is to leads others to do the great things.

  • Sergeant Michael Prachel

    This was an inspiring module, with great examples of effective leadership. Ronald Reagan stated, “If we don’t worry about getting credit, we can get all things accomplished.” This statement can be utilized by many leaders, in all aspects of life. Too often people are concerned about getting credit for something. A true, effective leader, can show humility and not be concerned about being in the spotlight. If we can stay focused about accomplishing goals as a team, rather than individual success, greater achievements will be made and followers will be inspired.

  • Ronald Smith

    There is an art to leadership, each of the people listed has a tenacity about them that makes them incredible in their field. I have never watched Oprah, but I cannot deny her successes and she has used her influence to change people's lives. President Reagan, Colin Powell, and George Patton were obvious choices for their influence on their generations. Vince Lombardi in his time was the ultimate person to play for. He became an inspiration to help grow a fledgling game into a dominant entertainment industry, winning is the only thing. Greg Norman surprised me, I was a fan of his while he was playing golf, I knew he went into other businesses but I had not realized the powerhouse he had become. I liked his analogy about his life, he had a good front nine, and he is having a better back nine.

  • Marshall Carmouche

    While i think a mixture of each of the 6 leadership traits are important to have, i think communication is the most important. Most all of the previous lessons have discussed the importance of communication within the workplace. Keeping lines of communication open is absolutely important and necessary for not only current leaders to grow but also future leaders to grow.

    • Travis Linskens

      I also think communication is a critical skill and helps further develop each of the other traits in this lesson.

  • Gregory Hutchins

    As much as I am not a fan of Wal-Mart, or what it has become, the video on Sam Walton's values is interesting. Humility, as expressed in the adage none is smarter than all of us, speaks volumes for a profession or even an organization in crisis. The leader cannot resolve the issues; it must be by creating the environment to embody another of his views and do it with a group of people who believe in what you think. Too often, an organization forgets that achieving success requires people. Leaders tend to use blinders and fixate on the challenge in front of them. By pushing out their vision, to be forward-looking, the solution becomes more evident. If lost at sea, one will never see land if looking over the boat's side instead of at the horizon. To get positive success, the organization needs people committed to the organizational values and beliefs to support a specific goal. Additionally, even with the best people, one cannot achieve success without a leader that strives to enthusiastically live the six traits of caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration.

  • Matthew Menard

    Each one of the people highlighted in this module are successful leaders who also demonstrate the six traits of successful police leaders presented. I would suggest that these traits are universal and not simply applicable to the law enforcement field. These traits prove to be recurring themes shown over and over again with examples of great leaders. For someone to be a true master of leadership, they must make a conscious effort to be effective in each one of these areas and never stop working at taking care of the people they lead.

  • I found that Gen. George Patton's quote "never tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and they'll surprise you with their ingenuity" says a lot about his confidence and trust he had in his people. In some instances delegation can only be given to individuals that you do trust with the task. My belief is that times have changed from Gen. Patton's era to the present time. When Gen. Patton would give an order or delegate authority to others to be able to accomplish a mission or task. These individuals would move heaven and earth for Gen. Patton, no questions asked.

    • Ronald Smith

      Lt. Creighton W. Abrams was tank commander under Patton's third army, He is credited with making the decision to advance his tanks into a battle taking advantage of General Patton's to tell them what to do but don't tell them how to do it. Lt. Abrams wound up General Abrams years later. The namesake on the M1 Abrams tank. Bold in battle and always remebered.

    • Sergeant Michael Prachel

      Indeed, this quote is inspiring and shows the kind of trust needed to inspire subordinates to break out of their molds and show advancement. If we don’t allow others to grow, we are not doing them any favors to advance their careers and better themselves. Sometimes we just need to show trust and delegate.

    • Eric Sathers

      I agree delegation can oftentimes only succeed when the correct person is selected for the assignment.

      • Derek Champagne

        I agree with you. You have to ensure you are delegating the right assignment, to the right person or you setting them up for failure.

  • Brad Strouf

    The "effective leaders" highlighted in this module were certainly chosen for obvious reasons. All have specific skill-sets, but undoubtedly are considered leaders in their respective fields. While my own personal values may not necessarily align with all chosen, I believe that this module provided a great example of leadership, both personal qualities and shared traits.

  • Sgt. Shawn Wilson

    I enjoyed this module and its inclusion of General Patton. General Patton was a great leader but not without controversy; the infamous slapping incident and when Eisenhower removed him from command of the 3rd Army for criticizing those higher than him. Always take care of your people as a leader and lead from the front. The inspiration that General Patton was able to instill in his people is amazing. Looking at General Patton through the lens of the 6 traits; Caring, Competence, Credibility, Communication, Courage and Collaboration he was able to harness all 6 to inspire his people to greatness.

    • Sgt. Samantha Koscher

      I agree Sgt Wilson. General Patton displayed all 6 traits mentioned in the lecture. While maybe rough around the edges, his men knew he supported and cared for them. Patton may not have always been "politically correct" but his message was clear. He knew his people were capable of doing great things, and he expected greatness from them.

  • Robert Schei

    The 6 traits of a successful police leader work in succession and build off from one another. The leader has to care and influence others to care for the organization. This trait begins the cycle and is where the passion for improvement begins. You have to care, be passionate about your purpose and be contagious - those around you will be infected by your passion for success and your organization will flourish.

  • Andy Opperman

    I thought the inclusion of specific effective leaders in this module was great. It always important to see real life examples of leadership. You always learn something new when diving into history. I thought the many quotes included in the training were also great. Many of the leaders showed the common theme of developing their people and trusting them to act. General Patton was quoted as saying "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." Jack Welch also pushed for building employee's self-confidence. Many of these great leaders’ qualities are values-based qualities. It just goes to show that we can hire people in law enforcement from all career fields if they have strong character and we as leaders put the time in effort to their continued leadership development. The 6 traits of successful police leaders again cite effective communication, taking care of your people and collaboration. Again, as leaders we learn we cannot lead on our own. We need the support and buy in of the entire organization.

    • Robert Schei

      I enjoyed the segment on Jack Welch and found his 3 keys to success to be right on point. Over deliver, don't just answer the question the boss already knows the answer provide them with what they don't know. Have a positive attitude, people are attracted to positive people and avoid negativity. Don't be over ambitious - do the work, take time and learn. Out of all of the leaders presented in the lecture none of them became a successful leader overnight. It took consistent effort, reflection and improvement to become as successful as they all are.

  • Nicole Oakes

    Everything presented in this module is a reoccurring theme. To be an effective leader you must be caring, competent, credible, able to communicate effectively, and courageous. Again and again, we are informed that these are the necessary traits to be an effective leader.

  • I really enjoyed Colin Powell's talk about having "purpose". It's so easy in law enforcement to forget what our "purpose" is. His speech fits nicely with Simon Sinek's "Start with Why". Just listening to the different videos made this one of my favorite modules,

    • Matthew Menard

      I too made this connection while listening to Powell's talk. In order to be successful we must truly understand what we want to achieve as leaders.

  • Timothy Sandlin

    In this module we took a practical look at some influential leaders and how they demonstrated certain traits and qualities. These leaders display traits that have been found to be effective in creating successful police leaders. This module again, reinforces what we have covered in several other modules and helps demonstrate validity. If you care; show you know what you are doing; are credible; can effectively communicate with others; and use your courage to do the right things you will be successful as a leader.

  • I found his module to be very interesting and informative. Bringing some top-shelf leaders in for their perspectives is always good learning.

    I took a course through the Professional Development Academy previously and Colin Powell was one of the main speakers. I also received a signed copy of his book after graduating. His experiences are very close to what we as law enforcement leaders experience so his message resonated with me. In his book, It Worked For Me, you'll read about the "13 Rules." I strongly recommend the reading for any leader. They touched on one briefly in this module, "avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it." I try to remember this statement as often as I can. Basically, we're all passionate about our ideas, when our idea doesn't move forward, let it go-don't let it ruin your day.

    • Nicole Oakes

      I enjoyed Colin Powell's video too. I will look for his book so that I can read it. I agree and get his message.

    • As Gen. Collin Powell stated that he does not concern himself with with what is behind him, and remains forward thinking. Some individuals that become offended when their ideas are not used, are somewhat narrowminded and may not see the big picture. It is our responsibility that if we do not use an idea from someone that we do explain the reasoning behind the decision.

      • Thomas Martin

        Troy I agree with your assessment. To be an effective and credible leader we must remain honest with those we serve, even when they don’t want to hear it. We should also attempt to break them free from their closed mindset if we truly want to help them grow into a future leader.

  • This lesson also described and discussed how important credibility is to be a strong leader. Getting buy in from others that believe you want what is best for them and the organization is very important and also very challenging. I also learned in this lesson that it is important to make it clear what you want to accomplish and what you expect, but you also have to trust your employees or followers and let them accomplish goals the best way they can. If you let them know that they trust them and that they are valued, they are likely to surprise you with what the end result will be. Employees that feel like they matter, will likely go above and beyond what is asked of them.

    • 3:20 am? That's dedication, Kari!

      Trust the people and get out of their way. Credibility is obviously huge in leadership or I dare say the term wouldn't keep reappearing. Care, be competent, communicate, have courage, and collaborate; sounds good to me!

    • Andy Opperman

      Many of these great leaders have not been around for decades yet they figured out how to lead people. They talk about trusting their people to innovate yet in law enforcement we have struggled as leaders at times to let go of that authority. The goal in the present and in the future is really to get our employees to go above and beyond as you said. This is where we truly innovate.

      • Sgt. Shawn Wilson

        Agreed and tied in with the following module of incremental v deep change. In law enforcement it always feels like we take incremental change because we are afraid as leaders to incur any risk; this is stifling our people.

  • Effective leadership is a culmination of the previous practices when employed at their highest levels. It shows compassion for what you do, the people your surrounded by and the reason you all aim to fulfill a purpose. The highlighted leaders used to demonstrate the idea of exceptional leadership were for the most part exceptional examples. It also helped to put a “real” feeling to the topic of the module.

  • I am a huge Colin Powell and Greg Norman fan, so listening to them speak (again) was great. Covering the 6 traits was a great reminder to what I have learned so far in this course. One point that stood out, and unless I missed it somewhere else, was a great point on Competence; successful police leaders need to have BOTH great leadership AND management abilities. We normally focus on leadership qualities and usually hear managers don't make great leaders...and they don't without solid leadership abilities, but great leaders still need to manage their own and their followers efficiency.

  • Jennifer Hodgman

    I enjoyed this module and the leadership perspective and expertise from proven winners! I am again provided with inspiration from this class!

  • Interesting listing to a dynamic group of leaders speak. All possessing slightly different point of views on how to achieve success as a leader. But all possessing the same traits needed for success.

    • Marshall Carmouche

      An abundance of knowledge and charisma from the leaders in this module. Each of them had their own way of leader and each of them were extremely successful in their style. True role models for us all to look up to.

  • Christopher Lowrie

    It was great to see the old footage of General Patton. It reflected on a time of unity and pride in this country that I hope we can return to. I enjoyed Colin Powell's presentation as well. Every good leader needs to have the courage and follow through on Powell's quote, "the good followers know who the bad followers are and they are waiting for your to do something about it." Leaders need to address problems or make them go away from the organization.

    • Great quote from Gen. Powell. Having great leadership qualities to be able to lead people out of the organization takes all of the 6 qualities as well. Anyone can fire someone, but doing it with compassion is an art because everyone watches (or hears) how that one person was treated when they leave (or told to leave) an organization.

      • Unfortunately "firing" someone in our profession is extraordinarily difficult. It is hard to display great leadership when there are people in your organization that seem to make it their mission to re-rail us. Frustration.

  • Major Willie Stewart

    One of the quotes that stood out to me was “Never tell people how to do things, tell people what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” I think many leaders can learn from the information in this presentation. This was another statement I felt spoke volume “let people do what people do best.” Value, vision, integrity, goals, igniting change, and transformational leadership are all traits of successful police leaders that appeared at the end of the module in a reflection of the successors discussed in this module. Many leaders discussed in this module are caring leaders and competent leaders. They also allowed input, influence and feedback of their followers. Each leader discussed had ambition, drive and determination. As police leaders we must also remember that communication is also very important in reaching those who depend on us for leadership.

    • Timothy Sandlin

      I agree, effective communication is essential. So many times information may be relayed or transferred; this information may be complete or incomplete of the exact facts or data. However, while it lessens effectiveness when facts are missing, it can also be incredibly damaging if intent, tone, or nature of information is lost in the transfer process. This impacts on our ability to effectively communicate. And, of course, what has been mentioned many times in our modules we must also Listen, Listen, Listen as leaders to enhance our ability to effectively communicate.

  • Maja Donohue

    Once again I was reminded that credibility is the foundation of leadership. Although all six traits of a successful police leader are necessary to be effective, credibility in my opinion is required for the rest to be relevant. I also enjoyed the nine leadership perspectives and the way that each of them discussed what leadership means to them. I found that they all had a couple of themes in common. Namely, a positive attitude, even in the face of failure, seemed to make the difference between learning from a mistake and being discouraged to try again. They all had a purpose or a set of values they attributed their success to. And finally, they all treated others with the utmost respect and dignity.

  • Kelly Lee

    Again I think this module continue to drive home the whole concept/theory of what we need to be great, effective, respected leaders. The basics of the 6 traits of a successful police leader lay out a good foundation for building yourself and your organization. In looking at those traits I personally think that #6 credibility is the most important one to have. If you are not viewed as credible or trustworthy by your organization then you will find everything you try to accomplish being an up hill battle due to not having support or buy in from anyone.

  • I really enjoyed this presentation. This was a great opportunity to review the leadership traits of a diverse set of influential leaders. While all had great points, three were particularly interesting. First, I appreciated General Patton's statement "never tell people how to do things, tell them what you want them to do and they will surprise you". As a military veteran, this was the cornerstone of leadership. Traditional leaders want to spell everything out. I have found that if you have developed your subordinates and trust them, they should be prepared to be problem solvers. Second, was President Reagan and Jack Welch's belief in reducing bureaucracy and micromanagement. the bureaucratic levels within an organization can stifle creativity and alienate leaders from their subordinates. This can negatively effect problem solving and impede success. Last was General Powell's leadership approach of Train, Educate, equip, commend and disciple. If a leader does these things, they will develop others, praise the accomplishments of others and be consistent in how they treat others. As Dr. Long put it in his conclusion, all the leaders examined highlighted trust, caring, courage, experience, and communication as being critical to their success.

  • Samantha Reps

    This lesson offered us a chance to better understand various other leaders. General George Patton said "Never tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." This is something I would like to try more with staff when the situation is appropriate.

    • Kelly Lee

      I think this is a great concept the General had in that you don't always need to do the job yourself or show someone how to do it simple give them the tools and knowledge needed to complete the task and watch them do amazing things. Interesting concept!

      • Jennifer Hodgman

        I agree, sometime we reap better results from building up our people to take on additional roles and responsibilities.

    • I agree. I would add that this can be hard for many public safety leaders. IT requires that the leader give up some control. Doing so can also allow your people to grow and develop.

    • Scott Crawford

      After listening to all of the successful leaders speak, it was amazing to see how really alike they all were in some of their practices, convictions and overall way of treating people and doing business.

  • Paul Gronholz

    I enjoyed all 9 of the leadership profiles that were detailed in this module. I fear that Guiliani's leadership abilities have come into serious question and I wonder how he is going to recover from what's happened recently. He spoke at length about having beliefs/convictions and sticking to them. He demonstrated that with his role in the recent election, although I believe he made a choice to commit to a person rather than to his beliefs.. He made a choice to question the election and fought the results with everything he had. Unfortunately, he came out on the losing end and his legacy will likely be tarnished because of what's happened. I think it's a good lesson for all of us to learn. Leaders will come and go, we must hitch our wagons to the truth, justice, and fundamental fairness.

    • Christopher Lowrie

      Well said Sergeant Gronholz. Unfortunately a lot of the great things he accomplished with be forgotten about. Guiliani made a great point about weaknesses. I thought he was going to advise people to address their weaknesses and figure out how to get better. Instead he advised if your your 2nd or 3rd do well in an area that you are weak in, have them do it. That doesn't mean you won't try to better yourself. It shows you know your weaknesses but are also a good leader to put people in the right places to make the organization better.

  • Ryan Lodermeier

    I appreciate how this module compounded the importance of each leadership trait and let it flow into the next. Highlighting some of histories greatest leaders was a great move in this module, it pulled me in. From Patton to Lombardi's approaches to leadership they were all very diverse yet very effective. The one thing that i noticed about all of the speakers was how genuine they were.

    • Paul Gronholz

      I completely agree. Being authentic and credible is extremely important. Leaders must be genuine when working with people. If not, those they lead will be able to see right through their lack of authenticity and they won't be able to lead effectively.

  • Durand Ackman

    The 6 traits of effective leadership were interesting as all of them are important and a case can be made for each of them being more important than the others. My opinion is Credibility is the most important as the leader must be seen as truthful, responsible, fair, etc. They must admit mistakes and be patient for their employees. The different videos from various leaders were inspiring. I liked the quote from Giuliani about if you don't know where you're going, you can't lead your people.

    • I agree with Sgt. Ackman, without credibility, you can be good at all the other traits but you will not have the true influence and trust needed to be successful. Sgt. Ackman also mentioned how important it is to be able to admit mistakes. It has been my experience that this is critical for maintaining credibility. People are not perfect. We are not perfect leaders. We make mistakes. Our subordinates know when we make mistakes. When a leader genuinely admits their mistakes, subordinates know that they are humble and they are willing to forgive the leader. When a leader glosses over the issue as if nothing happened, they chip away at their creditability and believability.

  • Ryan Manguson

    I think Jack Welch had three great pieces of advise for effective leadership.
    1) Over deliver
    2) Have a positive attitude
    3) Be privately ambitious
    You can never go wrong by delivering more than asked. A positive mental attitude will take you far. It's ok to have ambitions but don't make it so that is the first thing people think about when they think about you.

    • Ryan Lodermeier

      I like your point LT, you can never go wrong by over delivering. Your message about a positive attitude I think is bases for all 6 of the traits described. For me a positive attitude is the fuel behind my drive.

  • Eduardo Palomares

    Effective leadership encompasses very important traits which are key in order to project credibility. While all the traits are important, caring , courage and competence stood out for me. An effective leaders cares for the people in the organization and does not allow personal feelings to influence his or her perception and have the courage to stand up against injustice. Additionally, competence is very important in order to display and practice effective leadership. The troops seek out your guidance and expect leaders to effectively assist them in solving problems. I was fascinated by General Patton's leadership and accomplishments. Effective leadership also requires humility to accept that others have great contributions to drive positive change.

  • Chad Blanchette

    This is the first time I have seen Rudy Giulani speak on leadership and I was very impressed with his message and his professionalism. It was interesting to see him in his prime as compared to where he is at today. I guess there is a possibility that he truly believes the message that he is relaying today.

    • Durand Ackman

      I had the same thoughts on Giuliani. I had never seen him speak about leadership and it seems to be a far stretch from seeing him speak today. I really enjoyed listening to the video of him included in this module though.

  • Kyle Phillips

    I find it interesting that the great leaders in this module had similar characteristics but represented a variety of people and backgrounds. I also really liked the quote from General Collin Powell regarding looking at life through the windshield, rather than through the back and the sides. I think hindsight can be a good reminder and training tool, but staying focused on the present and future will aid in keeping you in step with the pulse of the organization.

  • James Schueller

    This module gave several good examples of effective leadership by spotlighting numerous well-known figures from General Patton to Greg Norman. As I have noted in previous discussion boards and essays, I am a fan of quotes, and this module had several. Sam Walton's "None of us is smarter than all of us", Vince Lombardi's "There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything" , to General Powell's "Look through the windshield instead of the rear-view mirror". All are inspiring quotes that serve to highlight what effective leadership looks like. I also liked that the module closed with the Six Traits of Successful Police Leaders, in that it brought everything back into focus as to why we are participating in the course work, and what we hope to take from it for ourselves, our agencies, and the people we serve.

  • In this module, I really keyed in on General Colin Powell's statement that he likes to go through life looking through the windshield and not the side mirrors or rearview mirror because you can't change those things. I think this is a really good analogy. Often times we do go through life and think about or dwell on the past. Often times we can't change what has happened in the past but we can change the future or at least have input on where we are going in the future. If we always think this way I think we will be more positive and forward thinking.

    • Gregory Hutchins

      Another takeaway from Colin Powell's speech is never let your ego get close to your position, for when the job is gone, so is your ego. While there are many similar comments to this by others, it is perfect to hear it from a General. Too often, we deal with retired members of our profession that still hold onto the fact they served and use that as a justification to drive a personal agenda. The basis for their decisions or thought processes is that they are using archaic or outdated ways to do things. Few understand the challenges we experience. Due to not letting go of their ego, they turn into a source of trouble through complaints, repetitive unwarranted calls for service, or the requirement for law enforcement action upon themselves.

  • Joseph Flavin

    Learning about these 9 effective and successful leaders was very enlightening. Each leader had key traits and values that helped them achieve success. The common theme appeared to be their focus on making those around them better. Vince Lombardi said, "Leaders are made, not born." We are seeing how they are made with every passing module. It's important that we as leaders continue to build up those around us to achieve organizational success.

  • Mitchell Gahler

    In this module, Long discussed many key objectives towards the development of effective leadership. The six leadership traits also put in perspective the importance of how we can improve to be the most credible law enforcement professionals. General Colin Powell stated, “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems, is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded that you don’t care. Either case is a case of a failure of leadership.” This quote resonated with me providing me with the importance of communication and to pay attention to those you lead.

    • Colin Powell's message also resonated with me. Often times when I am busy and I get people stopping in my office I sometimes tend to be a little shorter with them. This statement is going to help me refocus and get me thinking that the reason they may be coming in is that they know I am competent and willing to help. I guess I would rather be busy and have them stopping in because they believe in what I am going to tell them.

  • Lt. Marlon J Shuff

    The commonality of these nine successful leaders is the value they placed on the people in their organizations. Colin Powell summed this up when he stated, "And the role of a leader is to put PEOPLE in the best possible environment to achieve the purpose of the organization." They all nine realized that to be successful, they had to surround themselves with capable people, care for them, reward them, support them, train them, equip them, and have their best interests in mind. In return, they would perform at a high level and achieve the goals of the organization.

  • Captain Jessica Jo Troxclair

    Dr. Long presented a great overview of nine credible leaders that impacted our country in some way. D. Long also discussed six powerful traits of a successful leader. After reviewing this module, I can relate to several of the characteristics and also realized there are some I can improve on. Leadership is about continuing to grow and learn.

    • Eduardo Palomares

      I also reflected on the areas I most need improvement on. I was fascinated by General Patton. This module really keyed on why certain traits are required for effective leadership. Leadership is a life long journey for all of us. Sometimes I have been annoyed by my troops calling me about certain calls for service. But after styling this module this made me realize they see me as a problem solver. I now see the bigger picture.

      • Maja Donohue

        I agree that getting called about simple things can be annoying at times, but then I remind myself that each call is an opportunity to develop that employee and make them more confident to make decisions on their own. If they are calling us it means that they still need us to solve problems, and like General Powell said, that is a good thing.

  • Lt. Joseph C. Chevis

    This module discusses how law enforcement officers can be successful and describes the six traits to success. To become a good leader, you need to utilize and work toward mastering those traits. The six traits mentioned all work together and builds you into the leader you should be. Of the six traits, I believe that communication is the most important of them all. Without communication, you cannot move forward and be successful.

  • Lt. Richard Paul Oubre

    The 6 traits for effective leadership are the same traits we should use for a successful marriage and life. I feel communication is the most important trait because if you possess all of the other traits and cannot effectively communicate, you look weak and incompetent.

    • Lt. Joseph C. Chevis

      Agreed, Oubre
      Communication plays a huge role in both marriage life and our work environment. and with out this skill it will never work out to it's fullest.

    • Mitchell Gahler

      Although communication is very important, credibility defined appears to be the most important to me. Without credibility, people will not follow you, thus communication will be non-existent. Communication can be negative or positive, but without positive credibility, there would be difficulty to communicate regarding conflict and providing influence.

    • Joseph Flavin

      I've seen the importance of effective communication come up numerous times now in these modules because of how important it is. If you can't communicate with others than your message will always get lost in translation. The leadership traits are certainly transferrable to life in general.

  • Using the examples of all the different types of leaders and from such different professions shows that anyone can be a leader if they have the drive to do so. They all held a vast understanding of themselves and of the people they influenced and never took either for granted. I particularly like Jack Welch's three steps, always give more than asked, be positive, and don't rub your ambitions in other people's faces. Simple concepts, yet powerful words.

  • This was a very good training module, police officers now, more than ever needs to make this their mantra. A police officer without credibility is pretty much useless. In law enforcement, dishonesty no matter how large or small is the quickest way to kill a law enforcement career

  • This module is a good follow up for providing tangible items to see and include for great leadership. The videos that show each highlighted speaker/leader give a speech that portrays their effectiveness as orators. It gives the student the chance to see the speakers use and perfect their respective crafts. The six traits are universally accepted as good traits in effective leaders. I hope to be able to mirror the skills and ideas used here today in my future career.

    • James Schueller

      I agree, several examples from a wide variety of figures just helped illustrate the traits we are studying. They laid the groundwork for the six traits discussed at the end that we need to focus on as we move forward.

  • Lt. Mark Lyons

    This was a very interesting training module. I enjoyed hearing the stories of some of the greatest and influential people of our time. One of the things I agree with and liked the most is the answer from Jack Welch on his advice to "over deliver".

    I began practicing this concept a long time ago. I believe that in order to separate yourself from the rest of the pack, you must go above and beyond. You must always deliver more than what was asked of you. To provide so much value in what you contribute, that you are considered essential to the organization.

    • Brent Olson

      Mark,

      I agree completely with the "over deliver" philosophy. We have a quite young department in that over half of our patrol staff has less than (5) years experience. This has resulted in every promotional position having multiple applicants as they are all at the same point in their careers. I constantly impress to my people that they need to find ways to set themselves apart from everyone else applying. I believe the phrase "over deliver" states that nicely. I think the expectations of all of us, formal and informal leaders, is to go above and beyond in whatever ways we can.

  • I don't think that a leader can be totally effective unless that leader can demonstrate skill in all 6 of the traits. It's interesting to me how each of the traits overlap to make the next trait stronger. I would have to say, just like the study found, that communication is the area that I personally need the most work on. I don't have a problem communicating, I just don't always communicate in an effective manner.

  • This module provided us with overviews and insight into how several successful and effective leaders processed thoughts and made them realities. They were able to obtain their personal goal communicating their dreams and goals, and inspiring their subordinates to be part of the change. As leaders at our respective agencies, it vital that we encourage and motivate our subordinates to strive for greatness and to be part of the greater good. The six traits of a successful police officer provided us with a guide on how to ensure we become effective leaders.

  • In this module we are presented with the six traits of a successful police leader. To be a successful leader you need to be mindful of these and work towards mastering them. All traits are intertwined and build on each other. the most important of these in my eyes is communication. Without communication you can not express the remaining traits.

  • This was a very informational module. For me, it ties up or connects some of the previous modules. The advice that Mr. Welch gives, I remember getting from mentors, and somewhere along the way it has faltered a bit. I still try to over deliver, when given an assignment or task, but I have seen that change based on situation or fatigue. The point that I need to work on is showing a positive mental attitude. Many times I do have a positive attitude, but I don't always show it, when in a hurry or trying to organize the day.

    I did enjoy the look at many leaders. Some of it was refreshing to see, when they were in their prime, pushing forward, in the world.

  • Adam Gonzalez

    Inspiring in so many ways because of the various people explaining what success is to them and how they achieved it, this module demonstrated excellent values in order for us as public safety professionals to embrace and to emulate if we are to achieve our righteous and service-oriented goals and endeavors. The Six Traits of a Successful Police Leader led the charge in showing forth precisely what is needed to reach the levels of accomplishment and credibility by universal standards. But again, I enjoyed most of all learning from those successful leaders, in their own words, how they reached the heights that they attained.

    • I agree with your comments. I enjoyed hearing in their own words, these leader's thought processes on how they became successful and what they thought of their followers.

  • This was such an inspiring module. I really enjoyed watching the speeches of all of thse amazing leaders and learning more about their philosphies and styles. The six traits of an effective leader resonate and make sense to me. I believe that these are the traits I strive to possess as a leader every day.

  • This module was interesting. In this module, it was stated that you should not be the smartest one in the room as a leader. In meetings, I often see people in leadership try to prove that they are the smartest person in the room. By doing that, they fail to listen to others and don't value others opinions. We should be able to build up each other to be successful as us or better than us. If we do that, the agency will thrive.

    • I like that too, since half the time I KNOW I am not the smartest guy in the room!! All joking aside, an ounce of humility, in the beginning, can definitely save you a pound of embarrassment in the future. Leaders must be opened minded and by possessing the 6 traits of a successful police leader these things will not be a concern to you.

  • I think credibility is the root of effective leadership. If your subordinates can not trust you, they will not follow you. I think subordinates will stand behind a leader when they know the leader has their best interests at heart.

  • The six traits of successful police leaders (caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage and collaboration) all build upon each other to form the foundation of effective credible leadership. Additionally, when Rudy Giullani advised to ask yourself what are your weaknesses and then find someone who "does well what you don't do well"...helped put Exchange Theory in perspective. Too many times we try to surround ourselves with others like us; yet, a better strategy is to surround us with people who, when we are teamed up, our skills complement each other.

    One of the areas our organization can improve upon, is offering professional development for support staff. Perhaps we could work to share our special skill sets with each other so we are stronger as a team, and as an organization.

  • Looking at this and how each trait develops more from the one before, I would like to go back and train or improve on each characteristic at a time. With the understanding of the importance of the previous traits to be effective at the next is key. I have seen many leaders in the past and today, attempt to reach the final trait and have not mastered or understood some of the previous. Another task to add to the to do list at the end of this course.

    • I agree with you on how we must understand how the traits build off each other. Too often leaders want to expedite actions in order to please the rank and advance their personal careers instead of building the successful team and allowing that to be their catapult to success.

  • I believe all 6 traits build off each other, but as long as you start with caring. Everything else can be taught or earned through experience. Also enjoyed Patton's speech. The towns he could not pronounce were definitely removed.

  • This lecture provided vital information that can be beneficial to developing all leaders. Great leader possesses the 6 traits of a successful leader and strive to display them in their daily job duties.

  • I loved watching the videos of some of the great leaders of our time. It's essential to see the impact we can make on people lives by being great leaders. Each of the six traits are important, but you have to have caring first as a foundation to build the other characteristics. We have to care for our people and what we do to succeed.

  • These six traits hit home for a lot of different reasons, but in my opinion credibility and communication key. I think a lot of the conflict between police and the community is a failure to communicate on both sides, which leads to misunderstanding and then can lead to physical confrontations.

    • I agree that caring and effective communication are helpful in reducing conflict between law enforcement and the community. One of the things I love about one of our Community Outreach Projects, Citizens Academy, is that the community gets to see the passion and commitment from each and every division; they get to speak with someone from every major Department. Many who come in skeptical and defensive graduate the program as our biggest fans. They realize we all care about they community and want to make a difference.

  • As we look at the world today, the six traits that Dr. Long refers to play a big part in all of us. I chose a caring character. We all must care. In today's world, we all need to care just a little more about people. We need to go the extra mile to ensure their health and well-being.

    The other five are just as important and play their role in what we do to take care of staff.

  • Lieutenant Dustin Jenkins

    This lesson again reiterated the need for credibility as a police leader. The six traits outlined all build on one another and keep the people we lead at the center of the leadership circle. If we can genuinely care for our subordinates, are competent, credible, and courageous we can succeed at building a team capable of anything.

  • Possessing numerous traits to be a successful police leader is key to success, no doubt. Just like truth and having integrity, I found that without being credible, no one will follow you or believe that you care about anything other than serving yourself. No one will care to collaborate with you on anything and anything you say will be assumed to be untruthful.

  • As a leader of an organization it is important that the leader be able to build up to collaboration between the entire organization. Rudy Giuliani showed us this in his talk on leadership. He would not have been able to mount the response to 9/11 that he did without collaboration between all of the divisions that he oversaw.

  • It was great to hear so many perspectives of leadership from a wide array of leaders. I think the most important lesson is to treat people the way you would want to be treated. If you treat people right and show you care there are no limits on what can be accomplished.

  • the six traits seem to be right on target. I was intrigued by several parts that spoke about simplifying things. I believe one of the things that I have to work on is I tend to overthink things and dwell to much on decisions after I have made them. I also like President Reagan's point of view where you let people do what they do best. This is how I think. I try to surround myself with people who know about the things i don't and rely on their input.

  • Henry Dominguez

    I liked how they highlight the six traits to become a successful leader, and really emphasized again the credibility of a good leader. A strong desire to lead by itself will not suffice but when you encompass these traits along with a genuine heart felt passion, that is what will make you a credible leader people will want to follow and listen to.

  • Major Stacy Fortenberry

    Several of the leaders highlighted had the common belief of empowering your people to do their best. Giving them the self confidence to act independently. When I initially thought of Patton I did not think of him as an example of delegation. I especially liked his view of tell people what needs to be done not how to do it.

    • Lieutenant Dustin Jenkins

      I took away the same concept from almost all of the leaders presented. I also took note of President Ronald Reagan's quote, "If we don't worry about getting credit we can get all things accomplished."

  • The leaders shown in this segment were diverse, coming from multiple segments of society, and time, they all seemed to have a commonality of traits to include integrity, vision, courage, and a team spirit. They epitomize the characteristics of good police leaders; caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration. Their belief that the whole is greater than the individual showed the excellent teamwork stems from believing in their followers, giving them knowledge and skills to succeed, being able to share their vision and surrounding themselves with people who shared that vision, the fortitude to do the right thing, and unifying those who made everyone better.

  • In the learning of area 3, module 6, learning the six traits to become a successful police leader were all very helpful. I do believe that all six are needed to show the full potential as a successful police leader. Because as credible leaders we have to be trustworthy , confident and take in full sense of accountability.

  • I enjoyed the module and watching General Colin Powell's speech. He was the Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff when I was a young marine in 1989. He was a man of integrity and loyalty. He was right when he said, "The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stop leading them". I will remember this as I go forward in my daily duties as a leader and follow the six traits.

  • The diversity of the group of leaders selected does a great job in showing the universal characteristics of leadership. While the circumstances, personalities, and even styles are different, there are certain core principles that drive home the idea that leadership has definitive core values. The six traits of a successful police leader as outlined by Dr. Long (Caring, Competence, Credibility, Communication, Courage, and Collaboration) are found in each of their overviews and each of their speeches. When I think of other effective leaders I know I see these same six traits repeating themselves. It is my intention to make sure I use these same traits in my role as a police leader.

    • Very good points. I did not really notice or think about the diversity of the group of leaders picked until I read your comment, I guess it shows that it doesn't matter what your background is or where you started, everyone has the potential to become a creditable and effective leader.

  • Lieutenant John Champagne

    I enjoyed the advice from Welch, over-deliver, walk around with a positive attitude, and do not be overly ambitious. Over time it is easy to lose focus on what we should be doing as a leader. Sometimes we have to refocus on the simple things. This is something I will try to do consistently.

    • Major Stacy Fortenberry

      The positive attitude portion strikes a bell with me. In my mid career I fell into a slump and my attitude was not pleasant. This caused conflict at work and at home. After lots of heartaches I finally realized that I was the problem not others and changed my attitude. Now this is one of areas I attempt to help others with. Having a bad attitude can be a career killer.

    • Lt. Marlon J Shuff

      In not only our profession, I feel that these three words of advice also apply to life in general.

  • I enjoyed this module of instruction and really enjoyed the stories of leadership by each of the great leaders. Each leader had the ability to inspire and motivate people to be the best they could be. I'm going to research any books written by General Powell and President Reagan. I'm sure I can learn something from each of them about leadership. The six traits of a successful leader is something I will strive to follow in my future leadership.

    • I agree that I would like to read more about each of the leaders presented in this module. Often we are familiar with the names and the cliff notes versions of what they are famous far, but I love finding out more of the details, the struggles, and the triumphs that truly make the person human and even more inspirational.

    • I think I will do the same. Colin Powell and Ronald Reagan are two of my favorite leaders. I also feel I can learn a lot from them and use it to become a better leader.

    • McKinney

      There were some exciting stories in this module. You mentioned more research into Colin Powell and President Regan, may I suggest Colin Powell’s book “It worked for me” ISBN 978-0-06-213512-4. I was gifted with this particular book, and it is an excellent read with a wealth of knowledge.

  • Royce Starring

    I thought this lesson very interesting. The six trait are stepping stone that lead to a successful police leader. Each one build off of each other.

  • Burke

    I enjoyed the this module and the different leaders used. The courage and credibility that was displayed in each is inspiring and good tool to remind us of what we should be doing everyday.

    • Lieutenant John Champagne

      I also enjoyed the stories of the different leaders and learning their stories. The thing they all had in common is the courage to step out of their comfort zone and lead.

      • Henry Dominguez

        I agree John and also noticed that each one possessed a true genuine passion in what they were doing. I believe in having these qualities is what made them stand out be great. They truly cared about what they were doing.

  • Lance Landry

    I really enjoyed hearing the stories of each of the different leaders in this module. They each possessed different characters that lead them to being successful leaders. Patton and Reagan thrived with delegating responsibility, and Welch directed by intellect not authority. Walton was committed to his belief, and Lombardi led with instilling confidence through hard work and perseverance. Powell displayed humility and Giulianni stuck with his beliefs. Each of these great leader’s traits can be emulated.

    • I too enjoyed hearing each leaders story. Especially the stories of Patton and Powell. I have always regarded the two leaders as being great and the stories are almost something of legend. I found that each leaders story was summarized by the six traits and each of them applied these traits in their leadership success.

  • Donnie

    There seemed to be a common attribute to the success of these celebrities and that was team work. They appeared to rely on other individual’s ability to contribute to the team vision for success. While I understand that each person in the lecture is an individual, they had to rely on other people’s decision making which contributed to their overall success. I’ve always been a believer in promoting the team vs any individual. I believe that rewarding individuals prompts others to contribute to the team success.

    • Burke

      Teamwork truly makes the dream work. I concur in your assessment on the group effort that made these people leaders.

      • There used to be a sergeant who worked with me, whose continuous mantra was "Teamwork makes the dream work." Some thought it was hokey but eventually it caught on and people began to work more closely with one another, spouting it all of the time. It goes to show that if people hear it more multiple times, it becomes ingrained in who they are.

    • Adam Gonzalez

      Awesome observation! Teamwork! Had you not pointed this out, I may have been inclined to glaze over it. Each success story did share how nothing was accomplished alone and independent. Some were more forthcoming than others in this, but together each did share how not one of them was an island unto themselves. If we are to seek out what we each dream to achieve, we to will require that others share in our dream, in our vision. We each will need the help and dedication of others. Thank you again for your insight!

    • Brad Strouf

      Yes, I agree as well. Where I saw significant differences in the leadership qualities of some of the examples used, I also saw that teamwork and the reliance of others is critical to be an effective leader. This theme seems to resonate throughout the modules.

  • McKinney

    Effective leaders can reach across boundaries if they are self-aware. There was a significant amount of information provided within this lesson that can assist in developing ourselves more for the members that we serve. I genuinely believe that if you are or willing to employ the 6 Traits of a Successful Leader, then we'll be more accomplished in building meaningful relationships with others.

    • Lance Landry

      McKinney, I believe the building blocks of the 6 Traits of a Successful Police leader are key. I say building blocks because it all begins with caring. The rest build off of it.

  • Rocco Dominic, III

    This module showed how the 6 traits of leadership are vital to being and effective leader. Each of the leaders presented in this module practiced the traits of leadership.

  • Amanda Pertuis

    The Effective Leaders discussed in this Module were inspirational and informative. I also got a lot out of the 6 Traits of a Successful Police Leader.

    • Rocco Dominic, III

      I also took a lot away from this module. I like Jack Welches theory; Give people self confidence is most important. It will cause them to act. By giving them confidence will also lead to inspiration.

  • Christian Johnson

    I really enjoyed the stories showcasing the different leaders throughout the module.

    I am also taking away a lot from the 6 Traits of a Successful Police Leader: Caring, Competence, Credibility, Communication, Courage and Collaboration.

    Each trait leads to the ability to have the next, yet they are thoroughly intertwined as well.

  • Roanne Sampson

    There were excellent examples of phenomenal credible leaders in this module. They all have accomplished so much in their life time. Oprah Winfrey pointed out that leaders need to dream, build their resume about their purpose, and push themselves. Colin Powell also discussed the organization having purpose as well as the leader. Rudy Giuliani wanting leaders to know their weaknesses. Leaders must have strong beliefs and a plan. They must display integrity, loyalty and high values. Credible leaders in law enforcement must care, be competent, be credible, use effective communication, have courage and be collaborative. This is very powerful.

  • David Ehrmann

    I enjoyed learning about the 9 leaders and their leadership traits discussed in this module. The most common theme each leader had always dealt with people. Either motiving them, showing them the leader cared, empowering them, or rewarding them, the message each leader had was clear. Care about your people, be a credible leader, and you and your people will succeed.

  • Clint Patterson

    I enjoyed the subtopic about Sam Walton. Sam started his life with great vision and goal setting by being the youngest Eagle Scout. He then went on to be the most dominant retailer in the world. But what I enjoyed most about Sam’s story was his leadership qualities that made him so unique. He genuinely cared about everyone he came in contact and talked to them all the same way. He never had an ego issue and had respect for others. Sam stated, “no one of us is smarter than all of us.” I think we, as leaders, need to strive to be like this, use our servant leadership skills and inspire others to gravitate to us naturally.

    • Roanne Sampson

      Clint, Sam Walton's style of leadership allowed him to accomplish so much. Leaders must have a vision and not display egos.

    • Royce Starring

      I agree. Having worked for one of Sam's Walton retail store I experienced his leadership first hand. He was big on customer satisfaction and employee morale.

  • Laurie Mecum

    This module had a lot of valuable information. I think the overall takeaway and what we keep hearing is leaders need to be credible. People want leaders that are going to listen to them, let them share their ideas and give input. They want communication and collaboration as well. These are all traits of good leaders.

    • David Ehrmann

      Absolutely. Also, people want leaders who care about them. They want a leader who will put them in the best position to succeed. They want a leader who puts their self-interest to the side while focusing on what is better for their people.

    • Christian Johnson

      I agree, Laurie.

      I believe it all comes down to credibility. Without it, everything else is immaterial.

  • Brian Lewis

    I really enjoyed this module and hearing the words from past leaders like Patton and Lombardi. Their messages ring true today. But one that I will pass on to my subordinates is 3 pieces of great advice from Jack Welch: over deliver, have a positive attitude, and don't be so ambitious to the point it's a neon sing on your forehead.

    • Laurie Mecum

      Brian, I enjoyed this module as well. It was really great hearing all the messages from some great leaders. Some I would not have really never thought of, but they were great examples.

    • Clint Patterson

      Brian, the subcategory with Lombardi, was inspiring. It brought me back to my football years and the great motivating pregame speeches giving to our team. The phrase “do you want to be remembered as a winner,” resonated with leaving a legacy behind.

    • Donnie

      I have often relied on using successful people as motivators to get something accomplished. When subordinates see successful people that they already know and have heard of they tend to try to relate to them using their success to motivate them. You just have to be careful to ensure the goals that are set aren’t too big to accomplish.

      • I agree with you, Donnie. I try to model my leadership style after successful leaders from whom I've worked. And I think you're correct, we do have to ensure that the goals aren't too big to accomplish.

    • Samantha Reps

      I also agree with this module was good. Hearing about all past credible leaders and their messages was great. I also thought the advice from Jack Welch is something to take to heart.

  • David Cupit

    This was a good module and informative. Watching respected leaders speak and learning about their characteristics and leadership style was educational. Learning about the 6 traits of a successful police leader was good.

  • Judith Estorge

    This was an excellent module of learning. I always enjoy watching well respected leaders speak and provide their wisdom. I also liked the 6 traits covered in this lecture. The trait I focus on is credibility which is a work in progress. Becoming an effective leader will be achievable if I achieve all 6 leadership traits.

    • David Cupit

      I agree with you Judith, to achieve the goal of becoming a great leader one must possess all 6 traits discussed in the lecture.

  • Chasity Arwood

    All great leaders should possess the six traits discussed in the lecture. I believe that credibility and communication are the two most important traits for an effective leader.

    • I agree with you as well that all six traits are needed to effective be a successful police leader, because all six of the traits go hand and hand with one another. In order to maintain and successfully have the next trait, you have to start with the first trait.

  • Lance Leblanc

    I enjoyed this video lecture compared to most. I especially liked Vince Lombardi's motivational speech. The lecture identified six traits of a successful police leader. I would differently agree, good/great leaders should possess all six traits.

    • Judith Estorge

      I found Lombardi and Norman's video to be the best. To hear the enthusiasm and motivation in both was inspiring.

  • Nancy Franklin

    This lecture provided a good overview of the styles and philosophies of some great leaders. All displayed some level of the six traits discussed in this module: caring, competence, credibility, communication and courage. It is important that people know and FEEL that a leader genuinely cares about them and believes in them. Having the ability to establish and maintain a professional and caring relationship with constituents is critical to a leader having followers. Leaders don't have to know how to do everything, but do require a solid foundational knowledge of the organization and know who and how to plug in vital resources where they themselves lack knowledge and skills. This demonstrates competence and the humility to recognize that you don't always have all of the answers - but know where to find them. Credibility and communication are key to effective leadership - without them leaders will not be able to develop relationships.

    • Amanda Pertuis

      Very well said Nancy. I agree, credibility and communication are needed to build effective relationships.

  • Drauzin Kinler

    In viewing this module, the instructor covered the style of some great effective leaders. Although all these leaders were different in many ways, they were all able to lead because they possessed the traits of caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration effectively. To look at the accomplishments these leaders achieved is astounding. I could only wish to become a leader to the same caliber as those mentioned in the lecture.

  • Mike Brown

    After viewing the lecture I believe the most important traits of a successful police leader are a mixture of several which include caring,communication and courage.To truly care for your employees means you help and allow them develop the skills needed, and according to Reagan point them in the right direction them do what they do.

    • Monte Potier

      I agree on your comment. I believe that your employees want to know that you care for them and if they do they will try harder to make you "shine".

    • Chasity Arwood

      I agree with you, a leaders must care about their employees and teach them to be great leaders.

    • Justin Payer

      MIke, I agree. I also believe that if you really care for your employees, you will work on all of the other traits.

  • Jarod Primicerio

    This module highlighted some of the most influential leaders in recent times. I love the leadership style of President Reagan and his belief to allow the people put into their respective positions to do their best. His hands-off approach empowered people to give it their all, and lessoned the need to be a micro-manager. Using the six traits of a successful police leader and recognizing what area(s) need improvement, is crucial. I consistently strive for them all but consistently focus on effective communication, which includes active listening.

  • Chris Corbin

    With Jack Welch's passing this last weekend, there has been much discussion and commentary this week about his leadership and legacy. While no one seems to be rewriting history, I have heard numerous opinions that while his leadership style was indeed great for its time, it would not fit or work as well in today's world because it focused more on operations and less on people. Some have asserted that Mr. Welch did not effectively demonstrate the 'caring' trait, and that in today's world, this would have limited his ability to achieve his prior levels of success. It just goes to show that we must remain self-aware, commit to continuous learning, and never forget that if we don't change with time, we will most likely be left behind.

    • Drauzin Kinler

      Chris, I believe that with each generation that comes along, we will have to tweak our leadership skills to fit their style. I previously mentioned in a post that my definition of a leader has changed from now going through this training, and when I became a police officer 31 years ago. My opinion of some of the leaders I worked with was very high until the training showed me that they were not good leaders at all. I do not blame them for the way they supervised. I blame the people that were in charge of not providing them the training or knowledge of how to be a great leader.

  • Dan Wolff

    To be an effective leader this module pointed out 6 traits: Caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration. As we learned in previous modules credibility is the foundation of any leader. However, when combined with the other five traits will help you attain to be an effective leader. As with the nine individuals portrayed had each of these traits to be successful leaders in their area. As Ronald Reagan stated, “let people do what they do best” , think sums it up very well.

  • Jason Porter

    The six traits for an effective leader are common in all the modules that have been presented. These traits are the same ones that we should live our personal lives by as well. Being caring and competent in what we teach our children. Communication with our spouse, having courage to institute change in our day to day lives to better our ways. Being a great and effective leader is being a great and effective person.

    • You make a good point Jason and I believe some people focus so hard on being a leader at work they forget to employ those characteristics in everyday life. I am a firm believer in family first and preach it to the guys, but I also know I need to practice what a preach.

      Again, well put!

    • Elliot Grace

      Jason,
      I agree being an effective person with those characteristics would change the world if everyone would implement those into their lifestyles.

  • Joey Prevost

    It it amazing that all these great leaders represented such a broad spectrum, yet they all had the same traits in common. I think a positive attitude is a fantastic place to start. The six traits will follow suit if we start with the right attitude.

    • Jason Porter

      Agreed. If you go in to something with a defeated attitude, then you will have a much harder time convincing your team or staff to get on board to accomplish the task.

    • Jarod Primicerio

      The right attitude is so necessary. Nothing else will sit well with others, including yourself if it is off. All the training won't help if the focus isn't on oneself first.

    • Lance Leblanc

      I agree Joey, a positive attitude is an excellent place to start. If negativity spreads throughout the troops and it may cause poor performance and a lack of motivation. The right attitude sets the tone for any job.

    • Brian Lewis

      Agree 100%. As a leader with a poor attitude, you set the tone for the rest of your division. I have witnessed leaders with bad attitudes suck the wind out of people's sails. Motivation, ingenuity, and proactivity come to a screeching halt.

    • Stephanie Hollinghead

      Agreed Joey. Attitude can be a defining point to the end result. Maintaining positive will help your team remain positive.

  • Brian Johnson

    The common theme through out this module was honesty, integrity, and team. Each speaker was grounded in purpose, mission, and strong moral beliefs. Credible leadership starts with your character as a leader. If you don't have true character, you will not care about people (self-interest), lack competence ( cheat to get ahead), lack credibility (no moral compass), bad communicator (lack listening skills), lack courage (can't make tough decision), and collaboration (takes credit for success). I have said this in prior posts, our honesty and integrity is a perishable skill, you must instill the mission, vision, and core values as law enforcement professional on a daily basis. The culture you allow is the culture you create within your organization. We must all be credible leaders.

    • Denise Boudreaux

      I agree Brain, honesty, integrity, and team was common theme in this module. Being grounded in purpose, mission and strong moral beliefs make for an effective leader. True character makes for a truly credible and effective leader. This is a must in leadership.

  • Frank Acuna

    There were many leadership perspectives shared in this lesson which were effective for those who used them. To be an effective police leader, you must demonstrate caring, competence, credibility, communication, courage, and collaboration. To truly care for your staff means you help them develop themselves, rather than use them to meet your goals. You must be competent and learn how to be a good leader in your position. You must gain credibility and earn trust by demonstrating truthfulness and accountability. Communication is key and can often stifle relationships and growth. You must actively work to improve your communication skills with your staff, boss and the public. Leaders must be courageous, stand up for their values and challenge mediocrity. They must learn to collaborate well, work well with others and network to get tasks accomplished.

    Frank

    • Nancy Franklin

      Frank, I agree that communication - if done improperly - can stifle relationships. It is important to constantly work on your communication style and the ability to adapt it to your intended audience. Collaboration is also key to ensuring leadership effectiveness. We can't do this job on our own - it takes a confident and inspired team to achieve the end result.

    • Lt. Richard Paul Oubre

      Frank, I agree that communication is our key skill. If a leader has the other traits but can not effectively communicate, he will be looked upon as a weak leader.

  • Kyle Turner

    In listening to the interview with Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, something stood out that I have never heard before. His 3rd piece of advice that he gives to people newly in the workforce is to be privately ambitious. He explains that it is ok to be ambitious and he encourages it, but don't be obvious about it. I think this makes a lot of sense for new employees and would assist in anyone's transition into the organization, help them establish relationships with others, and build trust. If people are obviously ambitious, these things are much harder to do.

    • Frank Acuna

      Kyle,

      I like Jack Welch's advice as well, if you walk around with ambition on your face, some will see that as cocky in our profession. Drive and determination can be modest and you can still be effective without putting others off by your enthusiasm. Funny to say out loud, because enthusiasm is good but our competitive nature calls for humility so that we can all function together as a team.

      Frank

    • Chris Corbin

      Great point Kyle. There is definitely a time and place to show your ambitions, and one must be careful to be cognizant of that to avoid the potential negative impacts that could arise of appearing over-ambitious. These could include creating an impression that an individual is only out for themselves, which in turn can lead to distrust and disconnection amongst their team.

    • I really like the point that you made about being "privately ambitious". When I think of ambitious I think of people being excited and quickly accomplishing tasks or taking on challenges that are may be difficult and time consuming. That seems as though it would be difficult to hide or keep private, but now that I think about it, I know several people that accomplish things without making it known. They accomplish things that others wouldn't necessarily take on and don't look for any credit from doing it.

    • Paul Brignac III

      Kyle I found that advice to be very interesting as well. I believe that ambition can be misinterpreted by others as a desire to "pass them up". I think that sometimes other employees may feel that a vocally ambitious employee is a threat to them. Because of this, I agree that ambition doesn't need to be shouted from the rooftops.

  • Monte Potier

    After viewing the lecture I believe the most important trait of a successful police leader is the trait of "Competence". To be truly "Competent" you must have the knowledge on how to do your job. Many leaders posses some of other traits, however leaders lead from the front, which means you must be knowledgeable of your job to do so.

    • Brian Johnson

      Monte, I generally agree with you but I would offer that effective leaders can be "generalists" in many areas withing law enforcement and still be competent leaders. Effective leaders are self-aware of their weaknesses, so they surrounding themselves with other team members that are strong in their area of weakness to compliment and support the team. As Sam Walton simply stated, "None of us, is smarter than all of us."

      • Chad Blanchette

        I would have to agree with Brian on this one. In Rudy's speech, he spoke of identifying your weaknesses and then if you are not able to fulfill those weaknesses, hire someone who exceeds in those areas.

    • Joey Prevost

      I would differ slightly Sir, and say that Credibility would be more important. If a leader has credibility, they will be trustworthy enough they will know where they are lacking. If it is in Competence, they will gain the skills necessary to model competence in the new area.

      • Lt. Mark Lyons

        I agree that credibility is one of the most important traits for a leader to possess. I believe that having a combination of credibility and influence are crucial elements to being an effective leader.

        • Miranda Rogers

          I can't disagree with the importance of all the traits, however, I feel Caring is perhaps the most important only because it's the starting point to be an effective leader.

      • Michael McLain

        Joey I agree completely. To achieve credibility means you portray the other 5 traits and as you stated they understand where they lack and build on that particular trait.

      • Christopher Kozub

        I have to agree with you joey, credibility goes a long way when in our field. Not just with those we supervise but, but the courts, and our partners at other agencies. Without good "credit" it could lead us to issues when it comes to certain aspects of this profession.

    • Dan Wolff

      Monte Potier,
      I believe what you are saying is important but not the most important. I have worked with individuals that lead me in an organization that were not the most competent but the battles they won to get where they were was not based on their knowledge of the job. They had the highest credibility in the organization and knew how to empower those that knew more than him and create a team to be successful. He used humility but at the same time didn’t pretend to be something he was not. He was constantly learning to become more competent but I think he utilized the other traits to increase his weaknesses which he put out there for everyone and asked to help him be stronger.

      Dan

    • Ryan Manguson

      I would have to agree with Brian and Chad as well. Although competence is very important, we as life long learners are continually increasing in competence and need to rely on the knowledge of those around us as well. I agree Sam Walton said it well, "No one of us is smarter than all of us".

    • Major Willie Stewart

      Monte,
      I agree with you that competence is a very important trait in police leaders. Being knowledgeable and efficient on the job helps to be more effective leaders and mentors. We have to remember that many of our followers depend on that front end leadership.

    • Jack Gilboy

      I would have to disagree. I believe the strongest trait would be "courage". You need courage to make the hard decisions, courage to lead by example, courage to back your team, and courage to stand up for that you believe in.

    • Kevin Carnley

      I agree having worked for some early in my career that clearly did not possess knowledge of the leadership. We learned from them what not to do more than what to do correctly.