Instructions:
- 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.
- After posting your discussion, review posts provided by other students in the class and reply to at least one of them.
From the readings and video in this module, I learned that the magnanimous officer is defined as an officer having a "great mind". I also learned that the MAGNUS Officer develops their character and leadership by constantly improving and evolving in their thoughts, words, actions, and deeds,
The Magnus Officer is always trying to improve themselves to live a fulfilled life. I can see this in many of the people that I serve with on a daily basis. What have you done in your career/life to help you improve yourself on a daily basis?
Randy, I'm glad to see that you can see the characteristics of MAGNUS Officers in the people that you work with. In Law Enforcement, I feel as if officers are not recognized for all that they do to improve themselves beyond what their colleagues have done.
The virtues of a Magnus Officer explained in the module are essential to quality leadership. As I reviewed the module, I could not help but reflect on my behaviors and start journaling on some things to work on immediately. One virtue that stands out to me is Courage; you must persevere in the face of fear, danger, and difficulty. I have had the pleasure over my 18 years in communications to work with some Magnus officers who continue to inspire me. Becoming a Magnus officer requires time, effort, and dedication, and this is something I’m fully committed to becoming.
The discussed in this course describe what it means to be a great Officer. Some of the virtues discussed in the module were truthfulness, integrity, honor, humility and respect. All the things to become a great person as well as a great Officer.
In order for us to become successful Magnus leader, a Magnus leader ensures they ask questions and learn from each other as they continue on there journey . Those that truly live by these virtues will always be able to achieve greatness. A Magnus leader also must have the courage to understand that hard work is required to lead others successfully.
When I first began the learning module on Virtues of Magnanimous Officers, I was drawn to reviewing the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and the core values of my home agency that are displayed throughout our various buildings. The virtues and values displayed in both facets (the learning module and code of ethics) are virtually identical and carry a heavy impact and expectation within the law enforcement profession. It establishes the highest of standards that each law enforcement professional should strive to fulfill and exceed daily. It outlines the integrity, professionalism, and honesty that is demanded of our profession, and that we should demand of ourselves.
During one of his lectures, Lieutenant Chris Hoina discussed that becoming a Magnus Officer is a journey, a way of life that changes our ways of thinking, speaking, and behaving. A journey is by far the best description. A journey has highs and lows and learning moments throughout. A journey also encompasses self-reflection, self-critique, and honing skills to become the best representation of what we are striving to portray. This journey leads to actions, which turn into habits, which ignites the magnanimity within. Journeys are limitless and rewarding, which incorporates a vital piece of becoming a magnus officer. That vital piece is unceasing development and learning ways and actions to improve ourselves. As we continue to grow and learn with the utmost integrity and professionalism, then we achieve distinguished service and a worthful purpose in both, a professional and personal setting. A significant byproduct is the radiation of these virtues and values to the people around us who will seek betterment.
Family is the foundation of society! As true as this statement is, sadly I believe it has lost meaning and value within our country. According to a study performed by Pew Research Center in 2019, 23% of children under the age of 18 are being raised in a broken home. If we, as leaders, implement the discussed virtues, we could make a substantial impact to this number as we can develop growth among our fellow people.
I was impacted by this lesson when Lt. Hoina described the virtues of a Magnus officer, specifically Integrity, Nobility, Humility, Faithfulness, and Gratitude. As a law enforcement officer, these are characteristics that one needs to possess to exhibit improving character and always improve. As you improve in these characteristics, you will be able to mold incoming officers to mold a better department for the sake of the community.
In the long run, this will not only bring you self-gratification because you lived a life being Magnus but also because of the other lives you have impacted on the way there. As law enforcement, we are very observant, and possessing that trait makes it possible to look at ourselves and how others live their lives.
The leadership I choose to demonstrate today like Lt. Hoina said, will "help define then lead the next stage of policing evolution".
I agree with impacting incoming officers. FTOs carry so much influence on rookies. If us, as leaders and supervisors, can lead a magnus life and spread it to our FTOs, then it will continue to improve and increase an agency's purpose, mission, and morale.
This lesson reminds me of a few reasons I entered this line of work. To help people, to serve my community and to be a roll model to others. Becoming a Magnus Officer takes time and effort each and every day. Learning from coworkers and supervisors at all times and never think you know everything once you obtain a certain rank, you can learn something new every day. I know I can improve my supervisory skills with the lessons I will learn here and I will keep my moral compass heading in the right direction.
I like that you mention your moral compass, because I think that people often lose sight of their true direction in the their moral compass. In my experience I have seen many people that I consider to good people compromise their moral compass in small ways due to circumstance. This has lead me to see them in a different light, and changes the way that I perceive them.
I believe that only through constant vigilance and re-evaluation of our own moral code of ethics can we stay true to the correct path and pursue the life of the Magnus Officer.
This module reminds me why we choose to be in the law enforcement and the professionalism that we need to project from ourselves when we are not just in the eyes of the public but also when we are not on duty as well. It is also a great reminder to keep track of your strengths and weaknesses. If you have a strength in something there is no harm in sharing those strengths, and where you have weakness to go ahead and acknowledge those and ask for assistance from someone that may have that strength.
Lt. Kozub, I truly appreciate your comments about acknowledging and seeking assistance in our weaknesses. Though this can be difficult at times, it is an absolute necessity if we want to develop into the magnus leaders our profession needs. Reading your comment about keeping track of both, strengths and weaknesses is pivotal for our growth. I have always said the day we stop learning in the law enforcement profession is the day we need to move on. True and honest self-reflection is paramount in our capabilities of motivating and leading from the front! Thank you for your contribution.
This module on the "Magnanimous Officer" had me engaged in a lot of self-reflection. As I listened to Lt. Chris Hoina describe the virtues of a MAGNUS officer, I found myself seeking correlation in my daily work and dedicating myself to improvement. I journaled a list of what I feel are my strengths and weaknesses so I can work to correct and tweak them. I am fortunate to come from an agency with great leadership and strive to build on a shared vision the MAGNUS way.
Lindsay, I am glad you brought up journaling. It can be such an underused tool, but it carries a vast amount of potential in making us better. I must admit, I didn’t really practice journaling all too often until I began completing my FBI-LEEDA classes. It is definitely a practice that I will try and make a habit.
I completely agree with you, Lindsay; I found myself doing the same with a list of things I immediately needed to work on and something I knew I could correct on the spot. It all takes time, dedication, and effort. Which is what we are all here for.
I found this module to be a good reminder of the values we should operate under every day. Running these through our head as a quick check before making a decision to be sure we are remaining on the right path. I think in my world on the 911 side, having conversations with my coworkers about those values that are important to us and knowing who we are is contagious and will reap benefits as it becomes more of a topic of conversation in our agency to keep those values at the front of your mind.
Emily, I totally agree with your post in the fact that we should live under these values every day because as a leader, you are being watched not only by your co-workers, but also subordinates, superiors and members of the community you swore to serve. These values need to be contagious, because we know that negativity and the opposite behaviors are. We work in a field that negativity is sometimes a way of coping with the hardships that come with this profession. As we learn more during this course, we need to continue to be the change in behaviors and attitudes.
I truly believe that a good leader follows the four steps listed in this module. A leader that observes his surroundings, his people and their behaviors/performance and the agency's culture is better at knowing the needs of those they serve. Active listening to the concerns and giving feedback helps keep communication open and clear. Having an open mind and continuing to learn shows people that their voice is heard. Finally, acting on an action plan from doing the first three steps shows your people they are valued and builds faith and trust into you as a leader.
My believes to be a magnus officer, we need to possess the mindset, skill set, good morals, and values that we can assist a struggling officer or family member during difficult times. The magnus officer has set goals, not only for self, but goals to empower others you lead and by sharing success with non magnus officers.
I agree with you, Roy Martin. Empower others you lead and teach them what you know and learn. Your fellow Officers will be future leaders.
Magnanimity is the quality of being generous, forgiving, and noble. Magnanimous people possess a great spirit and are willing to do good for others without expecting anything in return. We have a sense of self-worth that is not dependent on external validation, and we can rise above petty concerns to focus on the greater good.
One of the essential virtues of a magnanimous person is generosity. We are willing to give freely of our time, resources, and talents to help others. This generosity comes from a deep compassion for others and a desire to improve the world.
Another important virtue of magnanimity is forgiveness. We can forgive even those who have wronged us deeply. We understand that holding onto anger and resentment only hurts us in the long run, so we choose instead to let go of these negative emotions and move forward with grace.
Magnanimous people also possess great courage. We stand up for what we believe in, even if it means going against popular opinion or facing criticism from others. Our courage comes from our strong conviction and belief in doing what is right.
Finally, magnanimous people have an unwavering commitment to excellence. We strive for greatness in all aspects of our lives, personal relationships, professional endeavors, and community service projects. We believe that anything worth doing is worth doing well.
The lessons on Virtues of a Magnanimous officer were very eye opening to me on a personal level. The subject really expanded upon the true meaning of what really is required to be a great officer and leader in the profession of law enforcement. The topics on Magnus characteristics and beliefs really makes a person do an internal self check on what's really important to succeed as a leader. Characteristics such as truthfulness, integrity , honor, humility, dedication , gratitude, and many other traits really point out the goodness and diversity that is required in this field. This lesson inspired me to raise the bar personally on being a better person and a better leader.
Lawrence I agree with you on a personal level, that being a Magnanimous officer was eye opening for me too. To be a successful officer and leader in the profession of law enforcement field. The Magnus characteristics and our beliefs system, make a difference in our daily life's for both on and off duty. Your word and compassion play a big role for being better person and leader for those we serve.
I agree Lawrence. I found myself reflecting on previous situations and scenarios and doing the same internal self check.
I also felt incredibly inspired by this lesson. As I listened to Lt. Chris Hoina describe the virtues of a Magnanimous officer, I began to ponder all the ways I wanted to do better and how I could achieve this. I did some self-reflection on what I feel are my strengths along with my weaknesses and made a list of where I wanted to improve.
Lawrence, I would not agree with you more that this makes us do a self check on what is really important to not just us, but our departments, in what it takes to be a positive leader. The bar must be raised i think now more than ever in the world of law enforcement. This really should make us as leaders hone in our of characteristics not just for ourselves but for those that we supervise.
Virtues of Magnanimous Officers covered some great things. These traits can seem simple and ordinary in the workplace. However, these traits can be rare and hard to see after almost nineteen years on the job.
I have learned a lot but continue to self-reflect to improve, which is a Magnus mindset. This mindset has to be continually worked on. Mindset can be hurt or weakened by the everyday demands of the law enforcement profession.
One big takeaway I had was, that your Magnus journey never ends.
Very well put Sir. I agree whole heartedly with your with description of the subject matter!
I started my career young and with the mentality of becoming a warrior. The comment in this lesson, officers begin their careers to become warriors, but with a guardian heart really hit home. Luckily, I had mentors then, and now that have taught me to have the guardian heart. The Virtues of Magnanimous Officer has humbled me and shown that I have a lot of work to do. Not only to become a better leader but a better person in general. We are a reflection of the mentors and leaders in our lives. This has taught me that I need to make my own path and constantly evaluate myself to grow as a magnus officer.
The virtues narrated in Lt. Chris Hoina’s lecture are extremely crucial for law enforcement officers. Honesty, integrity, and respect should be implemented throughout the department. The virtues that Lt. Hoina’s mentioned during the lecture manifest what a Magnus leader exemplifies. A Magnus leader interacts with their subordinates. A Magnus leader mentors their subordinates. Magnus leaders are peace keepers. Magnus leaders model courage, exemplify resiliency, and nurture creativity. This lecture has caused me to reflect on my career and my strengths and weaknesses of the leadership within me. Moving forward I will focus on tremendously improving my weaknesses to make me a better subordinate and leader.
That is very well stated, stay humble and constantly work on yourself. The better you become the more you can help others. Leave it better then you found it.
Sir Bobby Peale's statement of "police are the public and the public are the police" defines why we should all strive to embody the Magnanimous Officer. As law enforcement, we are tasked with ensuring that citizens stay within the confines of the law, and when taken down to the most basic level, we look for those who are distaining justice, are acting meanly, and are working against accomplishing useful, noble objectives. If police are public, then as police we must hold ourselves strictly to the very definition given at the beginning of this module if we expect to hold the general public to the same standards and go to the length of taking liberties and freedoms away when they stray. A virtuous man acts with integrity, one should not expect others to follow a virtuous path if he does not follow one himself even when no one is looking.
The first module and lecture by Lt. Christopher Hoina really pointed out the values needed to be a magnanimous leader. Being a magnanimous leader requires you to have a moral compass and the moral courage to do what is right, whether in your professional duties or in your personal life. A magnanimous leader must also realize that it takes others to be successful and this requires a connection with others. In the Badge podcast included under our lecture, Michael Lee Stoddard talked about the importance of connection, and he suggested that connection takes interaction and mentorship. I feel that interaction is very important and is something that I need to be better at in my everyday duties. I find myself a lot of times restricted to my office on my own accord due to workload or deadlines, when I should be better at getting out of my office and interacting with everyone.
While recognizing the success of being a magnanimous leader you must also have humility. Without humility a magnanimous leader could lose the human connection with others, in turn pushing them away. If this were to happen, you would probably no longer be magnanimous or a leader. In my own career I have had supervisors that did not connect with their subordinates and because of this they were not leaders, they were simply someone who was in charge. My past experiences have provided me with the forethought that I will not be like those supervisors and that I will work hard to build connections with the people with whom I lead. There are many virtues required to be a magnanimous leader, all of which are equally important. The ones that stick out the most to me are honesty, integrity, and respect.
The virtues described in Lt. Chris Hoina's article are essential for law enforcement officers and valuable for anyone in leadership. I have observed and learned from examples from this module, which can help enhance one's leadership capacity at work.
Gratitude is a virtue that is crucial for leaders. Expressing gratitude to team members and acknowledging their contributions fosters a positive work culture and motivates them to continue to work hard and strive for excellence. By showing gratitude, leaders build strong relationships with their team members and create a sense of belonging and appreciation. After reviewing this module, I realized that I could show more gratitude to my team. I recognized that I expect them to perform well, but I don't thank them or relay my appreciation for their efforts as often as I could or should.
Truthfulness is another vital aspect of leadership that I assumed was obvious but never thought about as a required virtue. Leaders who are honest and transparent in their interactions with their team members gain their trust and respect. By being truthful, leaders create a culture of trust within their teams, where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns, leading to better decision-making and outcomes.
In summary, the virtues discussed in Lt. Chris Hoina's article are essential for law enforcement officers, but they are also valuable for anyone in a leadership position. By incorporating these virtues into our leadership style, we can enhance our leadership capacity, build trust and respect with our team members, and create a positive work culture.
While reflecting on the information learned during this module, I was struck by its simplicity. We grow up wanting to be better at many different things, sports, academics, socializing etc. Yet once in our professional life's, we somehow forget that desire to be better. We forget that feeling or desire to be better, to learn more, to expand our thinking. I've learned that to become a Magnus officer, I need to commit to the idea of never stop improving myself and that my actions in doing so will have a ripple effect those around me. As others have said in this discussion, I was raised in accordance with many of the value of a Magnus officer. It may be why a career in law enforcement had such a draw to me. It is also why this module was so impactful for me. I see how my self improvement not only effects me but inspires others to do the same.
The messages with the most impact are often those that are very simplistic. You are correct in your assessment that we get to a point, possibly to a position that has been a goal in our career, and we just settle into the job. In my own experience, I can get caught up in the daily details without realizing that I have slid into complacency in the areas of learning and self-improvement. This truly does have a ripple effect as I have seen others take interest when a new topic is introduced.
During the lesson, I found myself internalizing the thoughts, recapping my career and how I got where I am today. Additionally, I found myself pondering the very diverse leadership I have had the opportunity of learning under and wanting to thank each for their contribution to where I am today. Every step in this career has been a milestone; each one with their own lessons on becoming better – some that were more rigorous than others, some that have you recheck the very knowledge and skills you thought you had and build upon them once more. Certainly, understanding that self-improvement is never complete and should be the accelerant for one to never stop building skills and knowledge, and of course, one would get nowhere without a refined moral compass.
Jennifer, I completely agree with the fact that this lesson made you look inward. I also found myself thinking of leaders within my department and what I have learned from them. Some of which are Magnanimous supervisors and some lack humility. Self-improvement and learning is never complete in ever so changing career!
This lesson was very interesting, and it makes a long-time supervisor stop and think about the aspects of life and leadership that need to be improved on and continue to work on, every day. I often think about the day-to-day job that needs to be done and this lesson reminds me that time needs to be taken out of our daily routine to improve and become the Magnus Officer. The Mental, Physical, and spiritual aspects of the day-to-day leadership can sometimes be overlooked. This is a positive and refreshing look at the Magnus officer. Let’s not forget about the most important job of being a leader in our community, family, and country we live in. During these times of turbulence, we need the majority of our officers to Magnanimous.
I could not agree more, It is imperative that those of us in, or aspiring to leadership roles, develop a magnanimous mindset. The ability to honestly evaluate ourselves and work diligently on our shortcomings to become better for our families, our workplace and our communities will inspire change. By observing, listening, learning and acting we can continually improve not only our performance and effectiveness but also encourage those we work with or manage to do the same. I see it as being a contagious mindset.
As I listened to this lecture, I began to summarize my career and ask myself how do my past experiences line up with the values of a magnus officer. I think about my days on patrol and how I would always try to ensure the satisfaction of the individual(s) involved in the situation. This lecture is also a constant reminder that your integrity and moral compass must show through, each time an interaction takes place with the public. This self examination should begin before you make the decision to choose this profession and it must continue well into your career.
Eric McElroy,
I agree more with your comment. This line of work is not cut out for everyone, but the few of us that continue in this line of work must continue to develop daily. I have noticed that we often try to solve problems without listening to the question at hand. This section of the course is placed in the perfect place and forces us to do an evaluation on ourselves.
Going through this module today could not have come at a better time. Lately, I have been in the process of working on myself as a person, officer, and supervisor. I was raised with these virtues discussed being drilled into my head daily. The hardest virtue that I have struggled with is humility. Recently, it took a few good friends to point that out to me. I have never heard the term magnanimous until other officers from our department completed this program. This module made me do a lot of self-reflection throughout the day. I now realize that I have to continue to improve myself every day and never stop to become a magnanimous officer.
Michael I truly understand. Being in a supervisory role can be very challenging and the different personalities add to the complexity of the assignment. The values of a magnanimous officer are ones that I have tried to follow my entire career. I've learned to realize that the people you interact with are the pieces to the puzzle of humility. Honor and integrity were instilled in me as a young man and emboldened when I became a Marine after high school. So as we advance through this course, I truly believe our skills will be sharpened and our mental focus will help bring more value to our respective departments.
"Practice humility today to improve leadership tomorrow". If I'd heard this as a young police officer, I doubt I would have understood it at the time. Now it makes perfect sense. I didn't practice humility for a long time and one day found myself in a leadership position. I found it difficult to get others to follow me or trust me when all they had ever seen from me was arrogance, and often a lack of that team-player mentality. Most of these virtues mentioned by Lt. Hoina had been taught at home, but looking back I definitely left humility, gratitude, prudence, and responsibility there. It took good men that I looked up to to change my mindset.
Bill, Those years that you didn't think you practiced humility or only thought of your actions as arrogance, those years built confidence to turn you into the leader you are today. We continue to improve ourselves, and by doing so, we will develop the best leaders in our capacity for the future. Keep up the excellent work.
For many of us, the calling we felt that led us to becoming law enforcement officers was because we had the virtues of a Magnanimous person within us without being able to fully articulate the reasons. I am beyond grateful for my mother and father who taught me morals and how to treat other people with fairness, integrity, and to stand up for what is right. These attributes were honed throughout my life by teachers in school, the leaders I had during my service in the Army, and all of the mentors i have had during my law enforcement career.
It's wonderful to hear that you have had such positive influences in your life, from your parents to your teachers, leaders, and mentors, who have helped shape your character and instill important values such as fairness, integrity, and standing up for what is right. It's also interesting to note that many law enforcement officers feel a calling to this profession because they have these virtues inherent within them, even if they can't fully articulate the reasons why.
It's clear that these virtues have been honed throughout your life and have served you well throughout your law enforcement career. Therefore, it's essential to continue seeking mentors and opportunities for growth and development as a leader to continue cultivating and strengthening these virtues. By doing so, you will not only serve your community with honor and distinction but also inspire those around you to strive for excellence and make a positive impact in their own lives and the lives of others.
I was raised by parents who had strong morals and values to the core. They raised my siblings and I to be good people and have a good moral character. As the son of a law enforcement officer, I have myself lived my life and career in every aspect with one principle in mind, “Right is right and wrong is wrong.” With this principle I have tried to be the best I can be in my career and as a leader. I was not sure until watching this lecture that my life’s core principle is that of a magnanimous officer. I try my hardest to guide, teach, and be the best role model I can be for my subordinates, but I myself should continue to stay humble and continue to maintenance myself on the virtues of a magnanimous officer.
I too had parents who taught me strong morals and principles. Their lessons were reinforced by the leaders during my time in the Army, and the mentors I have had during my law enforcement career. I have discovered that during my time in law enforcement, rather on a call for service, during training, or as a field training officer, we hold ourselves to a higher standard and conduct because we have such qualities, and that is seen by others. We can be magnanimous in the most subtle of ways, and it can influence so many others to become the same way.
John, I agree with your comment on learning how close my path has been paved to that of the Magnus Officer. Of course, we’d never be where we are today without certain lessons learned. Internalizing your own traits is sometimes the hardest thing to conquer, seeing though your every day habits, good or bad, and working on them one by one. It is also helpful when you have a good support system that will check you when you need it!
John, I agree with your comment on noticing through this lesson that my path has closely resembled the Magnus Officer. Being a good role model and leader is sometimes having a good role model and leader to verify your chain of thought or check you when you need it; someone to trust and confide in who also possess some of the best leadership traits around. This can definitely help one to continue shaping their leadership skills.
Lewis Blanchard
National Command & Staff College
Session # 17, Myrtle Beach, SC
Living magnanimously is expected of us in law enforcement as we serve and protect with character, shared vision, and excellent leadership skills for the greater good. Therefore, to be a magnus officer is to be a great officer. As policing evolves, we must evolve with it by using magnus virtues as peacekeepers by being servant guardians.
As we grow, we must remain humble and thank those who encouraged us by encouraging others. We must also thank those who invested and supported us through training, opportunities, and skills and constantly pass those on to help others become magnus. Humility is necessary, recognize your team as your success is contributed to by them. We must always practice Humility to improve our leadership skills.
As a magnus officer, we will remain fair, ethical, and embody true professionalism through virtuous and compassionate living. We remain credible because we serve with justice and guardianship while remaining accountable for our actions regardless of if we are on or off duty. We represent everyone in our profession and must do so accordingly. We must remain free from immoral and illegal behavior by remaining truthful, reporting fabrications, having integrity, honor, nobility, and always remain humble. Magnus officers understand they represent more than themselves as part of this profession by being a catalyst for progress.
Magnus leaders are quick to recognize the contributions of others and acknowledge them publicly. They are free from anger and bitterness and adhere to the strictest standards of behavior. They cooperatively engage others for making the community better and continually seek ways to serve the community. Magnus officers exemplify the best of the policing profession by serving with duty and honor.
Unfortunately, there are a good number of officers in the profession who do not exemplify the standards of a magnus officer and rarely do their peers stand up to help make them better. One example is adultery, and often it is started while at work. I have always made it clear to officers that if you can’t honor the commitment you made with the person you love in front of your best friends and God, then how can I trust you to honor your oath of office? The second is lying. Although it may start out with small stuff, when we aren’t called out on it, it will continue and become far worse. It will cost you your career, but it is far worse than that because depending on the situation, it will negatively impact officers throughout your agency, community, and possibly the entire country.
As leaders, we must be preparing the next generation, encouraging them to attend as much leadership training as possible, seek grants to obtain funding, and do whatever it takes to set the path for a clear vision of magnus leaders. We must hold ourselves to high accountability standards, communicate our expectations, and hold others accountable as well.
I can't say it as eloquently as you put it, but most police don't police ourselves. We've probably all observed a coworker doing something or saying something you wouldn't want to be associated with but ignore it and do nothing to change or influence their behavior.
I agree. And even when you're dealing with something like negativity at work, often others don't want to participate in it either. Sometimes all it takes is an honest conversation with a respected coworker to offer a different point of view.
This module resonates with me. As many have posted before, I took away that to be a leader that your team, peers, and others in the community look up to, one must live the Magnus virtues in your daily professional and personal life. While each one of us may have known these virtues by a different name, these are things that most of us have been instilled with growing up. I am sure that each of us has made mistakes in the past, contrary to some of the virtues we now hold. The younger we are, the more forgiving we are of ourselves and those who support us. As we gain experience and wisdom from the mistakes and successes of the past, we strive to build on those in a positive forward motion. With youth, we have the benefit of having time on our side to help correct some of those errors, but as we become more “experienced,” we lose the luxury of time to help correct or obscure those errors. As we continue to move forward in our careers, we must pull from those prior experiences. Looking to our fellow officers, our family, and other support mechanisms to help lift those around us and look up to others to inspire us to do better in our daily lives.
I agree with you that most people in law enforcement grew up being taught and raised to have the same virtues required to be magnanimous as leaders or officers. I think that to be magnanimous one must never stop practicing those virtues that we learned from an early age as well. You also made a good point that we must learn from our past experiences and that at an early age we have more time on our side to make corrections. As a child growing up, we rely on our parents to teach us and to punish us for those mistakes made. As an adult we must rely heavily on our peers, connections, and our mentors to guide us.
Listening to this initial lecture and hearing the "Magnus" concept for the first time reminded me of the twelve principals of the Boy Scout Law: a scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. As corny as it sounds, these simple tenets have served as my foundation and moral compass for many years - so much so that I carry a challenge coin around with the words of the law inscribed on it.
As I listened to the lecture and learned about "Magnus", I thought about how we never stop evolving into the moral, just, and wise leaders that we all strive to be - we aren't perfect, so there will always be room for improvement. To me, reading about Magnus for the first time instantly struck a chord...it was like the logical sequel to the Scout Law from my youth.
What code or law do you live by? Are your moral and spiritual guideposts simple or complicated? Will it be easy for you to incorporate the tenets of Magnus into your existing life philosophy? For me, I think it will bolster my existing leadership style and challenge me to raise the bar on how I am helping my fellow officers (and myself) to be the best they can be.
Agreed Thomas and as you stated, we must constantly be asking ourselves how we can be better? What can we do to raise the bar? We need to set the example and encourage others to do the same.
The state of being a Magnus Officer is something we should all strive for, this is true even more so in this modern era of policing. This is an excellent blueprint that agencies could use early on starting at academy entrance to help shape the kind of officers that the public demands. After 22 years in the profession it is easy to see that many agencies, including my own lack any type of structured and consistent leadership training, at least until an officer is promoted or about to be promoted to the Sgt. level. In my opinion, this is something that everyone in the field should focus on improving moving forward.
I agree that Officers start their careers with a lot of unknowns and a lot of times have to fill in the gaps themselves. If I would have had this training form the very beginning I believe that I would be a better person today. Getting law enforcement on the same page and early in officer’s careers would great improve to departments across the nation and our communities.
The attributes and values of a Magnus Officer described in this lesson caused me to reflect on when I first began my law enforcement career, where I am today, and my future aspirations. We all chose this profession for a variety of reasons, but most of us wanted to help others or our community. This lesson not only elicits self-reflection, but it serves as motivation for personal development and reminds us of the importance of developing others. As one of the lesser experienced officers in this session, I am thankful for this opportunity for growth and development. I look forward to learning from such a diverse group of individuals.
The virtues and lessons in this module are what I have admired my entire life. I have always loved the action hero who saved the day, did everything in a very ethical manner. It began as a child watching wrestling when the good guys always beat the bad guys. G.I. Joe in my opinion was very magnanimous, he always taught you to do the right thing when no one was looking. Growing up in the 80's most of the shows I liked to watch had a magnanimous theme from the A-team to Knight Rider. My parents also tried to teach magnus type virtues to us. They always preached do unto others as you wanted done to you. My father taught me to be patient and have compassion for others in every aspect of life. Having a younger brother who is handicap also showed me how important it is to respect everyone. In the military of course your taught to stay on the magnus path, and as a leader your expected to be an example of such.
I have never heard of the term magnanimous before this module and I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to spell it without looking it up.
But what I do know is that most of these virtues discussed in this module are the same virtues I was taught growing up, both by my parents and my church. Virtues such as truthfulness, integrity, nobility, respect, and gratitude helped shaped me who I am as a person. And they are virtues I carry over into my career.
I have also never heard of the term magnanimous before today. I like the concept. Its a great direction for the leaders of any department to shoot for. As part of the magnus reward it would great to leave a legacy that the next officers coming up can shoot for.
I was also taught these same virtues growing up. We don't always stick to them at times, mostly younger times. The end game for us now is to definitely carry it over to our careers and be an examples for others. It is more important than ever for us to strive to be magnus. The public is out to crucify us at every available opportunity.
The Virtues of Magnanimous Officers is a fitting beginning. Apart from the personal reflection in my decisions and actions of my own career thus far that was triggered throughout the lecture, the reading assignments regarding leadership theories was a great breakdown of perception and how it affects us as leaders. Understanding perception and its role in every aspect of leadership is paramount, in my opinion, to being magnus. The abiity to recognize how our teammates view things is key to successful leadership. Our ability as leaders to develop those around us is incumbent in our positions. To develop our strategic developmental plans for each in way that caters to their perceptions will only garner greater success from those we have the duty to lead.
As I embarked on this first day of training, I was drawn to the attached reading, " Becoming Magnus-Success is Equal Opportunity." By Dr. Javidi on the First step being the toughest.
We all have different backgrounds, education, and years on the job. We come from different upbringings; however, we all landed here on day one in the same boat. A day to reflect on our decisions in life, what we have done right and wrong, and how we will push forward from here on out.
This course will be a time for self-reflection, growth, and empowerment. I'm looking forward to it.
This lesson provided an opportunity for self-reflection and a re-assessment of personal standards. It was a powerful introduction to this course of study because it forced me to self-evaluate. I noted areas in which I believe I perform well. More importantly, I noted areas in which I require improvement. All of the points discussed were important to me, but I haven't given them the proper amount of focus. In this day and age, we are all experiencing manpower shortages, increased violence, and mental fatigue. These circumstances can dim the light on self-growth because we are consumed with other tasks. The lesson reminded me that I have to continuously improve from within in order to become MAGNUS.
Your post struck home with me, well said. As I went through module 1, I could not help but self-reflect on what I had done wrong and right in my career and personal life. I feel a strong urge to get on the right path, the MAGNUS path.
This lesson struck a chord with me. Magnus said in its simplest form is good character. Doing the right thing when no one is watching. The officers in our organization that lack in character are the most destructive. Like a cancer they can drain the moral of a shift. The worse situation is when you combine poor character with strong charisma. These officers can pull potentially good officers into their orbit. As leaders we must recognize these types of officers and either correct the behavior or document until they move onto another profession. On a personal level, Magnus reminded me to look in the mirror. Reinvigorate the areas I have been slacking in, like fitness and to continue pushing forward with my education. Spiritually, I know I need to fight the urge of becoming jaded to the community I serve.
Whether we realized it or not, when each of us began this journey in the law enforcement profession, we all had virtuous intent. It was not just for a paycheck; something inside of us was a guiding principal to "right over wrong" and "good versus evil". From my experience, a vast majority of tenured employees still feel that way. I do wonder with newer employees if they have that same desire that I once had. Most probably do but some are only here for a paycheck. When you hear of the qualities of a "Magnus Officer", you can look back and see where we have been, or should have been, representing ourselves in that manner all along. Hopefully by the conclusion of this course, we will have better sense of self awareness when we fall short of our own expectations. It is demanded of us to encourage those following to "stay the course" and mentor as many as possible along the way.
I agree with you Jason. We all know why each of us as individuals chose this profession, but we see others and sometimes wonder their reason or motivation. This first lesson serves as a good reminder of the importance not only for personal growth, but reminds us of the need to encourage and motivate others.
Jason, I think you are absolutely correct in your assessment of what led most of us to this noble profession - for me, way back in 1988, it was the genuine desire to serve the community and protect my fellow citizens from harm. I grew up watching Adam-12 and Pete Malloy was the (fictional) embodiment of everything I wanted to be as a police officer. The pay was good, not great, and you had a front row seat to the greatest show on earth, complete with audience participation.
As a command officer with many years on the job, I could easily question the motivation of today's rookie officers in taking the oath - and I sometimes do. It definitely seems like "just a paycheck" for some new hires, but thankfully the non-hackers get their eyes forceably opened very quickly and either disappear or undergo a radical positive transformation.
Listening to the attributes of a "Magnus Officer" made me realize how many times I have been up to the task and unfortunately, the times I "met standards", but didn't excel or even come close to achieving my personal best.
At this stage of my career I'm excited to be challenged again - to "stay the course" as you said, but more importantly to CHART the course toward renewed personal achievment and continuous organizational success.
Before starting this class, I would go around and ask my superiors for advice or assistance on being a better supervisor. I'm very lucky, because just in this first learning area, Virtue of Magnanimous Officers, I have been advised to do most of the teachings therein. I'm glad I have that type of leadership. Now don't get me wrong, It hasn't always been this way. There has been some dark times. But listening to the lesson, I see where we all need to be reminded to be that "Magnus" officer. Showing the next generation is a major part of our job. And with the way law enforcement gets hammered in the media, everyone should show how to be truthful, have integrity and show respect.
I am becoming aware Magnus means so many things. It comes down to integrity and being the best of the best on and off duty. Not only for ourselves but for our families at home, work, and the public. All observe us, some looking for the good in us and some looking for us to make a mistake or slip up. We are to demonstrate selfless Inspired teamwork constructed of humility and a positive mental attitude to grow our mind, body, and soul.
It has taken me years to realize how to be an efficient leader. The hard part was trying to be an effective listener first. Young officers have a mindset that differs from what a Magnanimous officer is. I believe it takes several years to get to this point and stay true to the beliefs. Mindset was discussed which brings me to a critical point for officers. The mindset of young or new officers completely differs from the aged and experienced officers. They are invincible and indestructible. We have to train those younger officers to have the mindset of a Magnus Officer for so many reasons. Safety to themselves is a key aspect of having a successful career. Being able to teach officers valuable lessons such as Gracie Survival Tactics allows officers to be more self-aware of their surroundings and more confident in responding to critical incidents. This goes hand in hand with taking pride in your health and training your body to be at its best and strongest.
This module was an outstanding reminder of why we all should be doing self-evaluations of ourselves. Being leaders and role models for the future of the police department it is incumbent of us to exemplify the standards that were listed from the lecture. Everyone has room for self-improvement from the top to the bottom. The longer we're in the profession the more we spend our time evaluating our subordinates and less time on self-evaluations of ourselves. I enjoyed to the lecture, and it was nice to be reminded of what we all should be setting examples of and the importance of building trust with the community.
Elliot, you make great observations of the lesson. We are so much to so many people and it is quite humbling. Some days we need to be good listeners, some days we need to be firm but fair, and some days we need to lead by example as senior officers. While doing all these things and more, we must slow down and self-evaluate while striving to improve.
Elliot I could not agree more. Self-reflection and adjustments are necessary. I also enjoyed the lecture and saw the value in the reminder it provided.
I agree, Elliot. The lesson prompted me to look within as well. It is very easy to point out the shortcomings of others. The task of determining those points about ourselves is much more humbling. Growth is important in leadership. Everything a leader does, good or bad, influences someone else. Nurturing growth in ourselves is promoting growth in someone else. Thank you for your comment.
Elliot,
I agree that this module was a great reminder of why we should do self-evaluations. Self-evaluation can mean different things depending on our role in the police department. For some of us, it may be a series of questions we ask ourselves or an assessment done by our supervisor to gauge but also strive to meet it through continual self-improvement.
No matter the role, we all have something to gain from self-evaluation. It's a way to objectively assess our performance and identify areas where we need extra help or guidance. Self-evaluation can also be done informally during meetings or training sessions with fellow officers, allowing us to receive constructive feedback.
As leaders of our respective organizations, one could sympathize with the frustrations associated with the efforts of keeping the spirit of service alive. As we continue the struggle of finding the "ideal" public servant, the stark reality is that the missing or erosion of the traits described during this lecture begin far before the servant initiates his or her application process. Ideally, a thorough candidate screening grounded in the aforementioned principals would prohibit a candidate lacking such, from ever joining service. However, as growing/emerging leaders we should seek out those that display the will to become better. We should foster the opportunity to be properly mentor or expose early through quality interactions and/or proven training the risk of disregarding Magnus living. As candidates of this educational program, I agree that becoming Magnus is a gradual process of improving character. Lastly, I feel that it is important that throughout our time of service and various ranks one must continue to study and practice virtuous living if we are to truly be considered worthy professionals.
I believe that a lot of officers can be and desire to become Magnus officers. From this lesson, I agree with the statement on why become a Magnus Officer as it is a pathway to individual happiness and accomplishments and a road to a successful in policing. What I have encountered in my career are officers that once had the desire to become Magnus officers, however, due to poor leadership or leaders lacking some skills to be effective leaders, these officers either choose to just do the bare minimum or leave law enforcement for a less challenging career.
Troy, I agree with your sentiment. Leaders lacking in character is a problem in our profession. To keep younger employees motivated, leaders should have the ability encourage, counsel and teach but far too often, many have the attitude of "because I told you so". With the younger generations, that's not going to get it done. Retention rates would be better if leaders would take the time and listen to see where the disconnect is.
Discussion Board I Virtues of Mangus Officers
I believe in order to be an effective officer one must possess the capabilities of a Mangus officer. As stated in the modules, Mangus officer realize that the whole is greater than the sum. Which means, magnus officers realize to be in order to be effective one must exude the leadership qualities of a Magnus officer. Furthermore, the modules defined a Magnus officer as one who possesses certain characteristics; Truthfulness, Integrity, Honor, Mobility, Humility, Faithfulness, Respect, Responsibility, Prudence, and Gratitude.
These traits that a Magnus officer must have will drive and push his or her belief systems. It will also enable them to be a better and more effective officer for the community, their family and society as a whole. Becoming a Magnus officer is a never-ending process and in order to be effective you must continue to learn and adapt.
I agree Kecia that living a healthy lifestyle is important to be an effective officer. If you are not actively fit for duty how can a officer assist people in solving issues that they may face. A healthy officer whether in mind, body and spirit is not only beneficial to the officer but to the community member he or she serves.
While discussing Magnus Beliefs, the health of the Magnus office was mentioned. It was stated that Magnus officers should be an active participants with their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. Fitness to the mentioned areas are paramount for the overall being of the officer. The factors mentioned during the course that contributes to an officers overall well-being are proper rest, diet and exercise.
We as law enforcement professionals, usually put ourselves on the back burner because we are too busy help others. Most times our health is the first thing we forsake. As a medical professional working within a law enforcement agency, I have noticed many officers neglect their physical as well as their mental health. Many officers I work with do not have a primary care physician. They use urgent care centers or the emergency room to provide their medical care. At these site, comprehensive medical care will not be received.
Long work shifts, mandatory overtime and off duty work details compromises our rest. Many officers are usually functioning on a limited amount of rest daily. The lack of proper rest and recuperation has significant negative effects on physical and mental health.
Proper diet is another area that is usually lacking. Some officers financially struggle to provide food for themselves and their families. Even if finances are not an issue, make a healthy choice may be. In our fast paced society, grabbing and going has become our norm for food. These options are usually the unhealthy foods.
Healthy mental health is imperative to law enforcement.
We must make a conscious effort to improve our mind body and soul.
I completely agree Kecia Charles. I couldn't have said it better. This is something that most officers have had to figure out on their own like me. I am trying to devote everything I have learned over the past 20 years and teach the newer, younger officers how extremely important these issues are. "Back in the day", the seasoned officers did not understand the issues of proper diets, lack of sleep, just to name a couple, and the effects it took on the body. Being a Magnus Officer, we bring ourselves to educate everyone on how important is it to take of themselves and how to look out for each other.
Session #015
Lt. Hoina states that Magnus Officers are actively involved in "Personal Readiness." He says this is done by maintaining physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness. He also says that Magnus Officers are fit by maintaining proper rest, diet, and exercise. I think this is an area where a lot of us fail.
It is important for all of us to maintain good physical fitness through diet, exercise, and rest. The busyness of life makes it hard to maintain all three. Most of us work too much and have too much going on personally to go to the gym, or run, or cycle. We also do so much that it's hard to cook a proper meal, or we end up grabbing easy snacks to curb hunger throughout the day. We sacrifice our rest to make time for other tasks.
Neglecting our spiritual wellness is bad for us and it also competes for time during the day.
If we can find a way to maintain physical and spiritual awareness our emotional wellness should improve.
I agree, Jeremy. We never make or take time for ourselves. It is imperative that we take time for us. Maintaining a healthy mind body and soul is paramount. It start with a little change that will build to improving our overall health.
I agree with this 100%. During my career, I have seen a lot of officers who don't put forth any effort to maintain any level of "personal readiness." It is easy to blame the working hours or environment on the bad habits developed, however, you must make sacrifices and find time for your own well being.
I agree Troy. Often, I observe various department members who appear to lack enthusiasm to be involved with anything inside or outside of work. I have seen the benefits of goal setting yet, it seems that perhaps the increasing daily "grind" is pushing more and more employees to just go status quo.
I agree officers enter the profession in response to a calling to protect others and make a difference. I have also observed that these new officers can become great or have their beliefs tainted by their first-line supervisor. This is why it is always preferred to have new officers trained by supervisors who are virtuous.
I agree, but officers are also more often tainted by peer officers. The supervisors need to not only remain virtuous, but must constantly monitor their subordinates for behavior that may indicate that the officers virtuosity is being tainted.
The lesson teaches that, we, as leaders need to lead from the front. We need to show that our actions and observations are observed from within but also observed from the others around us and our communities that we serve. Being MAGNUS officers is about doing the right thing when no one else is watching. Always strive to better ourselves and learn new things all the time. When things are done with respect, loyalty, and honor it is observed but not always rewarded. Should observe, listen, learn, and act to make the best qualified decisions so that the best outcome is obtained.
Two prominent considerations were drawn from this module. One is the (tall order of) Magnus virtues representing an ideal founded in near selflessness. Selflessness may be an admirable trait, and, contextually, an organization's success begins with individuals instilling and maintaining Magnus virtues. Our centuries-old profession changed remarkably sixty years ago; changes in the past twenty years have been exponentially broader. The greater challenge seems not in instilling Magnus virtues but in maintaining them through apathy, organizational intractability, divergent perspectives in successive generations, and fundamental changes in professional obligations. The second consideration is that, despite these impediments, individuals, especially those in leadership positions, must routinely examine personal and professional behavior to ensure adherence to these values. Otherwise, individual personal and professional shortcomings result in organizational failures large and small.
Through my experience, I feel that being a selfless leader is often lost and hardest to teach. Professional and personal behavior has changed in our society and feel that there are more followers than people that want to be leaders.
I agree. The greater challenge, in my experience, comes from maintaining magnus virtues within the organization as our leadership team within retires or moves on and is replenished from within. Some who came before us set the example and defined magnus. Others were elevated of placed in critical positions through poorly developed processes or through the "good ole boy" system which has proven to be detrimental to maintaining continuity through the leadership generations. It has gotten better in recent years as younger magnus officers have reached high levels within the organization. They have put in place better safeguards to prevent those who are cancerous within the organization from elevating by developing policy that requires milestones to be met and processes to be followed to elevate which has begun to work the issues out now.
The virtues described in this lecture are essential to leadership. As an administrator, it's easy to get stuck behind a desk dealing with paperwork and other administrative duties that take away the interaction with our people. It's essential to know virtues; we have to find ways to display them and come out from behind the desk. We encourage command staff members to get out of the office and respond to calls at our department. Our people's response is fantastic, especially from new officers who aren't used to seeing a Chief or Lieutenant show up at night to a call or change a tire on the side of the road.
I agree with this. It is said in this module that a Magnus Officer betters everything he is involved with. The Magnus Officer must identify an issue and find a way to fix it to accomplish this. I believe it starts with the minor issues, down to Administration staff simply showing face. This is a morale boost and seems to make newer officers feel seen.
Orientation test
Good afternoon, sir. I wasn't certain if this was a reminder for me, or simply a test for you. I was originally signed up for session #14 with my Deputy Chief (Kevin Carnley) and Lt. Glenn Hartenstein, and at that time we completed an orientation with you. I you are requesting that I complete a new orientation with you for this session, I will schedule one with you.
I guess prior to this course, I have never really thought that much about what it means to be a Magnanimous Officer. We all come from different walks of life and have different upbringings. My father taught me that your word is all you have, and later instilled in me a drive to provide for myself and my family, no matter the cost. As I have gotten older, I began to understand more the meaning and importance of integrity, morality, virtue, ethics and good strong character. Throughout my years in the Army and in policing, this has carried over and I never really thought of it as anything other than having good character and good leadership qualities. This course has put a name on that: Magnus Officer. It more clearly defines the characteristics, beliefs and feelings of that person and explains the reasons others see them consistently making good, sound decisions and advancing to success in their careers. It explains why others are drawn to them as leaders. This also dispels the belief that leadership is learned. Rather, I believe, leaders are inspired, recognized and developed into what they become. This, too, explains why a rookie officer just out of the academy can recognize this and benefit from this as much as the old salty Sarge with years on the street.
Experience and age have also led me to greater recognition of the importance of these values. This is my first look at quantifying leadership qualities, and I agree that these qualities are less learned than innate and stem from inspiration and sound decisions.
The magnus officer is obviously someone that most officers aspire to be in theory. It is an officer that by my definition would equate to Superman. He is someone that stands high in all aspects of his personal and professional life. I can say that in my professional life I do apply some of the defined attributes that caricaturize a magnus officer. But I would not caricaturize myself as a great man.
I definitely could utilize more humility and self-control in my day to day function in law enforcement, especially as a first line supervisor. Even though traits such as nobility, faithfulness, respect, self-control and truthfulness, we would always expect our supervisors and deputies to possess. They sometime fall short in conducting themselves in a Magnus way.
I can see where applying a magnus mindset will help me build my myself to be a better leader. I will try to look within and do a lot more assessing of myself to improve in the further. I think doing this can only make me better and possibly help other possibly follow suit evaluating their shortcoming also.
I agree that the Magnus officer is someone we all aspire to be. Being more self-aware and constantly reevaluating ourselves will help us obtain Magnus. Practicing this daily is very important.
I agree with this post.
We all get caught in our daily grinds and it can be easy to get caught in a cycle. The consistent reevaluation and self awareness is important.
Like many of you, I too agree. I unlike most came into the law enforcement profession later in life, well into my 40s after servicing almost 27 years in the service. during my transition out of the service, I knew law enforcement was destine in my next chapter of life. I have always known my calling, that of a "servant". To serve my country, my community and mankind as a whole. When I started out in LE I was excited but nervous. I had a good idea of what it meant or what I assumed it took to be an outstanding law enforcement officer. My perception of the traits, was just that of the Virtues of the Magnanimous Officer. truthfulness, integrity, honor, faithfulness and respect. I, like Joseph, was raised on these very same virtues by my parents which I carried on into my adult life and what i instill in my own children. The lecture was very on spot in how in want to be my profession, my calling. i will definitely continue to mold myself and equip myself with these virtues.
I agree with all that you are saying. Unfortunately, I am seeing with most deputies that are coming out of the academy now that some of those characteristics are lacking. That drive to help and desire to police are lacking. This is most definitely not with the majority but there is more of a presence than in the past. It could be the atmosphere of the times or their upbringing. I started this job at 18 and had the great opportunity to work with many individuals that fit most of the characteristic of a Magnus officer. This was the dream job for me and all I ever wanted to do. While growing through the ranks, took the good "superman" characteristics from those leaders of how to be. I also removed a lot of what I have seen that was bad. I think this just something that we as leaders need to help in today culture to push and help our deputies to not forget. Being a magnus officer is something that is important not just for them but for the future of policing.
The concept of the Magnus officer is new to me in theory. However, I find that I have been following some of the principals throughout my career without knowing. That being said, it is an on-going struggle to analyze one’s self and adapt as time goes on. As things change, we need to be able to change.
So many officers start down this career path for one reason or another, but lose sight of those ambitions shortly thereafter. Is it due their own internal struggle, or a lack of someone to help show them the way? I believe the next generation of officers will need a higher level of leadership to become Magnus.
I agree, Alan. These values and principles are things I grew up with, that my parents instilled in me, but I know these are values that are lost on some of the newer generations that did not have my upbringing. I believe as well that most officers who are in this profession because they were "called" to it probably share more of these common virtues than those who join for various other reasons.
I agree with you Alan and it's disturbing to see how fast the times have changed this profession. The next generation seems to struggle with developing a strong work ethic and it will most definitely require a higher level of leadership to becoming MAGNUS. Forwarded thinking!
Alan, I could not agree more, leadership and the path to become Magnus has to start at day one of an officers career. I started working when officers who began their careers in the 60's and 70's were retiring. So much has changed since I started my career. There is a different mindset now, the new generation of officers we are hiring have a different lens and in some case a different moral compass. They also, in my opinion are perhaps more open than when I started to learning, changing things and they do understand the need for community policing. I think you are absolutely right.. leading them the right way will be a challenge but it must be start early as expectations from the public have also changed.
Joseph Spadoni
Session #15
After listening to the lecture by Instructor Lt. Chris Hoina I’ve come to realize that the virtues Lt. Hoina spoke on were virtues that I was demonstrating early on in my career when I started as a patrol Deputy without even knowing I was doing so. I hold my upbringing by my parents accountable for that. I was always taught to respect Law Enforcement and in doing so I looked up to Deputies as I always felt that holding such a position as a Deputy, you should be a person of integrity, honor, truthfulness, and faithfulness. So, as I became a Deputy, I remembered those things and wanted to exhibit them in my tour of duty. I wanted to be that Deputy someone looked up to, that Deputy that someone looked to for help when none could be found, a Deputy that the community could come to in a time of need and not a Deputy that is looked down upon as many are during our current time. Until taking this class I did not know what it meant to be a MAGNUS officer. Hearing Lt. Hoina describe a MAGNUS officer made me reflect on the moments with my Sheriff when he promoted me to Lieutenant of the Narcotics Division, a position to my knowledge that never existed within my department. It made me realize that all the efforts in the virtues I put forth in myself during my tour of duty made it all worth being the person I was and am today. Not only did it make it feel worth it, but it showed me that being a MAGNUS officer is who I want to be throughout the rest of my career, even better than I was before.
Jason Doucet Session 015
For the last few years that others in my agency have been taking this class and hearing of the work put into it, I have never really known what it meant to be “MAGNUS.” I felt nervous as being a younger supervisor in my agency when asked. Still, I was proud of the opportunity offered to me. While going through the lecture, many points of Magnanimous stood out as I reflected upon myself and how I’ve developed throughout my career. Many newer officers have core values discussed in the lecture, such as protecting morals, truthfulness, honesty, nobility, and responsibility. Officers also tend to lose their core values, which can affect the Nobility of being in Law Enforcement. This lecture is something that many should revisit during their career.
Jason, I agree with you. The same applied to me when I was promoted. Felt nervous as being a younger supervisor but absolutely proud of the opportunity offered to me and am looking to better myself within my career to lead others. I also feel that many Deputies start off with having the virtues discussed in the lecture but as time goes on some lose their way. I think it is a great idea that Deputies should listen to this lecture at a time in their career where they've moved from the path they were on when they started. It really opens your eyes and gives you that reminder.
What I took away from this lesson most is,That becoming a Magnus officer is a process. In order to become a effective Magnus officer, you have to be willing to follow first, and be open minded. Observe,Listen,Learn,and Act. What matter is the officer continue to improve and be professional in every way. This lecture have taught me, that no matter how your day is going, you have to remain humble.
I believe Law Enforcement is a noble profession. It is noble because of the selflessness of our service. The concept of the Magnus Officer explains this well. It also helps to explain why we can be self-actualized through this selflessness. We are a part of something greater than ourselves. In choosing to place the welfare of our citizens, by choosing the "servant's heart", above our own, we hold ourselves responsible. As leaders who display the traits of the Magnus Officer, we show every day and in every action what is important.
One quibble with the lecture, we are not "the source of virtue." Virtue is a much greater concept than one person.
I agree with u, becoming a Magnus officer you show the community that you care about their well-being. The community want to feel protected. As officers, we get to show them that we have a heart of guardian.
Gerald Whealton Session 15
Module 1 discussion board:
The Magnanimous Officer: Among the many qualities attributed to being a Magnus Officer that were discussed in this module, one word sums it up – Virtuous!
Starting off with the notion that my profession in LE was a “calling”, couldn’t have been farther from the truth in my mind before watching this lecture. I never aspired to be in law enforcement, it was a chance meeting with a long time LEO, Chief, and later politician that guided me into LE. I guess he saw something I did not, the “guardian heart”. I need to reach out to him.
Looking over my notes from the lecture, I’ve always aspired to embody all of the virtuous characteristics discussed here. I’ve been striving to become a “Magnus Officer” my entire life and didn’t even know it but the journey continues!
So, I’ve learned that my chosen profession is in fact a “calling”, LE called for me while I was working (calling) to be Magnus unbeknownst to me.
I plan to reassess and use the Magnus characteristics, beliefs, mindset, and behaviors to influence my junior LE professionals before I retire.
Finally, this realization may have put a few more years in my gas tank. This was a very satisfying thought process, thank you.
Could not have agreed with you more. In my opinion, nearly all law enforcement officers have had some sort of calling. Whether it be the nobility of the profession, being family to us, or having a law enforcement experience changed their lives. The lecture definitely hit home as I reflected on my own career with values I have always tried to embody in myself and others. Being Magnus is a path I feel like I have always been on, but I definitely will take time to incorporate it into my life daily.
This is a test for orientation
I have had the fortune of working with some Magnanimous officers during my career. The Magnanimous lecture is spot on. One could argue this lecture not only needs to be taught to new officers but renewed to seasoned officers as well. Policing in today's world has many challenges that not only new officers have to learn but us season officers have to adapt to. This lecture helps reiterate what it takes to be a Magus Officer. I am particularly partial to how to lecture talks having integrity in your work and being humble, which I believe are both great foundations for being a leader.
Michael, I agree with you that Magnus Officer concepts should be taught to new officers, maybe this should be a core module in the academy.
As a young Deputy or Officer, most are full of "piss and vinegar" so to say, enthralled with what they perceive LE is about. The developing LE professional needs to be tempered with the notion of service to community and humility to oneself, something I don’t see much of.
The tag line of “To Protect and Serve” needs to be given more attention by us veterans and supervisors when bringing on new Deputies who will take our place someday. I feel this lack of attention to service may play a role in where we find the national narrative on LE these days.
Andrew Barney Session 13
Virtues of a Magnanimous Officers
Discussion board:
In hearing of the Magnanimous officer described throughout this module, I can’t help but think of my own walk in my faith and a quote by Vince Lombardi: “Gentlemen, we will chase perfection, and we will chase it relentlessly, knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we shall catch excellence. "
I believe strongly in the virtues of the Magnanimous Officer: self control, humility, prudence, professionalism, shared vision, health, etc… I also know honesty is a vital virtue as well. If we are really being honest and genuine with ourselves I believe the Magnanimous Officer is something we do not just obtain but strive for relentlessly everyday. We must strive to continue to learn and improve ourselves, the day we stop doing that, is the day we allow our ego to prevent us from being Magnanimous officers.
Cannot agree with you more. It is an everyday battle that we must face to continue to strive to be better. I am glad I am taking this course. It is a great reminder that being a Magnanimous Officer myself will trickle down to all of my other relationships to assist in making others better.
In the first lecture, I saw some of myself when I was a young officer first starting out. As I have gotten older in this profession, I feel that we must continue to push the MAGUS Officer so this profession will continue. By this, we as leaders must teach the younger officers to make decisions based on sound principles, the laws, and the virtues of what is right and just. I feel a MAGNUS officer is one who will strive to do the right thing for the right reason no matter the consequences. Most new officers start out with these principles; however, virtuous principals can become conflicted if they are met with leadership that is not of the same mind set. This along with the hardship of raising a family, paying bills, not having time to spend with one’s family can also cause the MAGNUS officer to wane.
We must provide guidance and support to our officers as they strive to be the very best they can be, the MAGNUS Officer. As leaders, if we fail to provide this for our newer officers, not only will they will falter but the agency will falter.
The first lecture on "Virtues of Magnanimous Officers" makes you stop and reflect not only on your career but life in general. A police officer was once revered as a person possessing all of the virtues of Magnus. At some point, we as leaders failed our profession and we either let in the bad apples by lowering standards to meet staffing needs or we created them by leading poorly and destroying morale. As leaders, we must become action-oriented and lead by example. I would say most officers who come into this profession get integrity, honesty, and truthfulness preached at them constantly but we fail in teaching them humility.
I feel that as officers come into this profession for the right reasons. The longer they have to deal with the day to day of the job, they can lose sight of why we became law enforcement officers, or as I like to call it, Peace Officers. They must remember we work for the community not the other way around.
I see new officers coming into this profession. They are always enthusiastic and motivated but for some, it is not always easy to see that they have this concept of service to the community really on their hearts. I am concerned for these individuals both for what the job will do to them but also what they could do to the job. Now, I try to remember that these individuals are young and still have a lot of growth. That being said, do you believe we can instill this concept of service in them?
You make a great point Andrew. I teach at my local Police Academy often and I see a lot of the same things you see. I do believe through us being Magnus Officers, we can instill this in them.
Good point. I guess the end goal is to keep that "New Guy" motivation throughout your career while helping your people do same.
Captain Weeks,
Excellent work!
After reviewing the first lecture, I took away thoughts from two specific sections. (1) Virtues. I believe the great majority of people come into the law enforcement profession, especially in today’s society, with the MAGNUS virtues in them. Mainly truthfulness, integrity, respect, and responsibility, and these are further instilled while in the academy. However, some of these virtues can diminish over a long career such as humility, content with position, and faithfulness. I have learned the further you go in your career, there is a political element associated with the job, and many of these virtues are forgotten. (2) “MAGNUS officers are accountable and take full responsibility for their actions.” I believe this is the greatest trait a leader can possess. Every issue in an organization, in my opinion, can be traced back to a failure in leadership. This is difficult to accept for some but a necessity if your desire is to be a great MAGNUS leader
Lt. Hoina speaks about the calling and if asked, what most new officers would say as to why they signed onto the job in the first place. I believe the majority of us started off more closely to a MAGNUS officer than we are today. I truly believe most officers signed on to make a difference and do their part to make the world and community a better place. To help people, protect victims and do the right thing on the job and in their personal lives. Most are still young and dont have all the difficulties and responsibilities going on in their personal life or at work. As our career progresses difficulties and additional responsibilities in both our personal and work lives get piled on. I see some, as their career progresses tend to forget why they signed up in the first place. They see it more as a job than a calling and begin to cut corners and lose the compassion for people. I see a lot of really good officers fall prey to this attitude of policing just being a job and just get the call completed. We all get caught up with the tasks and responsibilities our positions and personal lives require. I think we all need to be reminded from time to time what being MAGNUS means and how rewarding it can be to help people and not just do the job or the bare minimum. How by doing the right thing and doing the extra steps to properly complete tasks in both our personal and professional lives can create a mindset that will improve both.
We as fellow police officers and leaders must set the example and help encourage others to be more Magnanimous.
Jeremy Harrison-Session #16
Lieutenant Hoina highlighted numerous critical lessons in module one’s lecture (2017). I could write pages on my thoughts about each but will focus on one theme which stood out above all other aspects of this lecture. In a brief, but rich section of the lecture, Lieutenant Hoina stated Magnus leaders “see, without envy, the success of others” (2017, section 3.3, 1:23). In a moment of pure honesty, I am curious how often we as an organization implement this aspect of magnanimity. I include myself in this evaluation and spent time praying last night about this very matter.
I have had the honor to work with numerous other agencies within law enforcement. When engaging with external agencies I see incredible support and encouragement for one another. However, when evaluating internal agency relationships, I am curious as to the level of support for one another. I am certain there are numerous supportive relationships as well as competitive relationships between friends. I am also certain there can be unhealthy rivalries which can hold the organization back from its full potential. I am uncertain as to the source of the unhealthy rivalries but some of the fuel could be promotional considerations, positional considerations, and access to those in higher leadership.
When evaluating Lieutenant Hoina’s entire lecture, the Magnanimous officer lives a life of humility while constantly striving to improve oneself (2017). When considering a method to acknowledge and support the success of others, I recognize I can improve in this area and am hopeful all leaders in our organization will as well. With the attitudes and qualities outlined by Lieutenant Hoina, I believe we drive our organization to the cutting edge of law enforcement as a team. Following lecture one, I commit to acknowledging the success of others more often and supporting others in the improvement of our organization (Hoina, 2017).
References
Hoina, C. (2017). Virtues of magnanimous officers [Online Lecture]. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://cloud.scorm.com/content/courses/NAGVXPB5E6/VirtuesofMagnanimousOfficers d4ba9327-1f01-4558-8c81-5471e0baa6cd/0/index_lms.html
I have not heard of the term Magnanimous Officers, or MAGNUS, prior to this module. However, the concept of the pursuit of moral goodness has been a goal of mankind since the beginning of time. After all, we want to think we are a “good person” and will do what is right, because it is the right thing to do. In the lecture Virtues of Magnanimous Officer, Lt. Hoina succinctly outlines the ethos of a MAGNUS officer. The concept seems simple enough, but the actual application is more difficult than most of us care to admit. I believe an argument can be made to becoming a MAGNUS officer is more than just wanting to do the right thing. In the lens that Dr. Javidi depicts in his articles, MAGNUS is a process of growth from self to others, by developing ourselves into the best version, we will have a positive influence on the next generation of officers, and subsequently, those who will lead in the law enforcement profession to do better, to be better, to have that guardian's heart, to be a Magnanimous Officers. The challenge to me is to apply the tenants of MAGNUS to every aspect of one’s life.
Upon reading the two articles and watching the video lecture, I recognized the parallels between the MAGNUS principals and the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics.
We enter into this profession with the best of intentions and high ideals. I believe that most start out trying to be “good officers” and/or “good people”; however, to some degree, we all fall victim to getting caught up in the pitfalls of the job, agency issues, and negative aspects of law enforcement culture. Unfortunately, the ideals presented in the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics slowly begin to erode from our awareness.
This lesson highlights that the only way to aspire to live up to the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics would be through the exemplification of MAGNUS principals. This quest to be MAGNUS will be a lifelong journey.
Prior to this course, I had never heard of the MAGNUS way. Upon learning about the virtues of magnanimous officers, it packages those qualities, ideals, and actions that were insufficiently highlighted during my socialization into the law enforcement and as I have progressed through my carrier.
Over the years I have worked at the majority of the MAGNUS principals; however, I am guilty of embracing many principals, while neglecting others, that are critical in developing the balanced required to be MAGNUS.
Kent,
I totally agree with you on this. I actually posted my comment prior to reading yours. So many issues and factors seem to push us away from being Magnanimous over our careers. We all have to slow down from time to time and look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves how we are doing. Do that self evaluation and get back on track. I think we also must look out for our fellow officers and encourage them to do that self reflection. I am going to make it a habit of writing down my strengths and weaknesses in my life (personal and professional) and work to improve. I plan on working with and encouraging my troops to look back and remember why we started this journey in the first place.
Can you be thought to be a Magnus? A Magnus is built by other leaders who constantly strive to do the right thing. Magnus Officers will be honest no matter what and take special care always to be truthful. As police officers, we are sworn to do the right thing, protect, and serve. However, do we have to be sworn to do the right thing, or should we do it because it is the respectable thing to do. A Magnus is a person who does the right thing when no one is looking and is not afraid of backlash when others disagree. A Magnus takes constructive criticism and arises above harmful thoughts. Honesty goes a long way with the public and the service which is owed to the community.
This module discussed the idea of pursuing a virtuous life and that this journey never ends. For me, this concept emphasized that this pursuit and being a MAGNUS officer is a lifestyle and not just behaviors demonstrated on-duty. A MAGNUS officer strives to be virtuous in every aspect of his life. Personally, I think this point is critical. If I fail to pursue a virtuous life away from work, how could I expect to live up to this standard while working and facing stressful situations. To help in this pursuit, I believe it is important to have people in your life who will hold you accountable. I have found benefits to having accountability partners or mentors both at work and outside of work. Luckily, this journey is never ending and I was encouraged by the idea of committing to being a little better each day.
I've always liked the idea of accountability partners in my personal life, though I've rarely had anyone with whom I've used the term. Instead, it's build into the kind of relationship I have with those few people. I wonder how we might be able to build this system into our units. How can we encourage our teams to build these kinds of partnerships with one another? It seems like it has to start by us helping our units to build their own agreed upon set of values or professional ethics, then helping them to build relationships where they hold their work and their actions up to that set. Of course, I think we have to model that by having those relationships ourselves, but I'm also interested in how we organize it and sell it to our people.
I agree with your post. The pursuit of MAGNUS does go beyond the time the officer places the uniform on. The pursuit of a virtuous life, really emphasizes the pursuit of a virtuous lifestyle. How can one hold others accountable when they are not willing to hold themselves to that same standard? One may get away with it for a period of time, but the truth will come out and the damage will be done. If one strives to commit to the ideals of a Magnanimous Officer, this journey will only have a positive effect on all other relationships. The idea of critically examining oneself through the lens of a MAGNUS officer may feel a bit overwhelming, but as Lt. Hoina stated this is a journey, a lifelong pursuit to grow and help others grow.
Jeremy Harrison-Session #16
The lecture from module one was so rich with content I did not come close to covering accountability in my original post. I completely agree with you that accountability is a requirement to succeed in life and this career. I am encouraged to work with officers like you and the others in this program. It is no secret we are all fallen human beings who fall short all too often.
I am eternally grateful to those in my life who have been honest with me when I have crossed a line or not upheld the highest standards of this life. I am hopeful the idea of accountability can spread from our small inner circles to become wider ranging and common place.
In my original post I spoke about everyone pulling in the same direction through supporting each other’s successes (Hoina, 2017). If we are all pulling in the same direction, I believe we also should be holding each other accountable through kindness, mercy, and friendship. If we were to allow a fellow officer to flounder in their own mistakes, that would border on schadenfreude, and be the opposite of a magnus leader. Thank you for pointing out how accountability assists in the pursuit of magnanimity, and I hope accountability one day becomes the culture in our profession.
References
Hoina, C. (2017). Virtues of magnanimous officers [Online Lecture]. Retrieved December 4, 2021, from https://cloud.scorm.com/content/courses/NAGVXPB5E6/VirtuesofMagnanimousOfficers d4ba9327-1f01-4558-8c81-5471e0baa6cd/0/index_lms.html
I feel this module related to each person's responsibility to better themselves and strive to become a more remarkable person. A more remarkable person whose leadership will build better officers around him. The definition of Magnus was given and its ten virtues. These virtues of truthfulness, integrity, honor, nobility, humility, faithfulness, respect, responsibility, prudence, and gratitude could be used to improve not only officers but all people. If each person reflects on who they are and strives to become better, it will benefit them, benefiting the people they lead and the community.
After reviewing Module #1, I believe everyone must strive to become a MAGNUS person. It should be an on-going thing. You should look to improve your personal life in making good choices (right from wrong), looking for ways to improve yourself and others. You should be able to learn from your mistakes, take accountability for it and move forward to better yourself. The character traits should apply to any profession, not just Law Enforcement. This lecture has opened my eyes to things I feel I need to change within myself to become a MAGNUS person.
Striving to become a Manus is not always easy but it is necessary. When you have great leaders who can lead together, it makes the job easier and it makes living healthier. A Magnus understands that he or she is not perfect and the key is to take accountability for their actions. A leader can arise above conflict with other and still be able to look at the bigger picture and get the job done. Great post!
Lt. Hoina says in his lecture that the MAGNUS mindset is defined by a commitment to being better and taking action toward improvement. This begins, he says, with assessing our strengths and weaknesses. One of the tough parts of this, however, is that we don’t always see our own weaknesses very clearly, and we must rely on others to tell us what they are. Unfortunately, for those of us in positions of authority, it is not always easy to get honest feedback from subordinates. If we want honest feedback (and we should want honest feedback), we have to build an environment where respectful criticism across ranks is commonplace and comfortable, and that will have to come from our example. People won’t critique us honestly until we convince them that we desire it and that we will take it seriously.
One of my favorite examples of this comes from Kim Scott in her book Radical Candor. She tells a story of her CEO, who she works closely with, brought to her attention a habit she had during meeting that he thought was problematic (I forget what it was). She began wearing as rubber band in meetings and asked him to pop the runner band anytime she did that problematic thing. She liked it because it provided her real time feedback that helped her retrain her brain away from that habit and, that even more importantly, it showed him, her subordinate but trusted employee, that she took his feedback very seriously. I’m very interested in building this kind of environment in my section. I’m interested in whether anyone else in this program has similar experiences or ideas that have worked in your offices.
I agree with your statement that we often fail to see our own weaknesses and that it isn’t easy to get honest feedback from subordinates. This is one of those areas, where I have failed to be as proactive as I should be. I have solicited feedback from my direct reports, but I have avoided gathering feedback the next level of supervisors. My direct reports are trusted hardworking individuals, who selflessly serve toward accomplishing our agency mission, so I value their feedback and trust their opinions. This is a tight group that often has spirited discussions; however, in the end we all know we are being blatantly honest with one another for the right reasons. Unfortunately, as a group, I do not have that level of trust with the next level of supervisors. Here is the area where I really need to put in the work to increase trust and approach the group with an open mind. I also need to remember that there is no growth in the comfort zone.
One topic highlighted within this section that stands out to me is when you do what is right, even if no one is watching. I know we have heard this our entire life, but in leadership it is not just about following policy or law. Rather, it is about the small bad decisions we make, or corners we cut, if we think our team or our leadership won’t be negatively impacted. I can’t help but to think about the supervisors who, intentionally or unintentionally, develop bias towards some of their subordinates. Because of their bias, they may let some “get by” with poor work performance but others are held to a higher standard. Without understanding their heavy responsibility of being virtuous, and displaying a strong moral compass, they will quickly create dysfunctional team. Because of the nature of our profession, dysfunctional teams can ruin the agency’s relationship with the communities they serve quickly and, often times, it only takes one mistake.
You make an important point. "Doing what is right, even if no one is watching" has been my go-to definition of being ethical for years. That focus on following our own (rightly-formed) moral compass will guide all of our actions, throughout our entire careers. Small bad decisions, or cut corners, or holding our staff to different standards leads our staff to do the same, and, before long, our unit/agency/profession has drifted far from its original course. If we stay true in the small things, the large things will guide themselves. Thanks for your insight.
The Magnus mind set is applicable to every job and to every person. Can you imagine having a school full of magnus teachers or living in a neighborhood full of magnus neighbors. I can identify a few now but having more striving to live those virtues would be community changing. Having said that, it certainly should be the foundation of policing. Virtues of Magnanimous Officers should be taught in the police academy and reinforced every year. No doubt being a magnus officer requires a relentless effort. I wonder how many time in that lecture action words like pursuit, process, and persistence were used.
John, I had similar thoughts during this module. These virtues absolutely describe what a police officer should be and who I believe our communities expect them to be. I also, thought about the positive impact it would have if everyone strived to live up to the virtues described in this module. Yearly reinforcement organizationally and personally is a good idea. Although these virtues were all things I already believed in, it was encouraging and motivating for them to be reinforced again during this module.
When I reviewed this module the main thing that continued to come to mind was to always treat others in the way you would want to be treated. Being a law enforcement officer you have to realize that you will always be held to a higher standard. Having strong morals, integrity, and being honest are traits that I strive to exhibit and this also exudes the Mangus way.
This is a great point, Richard. I would like to add to that by saying this; you should treat yourself the way you would want others to treat you. As talked about in this module, we must take care of our mind, body, and spirit if we ever hope to become Magnus leaders. Sure, many people are able to compartmentalize their work persona from their “real” self. They show up to work every day with the appearance of having their life in order, and they “Walk the Walk”, but in reality they may be suffering. Substance abuse, not taking care of themselves, or having terrible home life are things that are real to law enforcement officer, but many are afraid to seek help because people may see the real them in negative light. Putting up a façade like this is like living in a house of cards, doomed to fall! Truth is, everyone is going through something. We must take care of ourselves first, if we hope to help others.
Richard,
I agree. I was taught growing up to treat others how I would want to be treated along with several of the virtues in this module. My first training officer stressed to me the importance of what I was taught growing up along with holding ourselves to a higher standard. I have trained several officers over the years and it is now satisfying to watch people I trained teaching the new generations the same virtues
Thank you Chief
I think everyone wants to be Magnus when they begin their career. It should be a desire in any career. As a law enforcement officer, it is expected because we are held to a higher standard. After listening to the lecture on the Magnus officer, it clearly defined and described the important characteristics of what a great officer is and who they aspire to be from the beginning of their career to the very end. Officers are faced with difficult decisions and conforming to moral and ethical principles are key to being Magnus.
The mindset of being Magnus is what stuck with me and the behaviors that are associated with being great. The behavior to observe what is really going on, to really pay attention to what is going on around you and others. To actively listen to what others are saying, not only listen to what another person is saying but, more importantly, the complete message being communicated. The importance of learning and remaining open to learning and experiencing new things. Learning is essential to our survival; continuously learning is dynamic just as being Magnus. Constantly acquiring knowledge develops opportunities for the future. Finally, to act. As we learn new things we must act. We must put the wheels in motion and make what we want to happen to indeed happen. Being Magnus is constant work but the journey itself is rewarding.
Thinking through this module I find that the MAGNUS officer can be described by one phrase, Warrior with a Guardian Heart. Most officers began this journey thinking that we were warriors and that is what was required of us for this profession. While being a warrior can help us on the journey, having a guardians heart will really take us where we need to be. While we all strive to be the best that we can be and grow in our paths, if we all work to be a guardian for ourselves, our subordinates, our communities and our departments then all the other things will be done accordingly. We should all expect and fight for what is best for the people that we serve, the community that we protect and the other officers that we work with, both along side of and above and below us. When all of us are working in that direction, then the outcome with be MAGNUS officers at all levels.
This module focuses on the many ways that a person can exemplify the best qualities of leadership available to him through the many facets of life. The MAGNUS Officer sets the standard for all to follow by being an example through his or her own conduct. I find through my experiences that this proves to be a hard task at times. However, through the shared value of leadership and vision, I can be more of a mentor for others to follow and hold steadfast to my beliefs while having a positive effect on those around me.
Today’s society sees the Law Enforcement profession as more of a job instead of a career path. At times it seems that all society wants is to run free and not be held accountable for their actions. When faced with the consequences of those actions, they shift the blame away from themselves and blame the very person trying to keep the peace by acting on what is morally correct but socially unacceptable.
Through listening on how leaders are defined, I learned that all categories are attainable but the one that holds true is Integrity. Without Integrity, we fall short from meeting the moral principles in which we establish our daily lives. Our goal is to lift each other up for the greater good and together, we will prosper.
I have often said that as a leader, you will work harder then you ever did as a line officer. After going through this module discussing being a Magnus Officer, it proves the work is never done. You must strive every day to live up to the responsibility. The Magnus way requires you to not only have all these qualities, but constantly strive to be better. As a LEO, in your family life, leader, or just as a citizen. The mindset to look, listen, learn, and do drives that home as you seek to improve yourself and those around you
Curtis,
This concept of working harder as a leader than as a line officer holds true. In the current environment of younger individuals getting into this profession we find that they expect rewards for just simply doing what the job requires. This in turn, shifts how we as leaders have to handle the individual and how we can get the most out of their capabilities through encouraging them to exceed the minimum requirements. Them having that mindset of being the best they can be at all things, while also meeting their needs as an individual.
You are right Curtis. There is no finish line with this race. Certainly, is worth the effort though.
The discussion subject of the Magnus Officer is a lesson rooted in life itself. I think that is the most important point-becoming Magnus is a lifelong journey. I think too many people go through life thinking, “If I just do this, I will make it.” That mentality is a falsehood because we never “make it”. Once that reality is accepted and internalized, we become more in all walks of life and become balanced. It is truth that each area of life can either feed or smoother the others. The Magnus Beliefs are the root of that success. When you use them as a sounding block in all you do, positives are seen where they were invisible, and negatives become glaring and an opportunity for change. Through virtue, fairness, strength, and prudence the lessons in Module 1 have a foundation on which to be built. You cannot be a successful leader who "sees" all around them without the work on yourself first.
While watching this module it became clear that as L.E. we inherently take what we believe to be the strong traits and virtues from those who train us. The pitfall in this is that as our profession grows and evolves so should our ways of thinking. The way we learned something 15-20 years ago may very well be outdated and improper now which is commonly the case. Professionally I strive to forward think and grow. I was taught my core values at a very young age by my father, who was ex military. He installed the importance of honesty, commitment, courage, and character just to site a few. Relationship forming should be at the core of how we serve and with that in mind your core values or "Magnus Virtue" will convey and rub off on those you serve with. The cycle continues as those who learn from you tend to emulate what they admire in your character.
I agree that Law Enforcing is evolving and has changed substantially in the 15 years that I've served. I also agree with the core values you mentioned because they relate directly to the lesson. One thing that remains constant in all of human civilization is living those values builds better people who affect the community for the greater good.
When I started to review this session, the first thought that came to my mind was the concept that we how to lead by emulating what leaders we have been exposed to in our past, such as our previous employers and supervisors. With that in mind I feel that we learn more about how to be a leader in certain situations by being exposed to supervisors that are poor in their knowledge, skills, and abilities, and are "bad" supervisors.
I believe that as we start our careers, our concepts of leadership is in a similarity to our skills sets, very rudimentary and basic in beliefs. As we challenge ourselves and start down the path of formal or informal leadership roles we start to identify our path towards being a Magnanimous officer and then a Magnanimous leader. We grow, learn, and train based upon our goals and objectives that we have towards our careers, with the results of how well do our job and how we are perceived by others, and influenced by our leaders both informal and formal.
This all to me goes back to the adage of you get what you give, and not you get what you deserve.
I agree with Jason regarding the constant evolution that must happen as you grow into your leadership style. We have all known "bad" supervisors and it is truly up to us to help pattern our current and future officers in becoming more magnanimous in both their professional and personal lives.
I think we are taught how to achieve without being taught how to become. Seems we start at the end before we even actually begin. Learning to give first is the key.
Jason I agree with you. As we move up in leadership the job does not get easier. In fact, it is more demanding. Not losing site of the mission is key to success. It takes everyone doing there part and remaining focused. Having great leaders to mentor their officers is so important.
This was great start to the Command and Staff College. I feel being a Magnus Officer should be the foundation of any law enforcement organization. When a new officer is hired, they should be taught the Magnus Virtues and the Guardian Heart mindset. As those officers continue their career in law enforcement, they will continue building their character. Improving character is a lifetime process a Magnus Officer always strives for.
I agree! The Magnus Virtues are the building blocks of this course. Module 1 readings are all rooted in these philosophies. I'm glad I read the Module 1 sections first and then the Magnus readings and lecture. It became apparent that effective leadership has to start with yourself.
What a great way to start the course by discussing and defining a "Magnus Officer". An officer who continuously improves in the characteristics of virtue, fairness, strength & prudence. One of the defining traits that stuck with me in the introductions is the phrase "being a magnus officer means the pursuit of moral goodness". This is an essential quality that is necessary in our profession but at times can be hard to accomplish when dealing with the pressures and stress of the job. This is a high standard that we all need to pursue throughout our career in law enforcement. It's an important topic that should be taught early in our careers and focused on by our leaders in our department. This would go a long way in developing our officers to be the best they can be and improve our image with the citizens we serve and protect.
Glenn,
You are an over achiever.
Wellington
Glenn - This is probably the single thing that could improve our profession the most. If we could all strive for the moral goodness that is talked about in this module then we could bring the profession back to where it was once believe to be, whether it really was or not. There are so many things that prevent or interfere with that pursuit and it would take all of us working together and holding each other accountable on a daily basis, but I think we could all do better at it, as a team. Great point.
One of the most important virtues I believe a Magnus Officer needs is the ability to listen. I believe when we learn to listen to each other with the purpose to understand each other we are better able to hear what is really going on. I also believe that the more officers we have that understand the difference between just showing up and being a Magnus Officer that shows up with purpose, the better our profession will become.
After reviewing the module, I took away that every law enforcement officer around the country needs the educational foundation of MAGUS Leadership. It describes the framework of serving justice with strong moral characteristics and keeping integrity on and off duty. Leadership sets the standard throughout the organization to reinforce the agencies mission statement by inspiring officers motivation to perform at their peak performance. The power of leadership should never be undervalued in police organizations. An organizations shared vision of nobility with officers and strict standards of conduct is a method to strengthen a relationship with a community.
I could not agree with you more, Joey. Every officer in the country needs a strong foundation of MAGUS Leadership. The organization from top to bottom would benefit from the strong moral characteristics of a MAGUS Officer.
The Magnus Officer is one who embodies certain virtues such as, truthfulness, integrity, honor, nobility, faithfulness, respect, responsibility, prudence and gratitude. And while these virtues will aid anyone in being a MAGNUS Officer, they should be considered the bare minimum for any law enforcement officer. There are many aspects that will make a MAGNUS Officer, but if you can't produce within yourself the basic virtues, you shouldn't be in law enforcement.
Great point Trent, I agree that an officer’s ethical behavior has to be held accountable to create positive behaviors. Throughout my career I have seen unethical behavior in police organizations stimulate destructive headlines that lead to organizational demise.
The Magnus Officer mindset requires that one must accept that the law enforcement profession is much more than showing up to collect a paycheck, it is a higher calling and should be accepted and treated as such. While the virtues discussed in the lecture are not new and have been around for centuries, I have seen it applied very little in my early law enforcement training and experience. The mindset was more focused on the end result rather than how results were achieved. Had more attention been paid to virtuousness of the profession rather than just results, I believe that the profession would not be so mired in the political and social turmoil that we see across many areas of the country.
Keven has an extremely valid point. Although leadership was being taught to certain branches of the military "back in the day", it wasn't being taught to law enforcement, it was all about the end result. Had there been a focus on leadership and a concept of being a Magnus Officer, we would not have had the issues with the non-virtuous behaviors in law enforcement we have seen in the recent past. It brings to mind now though, what could we be looking to twenty to forty years from now to try to prepare those next two to three generations of potential Magnus Officer for what is to come.
Well said Keven, I couldn't agree with you more. Throughout my career I have seen our profession being focus more on results then on the virtues of the Magnus Officer mindset. This is something we as leaders should also focus on when we are recruiting and training our officers.
This is a test and we are in orientation.
Becoming a MAGNUS Officer is something I have been doing without realizing it. Being Magnus is the best road map a brand new officer can use to have a successful career. It is also a great resource for individuals inspiring to be a police officer/deputy. Having the ability to observe, listen, learn and act will create a positive impact within the Organization, Community, and within one's Personal and Professional career.
In order for new officers to have a successful career in today's LE, the Magnus mindset is something that they should be taught early, but it will not stick if it is not constantly demonstrated in action and deed not only by their peers but more importantly by their entire chain-of-command.
I could not agree with you more. Although leadership should start at the top, it doesn’t have too. I believe the shift supervisors have a closer bond to young officers, simply by being with them every shift. If they truly lead by example and demonstrate the Virtues of Magnanimous Officers to their team, it will be contagious.
This is a test.
After completing Module 1, I realized that to be a successful Magnus Officer, one must be a Magnus Individual. A person interested in becoming an officer must instill these very same virtues in their personal life, to become a Magnus Officer throughout their career. many of the virtues are self-taught through life experiences and can be further nourished by others around them
Andrew,
Careers and our persona of our professional self is only a cover or costume of our actual person of who we are. Who and what we are in our personal lives is the basis for how we act and how we behave as professionals. This is where Daniel Goleman, in his talk on Emotional Intelligence, was on point with the understanding that we can teach someone the skills and congnitive functions of the job but the EQ component of the job is something that can't be taugh in an in-service session or by watching a video.
Excellent points by Jason and Andrew.
I believe most Law Enforcement Officers got into this profession with the intent of becoming Magnanimous Officers. I also believe, as new candidates enter this profession, that the bond and strength officers give one another is what helps keep you on the right path. For new officers it is easy to derail in the Chaos. Senior officers and Supervisors have a duty to be Magnanimous Officers and utilize the strength gained through experience to guide and lead new officers into the same path.
Jose,
I must agree that most people get into law enforcement to give back to the community and to help others. It is then up to the senior officers to instill the virtues of honor, faithfulness, integrity, responsibility, truthfulness, and humility when it comes to the profession. With that said, I believe an individual must first possess and embody these traits on a personal level to be successful on a professional level.
The idea of the Magnus Officer should be the cornerstone of every law enforcement agency as it instills professionalism, high standard of morals, personal health and both professional and personal growth and service to the community. My departments mission statement encompasses this in what we refer to as the three "C's"- Character, Competence and Cooperation. Our mission statement reads-We serve through Character, Competence, and Cooperation to create a safe and successful community. Our employee evaluations are also based on these three principles.
A mission statement looks great on a wall or website but like the traits of a Magnus Officer, these principles need to practiced by all members of the supervision staff at all times in order for the line officers' buy-in.
Donald,
I worked with an agency that followed the concepts of the three "C"'s and they event went to the extent of changing their badge to reflect this model, their evaluations were modified to reflect this concept, and their policy manual was changed to be in step with the theory.
The problem that you pointed out is the concept of the “buy-in” by staff. This reflects back the concepts of the emotional intelligence concepts and the self-awareness that employees have of themselves and the reflection of the agency efforts to do what is right.
I agree with you 100%, we as leaders I feel have to strive to do more than, have a mission statement looks great on a wall or website” we have to provide platforms to allow our staff to actualize the concepts and understand the foundation behind them, which provides them the opportunity fo better understanding of themselves and others.
This is a test.......
As I was watching this module play, I began thinking; I have the virtues of a Magnanimous Officer. I have integrity; I have a lot of pride on being truthful, faithful and having honor. As I completed the module, I began to think of situations where I was not a Magnus Officer. How many times have I not had shown gratitude for something or not remained humble.
After completing the module, I realized that if I wanted to become a Magnus Officer, I needed to have all of the virtues not just a few of them. I realized I had a lot of work to do in order to improve the Magnus Way.
Well said, Darryl. I had many of the same thoughts and what really stuck with me was during the MAGNUS mindset portion and looking within yourself to better understand who you are as a person. I believe I have many, if not all of the virtues, but not all of them are "complete" or where they should be on a consistent basis. There are things I need to correct and tweak in order to truly be a Magnanimous Officer with ALL of the virtues functioning on a regular basis.
I agree with you Darryl. I also feel I have the qualities of a Magnanimous Officer. I feel that gratitude to those officers who opened the doors to us is sometimes unintentionally overlooked. This module has made me more aware of that. As supervisors I think we honor those who helped us get where we are by passing that knowledge to others. As well as continue to educate ourselves and continue to build on becoming better Magnanimous Officers. Well said.
I agree Darryl. After completing the module, I felt that there are things I need to change within me to be MAGNUS for my home life as well as work. I feel it is a constant learning situation that will just have to be improved on.
The Magnus Mindset is the hardest thing for some people to grasp. Having the mindset that good enough is not good enough is not very common today. As an academy staff instructor, I see dozens of new recruits each year. Very few come in with the mindset that they want to do their best in every area. Most come in with a single law enforcement strength and want to depend on that single area to carry them through their career. Many come in to the profession thinking that their firearm will get them out of the worst situations. We have to “convince” them that the best officers strive to be the best they can be in every area and that we need to be a complete officer to be a good officer. Once they accept that the need to be proficient in all areas we push them to do their best in every area. We are successful with many of our cadets. The challenging part is getting them to keep that mindset when they go back to work. When they are around people that have not grasped the Magnus concept or who have allowed the routine nature of their job to make them complacent. That tests the dedication to being a great officer.
Burt, I can agree with you. We try to instill the values in our new officers while going through the field training program. Fortunately we are a small department so officers' have to be well versed in all aspects of the job because we don't have specialized units to call out to the scene. However, like you mentioned, it's always a constant battle to keep them in the proper mindset when there are others who just do enough to get by and chastise those who are seen as "over achievers".
Sergeant Ronald F. Springer III St. Charles Sheriff’s Office Session 12
Module One's lecture and reading were very insightful. The concept of continual improvement in order to perfect yourself as a magnanimous person. Striving to be magnanimous in your daily life so that it is a lifestyle rather than just a work habit. I had not previously considered that my personal life was a reflection of my work life, because I always strived to separate the two as much as possible. I strived to leave work at work keep my home life private. But when Lt. Hoina discussed always being ready for duty and how diet, exercise, and physical preparedness affected readiness, I decided to begin to work harder at home to improve my health in order to be a better example and leader at work (Hoina, 2017). I have always thought that learning was a journey that only ends when you quit trying. This was echoed by Doctor Javidi (2016) “becoming a MAGNUS officer is a journey, a way of life, a way of thinking, speaking and behaving” (para. 1). This changed my way of thinking; not only about leadership and my role as a supervisor but the view I should take on my daily life. I realized that as a leader and supervisor I should be an example both in and out of uniform for not only my subordinates but the community as well.
Hoina, C. (2017). Virtues of magnanimous officers. Module1, Week 1. National Command Staff College.
Javidi, M. (2016). Becoming MAGNUS – The natural pursuit of virtue in policing. https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/becoming-magnus-the-natural-pursuit-of-virtue-in-policing/
I had a similar awakening after my shooting. Making the decision to be a healthier person so you can be an example to others is good. Make sure that you also have an internal motivation to live longer, and be healthier. Doing it for the benefit of others will motivate you for a while, but when you decide that becoming the best you can be is your motivation it will be an easier process. Feel free to reach out with help.
This is a test from Wellington
The lecture on being a Magnus Officer was very enlightening to me, as I believe each and every one of us, who became law enforcement officers, possess several of the virtues discussed or we would not have answered the call. This job, despite popular belief, has a way of weeding out those that joined this profession for the wrong reasons. If you stayed in this career long enough, you need to possess those virtues that define a Magnus Officer on some degree. Throughout the lecture, I was able to internalize and recognize my strengths and weaknesses, identifying those that I must strive to be better at. I believe that in doing so, my example and actions will empower those around me to become more professional enlightened officers for not only the community we serve, but for the agency, their families and themselves, as well.
David, I completely agree with you. I have approximately 11 years total of law enforcement experience. In my short time, I have seen people come and go and you can usually tell which one have joined for the wrong reasons. They are usually gone rather quickly.
I really enjoyed the lecture on how we as LEO's can become MAGNUS and it's importance to our profession. The ethos of our profession is the foundation to the success or failure of an Agency. Tactical competency has it's place and cannot be overlooked.
However, if an officer is tactically competent; but does not have the courage to be virtuous, they should not remain in our profession. Can an officer remain operational if they have outstanding courage but lack bravery? Have you worked with such an officer? How did you handle them? I really gravitated towards the conversation about "mindset". Especially in our profession today, the ability to want to improve, self assess and prioritize on what's important are things that are within our span of control.
Perhaps the hallmark trait of the Magnus Officer is that of credibility. As officers of the law, we are tasked with always being good witnesses, and our reputations are crucial; both on, and off of the job. The Magnus Officer realizes and understands that from the street to the courtroom, his accounting of the actions of all involved must be concise, accurate, and detailed to such an extent that the story of any incident is told with veracity and clarity. Without credibility, there can be no such accounting and the victim, witnesses, other involved officers, even the suspect are stakeholders in a wholesale failure of the system. Patterning ourselves to be professionals beyond reproach begins and ends with our actions, documentation, and testimony. There are no 'shortcuts' here. In the warrior mindset, in the guardian heart, and in the desire to set solid examples for those we serve and those we work with, we must remain "unsullied as an example to all..." just as the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics has taught us so many years ago. Being a Magnus Officer is to me, excelling not only in performance, but just as importantly, in trustworthiness.
Christopher, I agree that credibility is one of the most important virtues. One’s reputation within the community and earning the trust of fellow co-workers is of the upmost importance. People are not willing to follow individual’s that they don’t believe have their best interest at heart.
Christopher, your comments resonate very clear. Nearly everything we do falls back on credibility, truthfulness, and integrity. It is nearly impossible to be successful any part of this profession without being trusted by those we serve and protect (ie, the good guys), or hold accountable (ie, the bad guys). This profession is hard enough without having to also fight this battle.
I have never heard of the word Magnus Officers before starting this class, but since my career started in 1997, I was striving to have the traits of a Magnus Officers by having the trust of my fellow co-workers, but more importantly having the trust of the community of doing the right thing no matter who is watching. One of the traits of being a Magnus Officers that I find hard to do is being humble which is one of the qualities that GOD needs from his people, but being a man is sometimes it is hard to humble yourself even though you are correct with what you are doing or saying. So, this has made me take a second look on working even harder on being humble.
For me, this module has put definition to what good parents and leaders encompassed in my environment throughout my life. It was humbling and mentioned areas where I seek improvement. Living free of wrongdoing may be the first step in leading others by example, at home and in our profession. Seems the ability to be a Magnanimous leader has the capability of promoting a healthy team working environment that breeds individual and organizational success. All with a mindset to improve. Very well absorbed.
Chris,
I completely agree with your sentiment. The lecture definitely had me examining my own life and my many character deficits. Due to this I am now currently looking at how I can begin to change these deficits and begin working toward being a better husband, father, and leader. This will be a step on my journey to becoming a MAGNUS leader.
The presentation by Lt. Chris Hoina of the Magnanimous Officer was excellent and well received. After listening to this information it drove me to reexamine my weakness and strengths as a supervisor and in my personal life. Many of the virtues of the Magnus Officer should be applied and embraced by every level within a department. All officers should be exposed to these concepts and to this forward thinking. This can be accomplished through leadership and impress upon those to truly embrace the role as a leader. More importantly, it lies within our own personal self to be that person every day. Being able to mentor those and instruct those wisely through your duties as an officer is an awesome responsibility. In doing so, the attributes of the Magnus Officer will be reflective of a more advanced department which will lead to effectively and efficiently being a more progressive department while having the community's trust. I believe that we have to repeatedly reflect on a simple fact that the organization is only as good as our training and that we have to constantly evolve.
I wholeheartedly agree with you Kevin. Leadership by example is an absolute in my opinion and realizing ones' own weakness and striving to perfect it, sets the ultimate example for co-workers and subordinates.
Prior to watching this lecture, I had not been previously exposed to the word MAGNUS and what the definition and meaning were. I believe I share the same believes as a MAGNUS officer as I am goal and action oriented, enthused about my job, inspire those who work for me to be positive, and the one thing I harp on young officers the most is being fit and ready for duty.
You should always be willing to learn and grow as a leader, officer, spouse, father, and friend. In today’s world and the current state of law enforcement you should also not be opposed to change. I personally believe that positive change within a section is often needed to rejuvenate and motivate officers who may perceive themselves to be in a “rut”.
I also look around at people in my Agency who are in leadership roles and can point out the ones who I believe have the MAGNUS mindset. A lot of the others, often forget where they’ve come from and how the decisions they make affect the men and woman within their command. When I became a Lieutenant, I had a Velcro patch made that I wear above my heart on my vest that reads “POP”. Those initials mean a lot to me and stands for where I spent the majority of my 12 years as a law enforcement officer. The initials POP stand for Problem Oriented Policing. Often, people ask me why I still wear the POP patch on my vest. My response is always “I will never forget where I’ve come from, and how I got to where I am now.”
I will continue to be open minded, grow as a leader, and strive to be a better MAGNUS officer.
Derek,
Excellent points and I believe that we should all never forget where we have come from and how we have advanced through our departments. Being reflective of those times will make us stronger as leaders. I may steal "POP". Great reminder.
What I took away from this lesson most is, that as you strive to become a MAGNUS Officer, you can`t become stagnant. The ability to open your mind and allow yourself to grow as an officer and a person is ever changing. The one trait that I believe is so important and has been engrained into me is the word INTEGRITY. I always tell deputies, young and old that if you do the right thing every time, no matter how hard or uncomfortable it makes you feel, you will be able to stand on that integrity.
Scott,
I agree with you. Any time I have the opportunity to sit on a review board for promotions or transfers the one question I always ask is “In your own words, please tell me what is the definition of integrity and what does that word mean to you”. Once they give their answer, we always talk about it and go through different situations where their integrity could have been in question and how did they respond to the situation
I truly agree with INTEGRITY being the most important word, because of the way that we as Law Enforcement Professionals today we have to show that no matter what the situation is we are going to do what is right.
What I took most from the lecture was the need to continually better yourself in an attempt to be more Magus. We can always improve and should never be content. If we continue to try and improve ourselves, it will help ensure that we are Magnus and not forgetting our virtues.
I agree Justin. Our mindset towards our attitude and our effort should focus on what we can control. Being virtuous and seeking out self improvement should be a priority if one strives for MAGNUS.
I totally agree with this statement. We must always continue to improve ourselves and always do what's right, even when no one is watching.
The common thread that was most poignant to me throughout the lecture was the active commitment necessary to pursue magnus characteristics. It is certainly easy to become passive and fall into a routine, resulting in a loss of forward momentum and self improvement. I thought Lt. Hoina said it most concisely when he stated the magnus path is "simple but not easy." While it may not be easy to maintain the active pursuit of the discussed principals, I think that simple, steadfast commitment to self improvement over time has to potential to produce invaluable results. As he also stated, "it is a journey that never ends" - we just have to invest the active commitment to continue the journey.
"Simple but not easy" As I read and reflect on that, it`s amazing how true this simple statement is. We as officers are sometimes placed in situations where the right thing is always the hardest. I believe as we look back on this lecture. We should all use this lecture to strive to become better officers and people everyday.
"Simple, but not easy..." and "a journey that never ends..." are excellent takeaways here. Well stated. In order to be effective, both as officers and in leadership positions within our community and organization, we cannot help but be "lifetime learners." The task of setting good examples to our peers absolutely includes an ongoing commitment to self improvement.
One of things that I Picked up form this is the isolation. As stated, the nature of patrol work in law enforcement is isolating in itself, this is compounded be the rural area in which I work. I am guilty of isolating myself and trying to "fix" it on my own when things happen to go wrong. I like the idea of having a mentor or someone to hold me accountable to sharing the supervision and making sure that I am not isolating myself. This is can and should be applied to more than just work. I also understand the concepts of Magnus and try to apply them to a lead by example way.
Working with the mentality "Police are the public and public are the police" combined with the virtues of truthfulness, integrity, honor, and respect may seem overwhelming in todays society. Law enforcement officers working with these virtues as their guiding light will help them win in their communities. Supervisors expecting these virtues of their subordinates should exhibit these qualities themselves.
Well said Thomas.
Persons placed into a position of supervision should lead by example. If you expect your crew or team to do something what does it say if you do the opposite or not at all. To carry that a little further leaders should not ask or demand something that he or she has not or will not do from the persons he is leading.
I believe that the concepts of Magnus can benefit individuals and groups of people in nearly every way. Obviously these qualities will help you improve as a LE professional and a leader, but also on a personal level outside of work.
In order to successfully apply these principles, self reflection and honest evaluation of ones actions, as well as thoughts, are paramount. In my opinion we often understand and accept principles, but fail to truly evaluate if we have applied them.
Good luck Kevin
This module really makes you think and reflect on your career as an Officer and as a husband / wife. It really grabbed my attention; when Lt. Chris Hoina mentioned how "Magnus" Officers conduct themselves on and off the job. It makes you think; do I carry and uphold the same morals and values off duty as you do on duty? Do I lead and represent my family the same way? Believe it or not, many of us take on a new "persona" when we put on our uniform.
When we're in uniform we take pride in representing our agency and what the badge stands for. Do we truly or have we really been conducting ourselves with a moral compass on and off the job? Do we hold, share, or display different morals between the two aspects (career / family).
When Lt. Hoina spoke about the believes; he mentioned vision sharing, setting high expectations for ourselves / others, and being action oriented. All these attributes are qualities that can be utilized in both our professional and personal lives. If we stand firm and put these qualities into action; things would be much easier in both aspects. The phrase "The whole is greater than the sum" is simple but STRONG phrase!
He also touched on the definition of "Magnus." Explaining fairness, true professionalism, taking responsibility for one's actions. These are all qualities individuals desire and posses as strong leaders in their communities, careers, and households.
When you think about it, these qualities when embraced and put into practice; can and will make you a better person for your family, career, and community.
Well said Kevin, I wish I’d read this one first! That STRONG phrase stuck with me as well. Conforming to be a “magnanimous ” individual.
Surprisingly, when I started this module I was not familiar with the word "Magnus" better yet "Magnus Officer." This lesson was very detailed in my opinion, and I realized throughout this lesson that I share many characteristics of a Magnus Officer. I also realized during this lesson that I need to read more books. Integrity and faithfulness are words that I follow and act on daily. Respect can be difficult at times for all of us in this line of work, but when it was defined in the lesson it made me appreciate the fact that I refrain from using vulgar language even when it's constantly used against me. Health was another big takeaway for me from this lesson. I exercise daily and I think that it helps me think clearer, and it helps relieve any stress that may be lingering from a busy work day. I do believe in order to be a Magnus Officer we must constantly improve our thinking, speaking, actions, and deeds. We must also be great at listening. Several times throughout my work day I have to listen to my coworkers so I can provide the best feedback. Even while taking phone calls, you have to be poised when someone on the other end is yelling at you. Another topic that was covered during this lesson that stood out for me was when the instructor spoke about Shared Leadership, the whole is greater than the sum and that's what many leaders tend to forget. In the department I supervise, I train my coworkers on things that could benefit them as well as myself when I'm out. I'm always looking for ways to improve others as well as myself. Overall, I think this was a strong and positive topic to begin with.
I too ended this lesson with the feeling that I should begin reading more. I'm guilty of using the excuse of not having the time to read. The lesson did cause me to recall things that I have read in the past, and I will now find time to begin reading again on a regular basis.
During the lesson there were several things that I realized I have lacked. However, I was glad to hear the instructor mention Shared Leadership. I have found that often when I've made it a point to let others help with an important task, they appreciate being involved. Allowing them to share in positives that can come with the task being successfully completed has been well received.
I am grateful for covering the material in this module. The term Magnanimous is new to me, and this is the first exposure I have had to this content. I believe that Lt. Chris Hoina did a great job not just defining what a Magnus officer is, but also explaining the characteristics, beliefs and virtues of a Magnus officer. As the leaders in our organizations, I believe that we all possess the traits and beliefs of a Magnus officer. If we didn’t we wouldn’t be in the positions we are in today, or more notably bettering ourselves taking this very course. As I was listening to the video presentation from Lt. Chris Hoina, I began to ask the question; how do we advance our officers to becoming Magnus officers? My first response to the question was that it starts at the top. What I mean by this is, as leaders of our organization we need to be setting the example of Magnus virtues to our officers.
Some of the Magnus beliefs are to have shared visions, as well as strengthening others (Hoina, 2021). An example that I can give is from my agencies most recent strategic plan session. In 2019, the leaders in my agency came together to create a 3-5 year strategic plan. The purpose of this was to create goals for the department and to set established shared visions of the department. The shared vision was then passed down to all members of the department. This strengthen the entire department and modeled the Magnus virtues we need to be striving for as law enforcement officers.
References
Hoina, C. (2021). Virtues of magnanimous officers. Module 1, Week 1. National Command and Staff College.
This module has caused me to reflect on both my police life and personal life over the past 20 years. I remember sitting in the interview process for my first police job. I said all the proper things about wanting to “serve and protect”, help citizen, make a difference in peoples lives, and leave people with a positive attitude about the police profession. I look at myself now and wonder if I have done that. That would have made me a Magnus officer. I can’t help but think of many examples where I have failed. None of us like to fail and it is extremely hard to admit and be honest with ourselves and others when we have these failures. The examples i am running through my head make me embarrassed. The quest to be Magnus is hard. None of us live in a bubble where there are no outside influences, both professionally and personally, that help shape and mold who we are as a supervisor, but more important as a person. We are human and will make mistakes. I realize that I will continue to make mistakes throughout the rest of my career. The key for me is to realize these mistakes and work to not repeat them. That is my struggle to become a Magnus supervisor. Back when I was in the recruit academy an instructor said the following to live by in your career, “If it feels good to say it, you probably shouldn’t” This quote has stuck with me my whole career and I believe is valuable to becoming a Magnus supervisor. This module has also given me another quote to live by. “Do the right thing” If I do that I will not fail as a father, husband, friend, co-worker or supervisor.
I did the same thing, Steve, and reflected in my career and personal life after this module. I like that you recognized that we are all human and make mistakes. As the module discussed, a Magnus officer also realizes that concept of human error. I think it is very important that you recognized that, and have identified specifics on how you can improve and learn from your mistakes. That to me is a trait of being Magnus. I like the quote that you were told while in the academy. I know of a few officers that can definitely benefit from this. I will have to start using it. Thank you.
I faced and thought about some of the same things you are mentioning. As Lt. Chris Hoina was speaking, the topics and qualities he was mentioning was hitting "home." The lecture had me thinking of my past experiences and actions; were my actions pure or motivated? Did I represent my agency, family, and myself in a professional and respectful way? Didi I make impartial decisions; when asked of myself?
I think as young officers we have the mindset that we can save the world. Young officers don't think about "tomorrow." They live in the present and for the notoriety. I thing if every officer (young) listens to this lecture, I strongly believe it will change their mindset. I feel if I would've had the opportunity to hear this lecture, I wouldn't doubt my actions from the past.
MAGNUS is not a new topic but is a very important topic, especially in a world where police officers are viewed with such critical eyes. The profession is scrutinized by outsiders who make assumptions as to how to effectively do this job. Yet, those outsiders, while negative and influenced by emotions, are viewing all law enforcement in light of the theory of being magnanimous. They expect more from those sworn to protect and serve. They expect virtue and moral characteristics to be exuded from the men and women proudly displaying the badge. And I agree and commend their expectations. Law enforcement personnel should set the standard for behaviors and actions that others should exemplify and follow. Yet, we are humans. We are fallible. Not all in this career want to be the best they can. Others strive, but continue to fall. The theories discussed in this module provide guidance for the masses and hopefully more and more of us fall in line with this ideal and collectively help those who aren’t on track either step up or step out.
Brain I completely agree. I think the module did a good job of touching on the fact that the virtue and morals we need to display on the job are just as important to maintain off duty. The public eye is on us 24/7 and we all contribute to the reputation of the profession as a whole.
When tasked with assessing one’s own philosophy of leadership, it is clear that this process can be, at times equivocal (Phillips, 1992). In their work, Normore, Javidi, Anderson, Normand and Scott (2014) sagely illustrate the importance of understanding behavior consistent with the Magnus concepts. In doing so, the differentiation emerges of processes and behaviors that relate to building up to the pinnacle of action.
Using the Magnus behaviors (Hoina, 2021) as a guide, it becomes clear that actions supporting credible leadership are exercised by individuals possessing morality, ethics, values and virtue (Normore et al., 2014). These are the fundamental building blocks of the Magnus concept that illustrate the importance of specific behaviors. These include observations, listening and learning culminating in action.
Active listening can be viewed as an external measure that is learned and developed throughout time and relevant to certain experiences. Doing so ensures our customers’ voices are heard and expectations are understood to all parties within the spectrum of the need for action. This assists in the formation of action planning. Additionally, notes gathered during observations are helpful in formulating plans of action that deal with potential limitations or challenges that are sometimes encountered. Such also provides models for learning that are incorporated into problem solving and leadership applications.
The continued journey of learning is a palpable tenet that defines the parameters of how one approaches problem solving. Problems, especially those in the leadership realm are constantly evolving. As a result, the Magnus behaviors climax with action on the part of leadership.
Action can be many things, but what it can never be is successful without observation, listening and learning. Thus, the integration of these four behaviors clearly landmarks the fundamentals of leadership that brings about positive change, change that improves communities.
This very course itself is designed to develop the skills set forth herein and embodies action as a desired result of these behaviors. Emerging leaders, continually honing the craft, must pursue positive change while illustrating these tenets in order to provide credible leadership.
References
Hoina, C. (2021). Virtues of magnanimous officers. Module 1, Week 1. National Command and Staff College.
Normone, A.H., Javidi, M., Anderson, T., Normand, N., Scott, Sr., & Hoina, C. (2014). Moral compass for law enforcement professionals. Holly Springs, NC: International Academy of Public Safety Data.
Phillips, D.T. (1992).Lincoln on leadership: Executive strategies for tough times. New York, NY: Grand Central Publishing.
Indeed, action cannot be successfully accomplished without listening and planning. I've seen many people take action on a subject when someone voices a solo or ill-versed concern. Action without thought, pre-planning, input, and observations often leads to the proverbial "knee-jerk" reaction. This is where listening is key. Hear the concerns. Hear the options. Hear the facts and not the emotions. Take the collective knowledge and make a defined and well-thought out plan. Action is great. But action without thought is usually a setup for disaster or future changes.
I think the most important piece of this lesson was the desire and need to continuously strive for improvement. We all start with the servant mindset and the genuine desire to make a difference in the community we serve. We all know this profession can make it hard to maintain that mindset and desire you originally had. The things we see and deal with can easily make an officer become cynical or hardened and lose sight of why they are doing what they do. The never ending journey for continuous improvement as they said is "simple but not easy." It is simple to talk about and identify what needs to be done. It is definitely not easy to do! It requires a strong mindset every single day that keeps you on the course. I know within my agency there are some who have lost this mindset and I will be honest that I have not always kept it either. I will strive in my current position to be a positive model for what it means to be a MAGNUS officer to those I supervise and interact with daily.
I agree with you Brent. If we go through our career trying to get a little bit batter each day we will improve. I believe that there will be days that we struggle with that or even potentially take a step or two backwards, but as long as we strive to get better we will succeed.
I agree Brent! It’s very easy to lose sight and get caught up with negativity while in law enforcement. We all must have a strong mindset in order to grow and improve.
I agree with you Brent. I see improvement being very close to the the word change. I'm sure most of us have heard that change is inevitable. Failure to change or improve will result in us failing to grow. This will hurt our people, our agencies and ourselves.
I think that most who join law enforcement do so with the best of intensions and with the goal to be a Magnus Officer. Sometimes somewhere along the line some officers forget why they began this career. This section was a good reminder that we must continue to look at ourselves and make sure we are living up to those virtues. We must also help those we see that are forgetting to get back on the path to becoming a Magnus Officer.
My biggest takeaway from the Virtues of a Magnanimous Officer, is that the ability to lead comes natural to someone who is a MAGNUS Officer. A MAGNUS Officer is someone who is looked up to within an organization. someone who possess the utmost integrity, honesty and are of high moral character. One of the things that stood out to me the most was that everyone who enters the profession of law enforcement can be a MAGNUS Officer. Whether it be a 20 year career veteran or someone who enters the career field with no experience. A MAGNUS Officer not only possesses these values while performing his or her job duties, but in every aspect of their life. Listening to this discussion helped me better understand why I set out to do what I do. It also helped me understand what I am looking to accomplish as a MAGNUS leader within my organization.
This is a test
Throughout my law enforcement career, I have been exposed to the various thoughts and concepts of being an exemplary officer, true guardian with the capabilities of a warrior, and even the idea of just being a warrior for the people. This is the first time the values of being virtuous, humble, and exemplary have been described with ancient rhetoric to create the Magnus officer. This career has taught me more about not reinventing the wheel and to look at history for lessons in behavior and it is not the first time my learning has reached all the back to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. To strive to be Magnanimous is simply describing how to achieve happiness in life.
Hi Ronald -
I as well have been exposed t different theories, thoughts and concepts of what an exemplary officer is and what they stand for. Your comparison to how being a MAGNUS Officer relates to the history of ancient Greek God's is absolutely spot on. I would also agree that being a MAGNUS Officer absolutely describes finding happiness in both your career and in your personal life.
Ronald- I concur. Happiness in life is synonymous with happiness at work and in your career goals. I, too, appreciate the way Magnus integrates the principles of credible leadership so that we may apply what we have learned with a measure of humility. My thoughts are that this helps in creating trust and transparency in our customer base as a whole. Its our foundation for success.
Best and stay safe-
Kenny
The virtues of a magnanimous officer, as described in the lesson, are import, as these virtues truly define who a person is in respect to the profession of law enforcement. As a leader the responsibility and demand for me to have, hold and continually practice these virtues is significant. I believe a leader is one who strives to make others better. One who enjoys seeing and truly wants others to succeed. As a leader, i should build those up around me, encouraging them to always be better. I wish to always lead by example. As a leader, i should instill in others, who have the potential to be leaders, the virtues of a magnanimous officer. The magnanimous officer is one who is compassionate, understanding, forgiving, one who does not boast or gloat. The magnanimous office is one who is proud without excessive pride.
Marshall- I enjoyed reading your thoughts here. Definitely moving together with you on developing our colleagues and the importance of Magnus. We see so many changes on the horizon today that it tends to discourage some of our aspirants, both pre and post academy. In your current role, how do you see yourself mentoring newer officers in our field in the way of Magnus?
Best and stay safe-
Kenny
In reviewing the material in this section, I found myself excited again about the profession. The very defining of MAGNUS and describing the virtues, as well as the characteristics of such an officer it all seems to click. It brought back what I felt personally when first beginning my career. While serving in leadership positions, it has been my experience that a well-rounded officer is an extremely valuable and appreciated asset. The MAGNUS officer is most definitely a force multiplier.
I had the same feeling when listening to the video in this section! It was a very poignant reminder of why I am doing this job, why I went into this profession, and why I still love what I do every day (16) years later.
The vast majority of law enforcement agencies struggle with a generational gap amongst employees. It can be a struggle to develop a message that resonates with all employees the same way. I think the key point I took away is from the theme of the presentation. No matter what your experience level is or what walk of life you come from, you can be influenced by someone holding themselves to a higher standard. This is a good reminder as leaders we need to walk the walk instead of talking the talk. It's easy for someone to tell others how to be MAGNUS, but encouraging someone to be MAGNUS comes through striving to be it ourselves.
Thinking back to the period of my career when I would field train most every deputy we hired, I found that the discussion of why they chose to become a law enforcement officer would always come up. We all have heard the canned answer of “I want to help people”, however this module reinforces that that response should be the basis of who we all are and why we are here. If we approach our jobs from the foundation that we are here for the community we serve, we will find it is simply not enough to be a good officer. We must strive every day to become a Magnus officer and build upon those traits which earn someone that title.
This lesson does a great job at pointing out all the qualities that the community should expect and deserve from those who protect them. It also serves as a good reminder of needing to take time to self-reflect on personal values and what matters most.
I think one of first things that caught my attention in this lesson occurred within the first few minutes of the lesson when it defined a person with a great mind as one that distains injustice and meanness even though it means sacrifice of personal ease, interest, and safety to accomplish noble objectives. As a police officers, we exhibit these traits not only throughout our career but in our day-to-day lives.
Working undesirable shifts such as nights, weekends, or holidays are a common occurrence that we endure to provide the noble objective of keeping our community safe. These everyday sacrifices are often overlooked or minimized as they become routine and simply a part of who we are. As police officers, we often look for these larger examples of sacrifice, threats to our safety, or other personal sacrifices to validate our efforts or demonstrate our distain for meanness or injustice. I would argue that a career of these sacrifices is a monumental demonstration, and in my opinion, equivalent or greater than a single demonstration or event.
I think to be a true magnanimous officer it requires times and dedication, not a singular event. This is how police officers’ effect positive change in their community and become trusted within it; and seen as the guardian they are. As noted in the lecture, the more you practice the better you are at the task at hand. The more we try to exhibit the virtues of a magnanimous officer, the easier it will become and we will get better at it.
I agree with several of the above posts that a MAGNUS officer not only adheres to the core fundamentals of truthfulness, integrity, honor, nobility, and humility while at work but also in their daily lives not because someone may be watching but because it is the right thing to do. To build a legacy of leadership an officer must be MAGNUS in all that they do. Instilling a MAGNUS way of life in those that we lead will lead to great organizational success and the opposite is also true. If we fail as MAGNUS leaders the organization will incur loss and dysfunction over time. I believe a MAGNUS way of life is a quest or a continual assessment of not only ourselves, but have we instilled these ideals in those we are tasked with leading. When we have embraced a MAGNUS life and instilled those ideals within an organization there is no ceiling to how great the organization can be.
I think you make an incredibly important point in that being MAGNUS is not only when people are looking, but when they are not. You often see individuals who present a starkly different image and persona when working, when they are not. In policing, this is not practical nor is it a way to earn the communities trust and live a magnanimous lifestyle. As police officers, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard, as the community surely does.
This has never been more true than it is in today's climate. Although law enforcement by and large does everything right and with the community in mind, we find ourselves scrutinized more than ever. Because of this scrutiny we must work even more towards being Magnus.
I agree with Sgt Decker in working in this profession we are entrusted with enforcing laws and it would be very to hard to enforce these laws if your are not living a law abiding life away from your job.
The Magnus officer is and individual who is a well balanced individual in their personal life as well as there professional life. The time that is devoted in becoming the best law enforcement professional possible, should be also devoted in becoming the best person they can be away from work. I have told younger officers and deputies that we have to be cognizant of how we carry ourselves when we are away from work. Due to the fact that public may see us at work and create their opinions of how we are as a professional by how we act away from work. We have to hold ourselves to a higher standard, because we are being held to that standard by the public. A Magnus law enforcement professional must have and show integrity at all times on and off duty because we never know who is watching. The officers or deputies that are not Magnus material are the ones giving the officers or deputies the bad name during these trying times.
Troy,
For my entire career in law enforcement I have been told we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. I did not have an issue with this concept since I was 38 when I started this career, I had time to mature and see a lot of the world before settling down to a career. I have done my best to influence others to act as I do but without my experiences 20-25 year old people still enter our line of work for the excitement and or prestige of wearing the badge. Budget constraints prevent some agencies from pursuing courses like this where a concept like being a Magnanimous person, who is a police officer, could save an told fortune in legal fees and prevent the loss of perspective and or life of a police officer.
While completing this module, I was reminded of the officers and other role models I am fortunate enough to have in my life. The individuals I look up to and have tried to emulate exhibit what it means to be a MAGNUS officer. I believe that is what distinguished them from others and why they left a lasting impact on my life. They have achieved goals and built a legacy of respect, improvement, and progress as referenced in the "Guardian Hearts of MAGNUS" section in the lecture. MAGNUS officers strive to display virtues such as humility, integrity, responsibility, honor, faithfulness, and gratitude in everything they do.
One of the biggest take always for me on this module was learning that becoming MAGNUS is a never ending journey. A MAGNUS officer focuses on making improvements, bettering themselves, and making those around them better. As a supervisor, I can see the importance of setting a standard of MAGNUS for my self, and supporting others to become Magnanimous in their life.
“You can try and make people learn or read more, get better at studying their profession,” Mullen said. “But that generally doesn’t work all that well. What works much better is personal inspiration, the understanding the why, and getting after it as a personal mission to get better and get smarter.”
Sgt. Koscher I am a firm believer in that being MAGNUS is a never ending journey. I have attached a quote from Maj. Gen William Mullen on the importance of education and continuing to improve. Being MAGNUS is contagious.
I agree that this module definitely touches on the importance of adopting a lifetime of learning attitude. The best way to get officers to "buy in" to this attitude toward learning, growing, and self-reflection is for their leadership to demonstrate it through their actions.
Though the term, “MAGNUS,” associated with Law Enforcement is somewhat new to me, I couldn’t help but think that these traits and characteristics have been the foundation and backbone of what I strive to do on a daily basis. I believe this topic should be taught to officers at the recruit level, but also be a refresher topic to even the most experienced officers. Too often some in the profession of Law Enforcement are blinded by only being good at the “technicalities”. It was refreshing to hear in the module that being well-rounded in police tactics is necessary, but having MAGNUS virtues will improve you as a professional.
Truthfulness, integrity, honor, nobility, and humility are all mentioned as qualities the MAGNUS officer will embrace. I believe “humility” is a concept that we, as a Law Enforcement profession, sometimes lose as we gain years of experience. Being humble and modest does not show weakness; it can show professionalism and your ability to help others achieve and advance. As a Field Training Officer and Instructor, showing humility can help better new officers and push them in a positive direction. If a veteran officer is there to brag and gloat about their accomplishments, it will not benefit the team. Showing gratitude and being able to express gratefulness to those who helped them achieve so much shows maturity, and can support them in being a mentor.
Additionally, the four behaviors of a MAGNUS officer are a strong base for our profession, on and off duty. Observe, listen, learn, and act, all go together quite well, and if we fail to use one or more of these behaviors, we may miss something in our professional careers or life at home. By encompassing all of these behaviors, it will only make us succeed in becoming MAGNUS.
I agree with you on how some officers are blinded by only being good at the "technicalities". Even officers who excel in their position have room for improvement and if they adopt a MAGNUS mindset, they have the potential to make others around them better. As you mentioned, humility and gratitude I think have a lot to play in how well an officer supports and helps develop their fellow officer.
Well stated, Sgt. Koscher! We all indeed have room for improvement, regardless of rank, longevity or assignment. i believe a leader is one who wants to see others succeed, one who wants future leaders to strive reach their goals. I do my absolute very best to build, encourage and challenge those around me to be better. We can be our best working as a team.
This session exhibited what a MAGNUS Officer is, but I would argue that every officer should exhibit these characteristics. Every officer should be MAGNUS! MANGUS Officers are action oriented, fair, and professional in everyway. Fair and impartial should be the backbone of police work. While there are always instances of officers who do not live up to this standard, this is paramount in order to gain and maintain the trust of the community. Officers should be action oriented. We do not go to work just for the paycheck. We all got into this profession to help others and our communities. Some of the other traits of a MAGNUS Officer may not be shared by all officers, but are certainly something to strive for: truthfulness, integrity, honor, nobility, humility, content with position/compensation/status, faithfulness, respect, responsibility, prudence, and gratitude. I have worked with many officers who exhibit many of these qualities, but regretfully, I have also worked with some officers who have no desire to have some of these qualities. Lastly, this statement is something that I will always try to remember, "Warriors with guardian hearts, guided by the pursuit of virtual, which is the source of their strength." I think this sums up a MAGNUS Officer very well.
During the lecture I found all aspects to be very interesting. However, the biggest piece that stuck out to me was the fact that being a MAGNUS officer has to do with everything that officer does in their life and not just at work. Their character, ethics, and actions are always in the spotlight. Some people may see the officer out in public any know what they do for work. I feel as if officers are held at a higher standard because of the jobs that they do. An officer’s morals, behavior, and choices should not be any different off duty than when one is on duty.
I also feel as if being a MAGNUS officer is always going to be a process or a goal that you are working towards. There is always a way to improve or to keep progressing whether it is in their personal life out in the community or dealing with the public or inmates at work. Being professional and making good decisions by using sound judgement is something that isn’t always easy. Every decision that must be made in this line of work is always going to be based off different circumstances because no two situations are exactly the same. That is what keeps this line of work so interesting. Those sound decisions shouldn’t change when not working.
I appreciate you calling out that a MAGNUS officers is not just something you do while at work, but it is something that is a part of their personal life as well. I do not feel that a person can be successful by leading two different lives, one of character while at work and something else when they are not. You should strive to be MAGNUS in all that you do. While you may fail from time to time, it needs to be the goal. I also feel that officers are at a higher standard than the general public. I also like your comments on always looking for ways to improve.
Kari, I enjoyed reading your response and I couldn't agree with you more. Being MAGNUS goes beyond the badge and far into our personal lives. Like many others, I can think of examples of when an officer does an exceptional job in the field, but off duty doesn't follow the same set of virtues. It seems to always sneak up on them at one point or another and their behavior off duty begins to be apparent on the job.
The module on magnanimous virtues as the stage setter for the course was enlightening. The information presented fostered the need for self-reflection to benefit from this course of instruction. The requirement for self-reflection is the key takeaway of the lesson as this internal skill is essential in the personal development for one to be indeed magnanimous.
A magnanimous officer is the only acceptable standard for a dedicated law enforcement professional, with the myriad of specific and unique empowerments entitled and granted by society in order protect and serve the community, such to take lives for the protection of others and seize property, the virtuous standards of self-control, prudence, humility, and gratitude serve as the cornerstones of our primary characteristics. These defined standards of being magnanimous are high, as are the requirements placed upon all law enforcement officers through their journey in this profession.
The journey within this profession is continually changing, and as a result, the true professional needs to embrace change as well. Business practices of yesterday will not support one’s success in today’s operating environment. Through numerous changes such as promotions, duty assignments, and most importantly, life changes, the driving focus towards living a virtuous life is continually a challenge. Knowing and understanding change is constant. Therefore, one needs to be a lifelong learner, always seeking to expand one’s knowledge base of skills, abilities, and capabilities.
As an individual seeking to better oneself through following the appropriate behaviors of observing, listen, learn, and act one embodies these best characteristics of the magnanimous officer. The resiliency and adaptability learned through lifelong and formal education will enable the officer to succeed in the pursuit of the guardian heart, committed to making a difference, not only in one’s professional life but one’s private life. An individual with a guardian's heart only leads with a guardian mind, or magnanimous mind, which solely derives from learning supported by self-awareness.
Hoina, C. (2017). Virtues of magnanimous officers. Learning area 1, Module 1. National Command and Staff College.
The lecture really drove home the philosophy that Magnus ideals are an all-encompassing group of virtues that SHOULD be displayed in every facet of our lives. We can’t be truly committed to any set of ideals if we are not prepared to live out those ideals in our work life, social life, home life, and personal life. I knew a preacher that used to say, “If I profess to be a Christian in the town square, would there be enough evidence in my home to convict me of that allegation”? Does what’s on my inside match what’s on my outside?
I know many cops that set wonderful examples, are brilliant leaders, and selfless servants while at work. Sadly, their personal, social, financial, etc.; lives are an absolute train wreck. When their subordinates see this, the leader loses his/her ability to influence and lead. It’s like as soon as the gun belt comes off, the Magnus ideals come off too. The lecture reminded me that if we desire to be a Magnus officer we must put Magnus principles into action every day, and in all aspects of our lives.
The information in this first module laid out a good foundation of what I would expect to gain from the program. For me it builds on other leadership courses and life lessons, but also simplifies ways to seek out a greater outlook for life in general. Expanding on the continuous professional study and practice of virtuous living. The discussions express the need for good moral character, a desire to achieve more and to determine your true purpose for being in the profession.
Like most, I feel we are constantly recruiting and hiring to get back to full staff. I’ve heard applicants give different reason for getting into this profession other than true public service. As mentioned in several posts, our best officers have been ones with the burning desire to make a difference through law enforcement. They seem to be the ones that jump on board with the mission and assert a positive image throughout their career. These have been the easy ones to grow, but it has been challenging finding younger people with that mindset.
The lecture did make me ask myself if I was doing enough for the ones who are floating around and simply performing on an average level. What am I doing to bring them up and the same for their immediate supervisor? I hope to gain a better ability to persuade or inspire those who lost their path along the way and to get the “buy in” from those who feel this is just a job (get through their 8 and go home). Help them find their purpose and reinvest into their/our future.
This was absolutely refreshing and a reminder that regardless of how many years one has in this profession, one should constantly be evaluating oneself and asking the important questions; what are MY faults, how am I improving on these faults, and am I being virtuous. The self evaluation needs to be constant and leads to acknowledging the negativities then discarding them for the benefit of the whole. After all, we represent more than ourselves. Being a Magnus Officer is the synergy of all the virtues. It is almost too simple to look at the qualities spoken here and not shine in our performance.
This was a great start to the curriculum and a reminder that all of us need to aspire to be Magnus Officers. Every officer has attended a training or spoke to someone who refocuses their approach to policing. Hopefully the refocus is more of a compass alignment back to true north than a concentration on the negative. This module stressed a commitment to do better. By focusing on the ones who fill your sails versus the ones who poke holes in your sails will help in a virtuous journey. Being a Magnus Officer takes this one step further by not allowing another to negative influence your path but stopping and taking the time to try and better the negative person.
Chris, I agree wholeheartedly! Sometimes it is easier to walk away from the negative person and not engage. But at the end of the day that is our goal; set or attempt to set moral compasses north. As Brad said in the previous post, the negativity and bad attitudes from subordinates is real. It is our obligation to teach them and help them learn.
It's very easy to agree with you Chris. Negativity seems contagious and very much so as of late. People are eager to seek approval from others and supporting the positive ones, you can potentially and gradually phase out the naysayers. I am just getting started with the program, which like you said, has refocused my goals. It seems easier when I hear someone speak negative about a situation to point out the positive.
Virtues of Magnanimous Officers
As I read and listened to the material provided in this module, I was struck by the simplicity (yet importance) of the theory of “Magnanimous Officers” and the traits and habits associated with this theory.
As I listened to the lecture, I noted several traits mentioned, and many that were repeated:
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Honor
• Nobility
• Humility
• Content with position
• Faithful/ obedient
• Loyal to superiors
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Prudence
• Gratitude
• Dedicated to success
Most of these characteristics would seem to be obvious, positive traits that we should strive to hold dear.
It became apparent to me that the learning in this module focused on what standards “leaders” need to hold themselves to and how this self-learning and internal focus will make us better as leaders and provide us with the ability to channel these characteristics and use them to mentor subordinates.
The frustration in channeling this energy to subordinates is real, however. While the characteristics and traits are obviously positive for officers, there are real challenges presented to us with low morale, bad attitudes and frustrated employees. Regardless of the difficulties with imposing these lessons, we must maintain diligent efforts to incorporate these values into everyday learning/ teaching.
By living as Magnanimous Officers, we set the example. As mentioned in the lecture, “becoming Magnus is a process. The journey never ends”.
Hi Brad,
I think the quote you used at the end is the biggest lesson that I took away from the lecture. I agree that all of the traits of a Magnanimous Officer seem pretty obvious but I didn't really look at it as being a process until I listened to this. I believe that it is something that one will always have to work towards and there really is no end or ultimate goal. It is something that one will have to make a conscious effort when making decisions and using good judgement based off of experience, morals, and ethics. Another important piece to that is making sure you use those same characteristics in personal lives and not just at work. Just because the uniform is off doesn't mean that character and behavior should change. In this line of work, officers are always in the spotlight no matter where they are or what they are doing. That should never be forgotten because a lot of people are unfortunately always looking for law enforcement to make a mistake.
Great post, and I really like some of the things that you emphasized.
I took away a few good concepts in the video lecture as well as the podcast. To be great, Magnus, is to be well rounded and diverse not just in our technical skills and knowledge but our way of life. In our business life, we need to set the tone for those around us peers, subordinates, and superiors all take note of what we bring to the table every day. Every day we bring the weather with us, is it good or is it bad? In my experience, the more we study leadership and become well versed the better the example we set and live out this greatness the video lecturer spoke about. With that said, we obviously are human beings and often we will fail. The overarching guidance to me is that when we fail, we get back up and learn from our failure, we strive to improve. One of the biggest takeaways for me was we must be humble. Humility encompasses many aspects such as integrity, ethics, intelligence, and so forth. Arguably without humility, we cannot become Magnus leaders.
Andy,
I agree wholeheartedly with your final thoughts in your discussion submission. Humility is usually mentioned when one begins listing the characteristics of a "good" leader, but it is typically not one of the first things mentioned.
Yet, when I think back on my nearly thirty years of policing, the best leaders always demonstrated a certain degree of humbleness. Those leaders were the approachable leaders. While all of the virtues discussed in the lecture are critical to becoming Magnus leaders, I would always lean towards humility as being one of the most important.
We all start out this career with an idea of who we are and what we want to become. Those ideals we have are all positive because it was a simpler time. Over the years this job has a way of steering you off that course. My favorite quote is "Work hard, stay humble" because hard work inevitably comes with success. That success is another reason you may steer from your original path. Helping others and fostering relationships is not easy when you lose focus of the bigger picture. Strive to be a successful and humble person. Remembering that there was a time when you were helped along the way and a time may come when you need that help again is important.
I look at my environment, and I try to assess where we are as a profession and what the path towards development of a Magnanimous Officer is. I work for a medium sized department of just under 200 officers. I look back at my 16 years and I can identify many of the officers that I have worked with who I believe lived these virtues. I also know over time though, that I have reshaped my opinions and re-evaluated my views of certain co-workers. When you start as an officer you see a lot of people in leadership positions and people who you wish to emulate in your career. You also see some you do not believe are Magnus. As time moves on you start to realize that some of those people or co-workers are not who you thought they were and realize that they are human. They are full of mistakes like most of us, some with decision making that for the likes of yourself, you can’t understand. I question, are these officers or administrators Magnanimous? I believe many had several of the virtues, but was it enough? I believe we are at a turning point in policing, where these virtues discussed during the lecture must be instilled and forged in our future officers or as a profession we will not succeed. We have already experienced massive change in our profession just in the last 16 years since I started. When I started it was better as a new officer to be seen and not heard. You had to earn your voice. Seniority played a major role in our department function. Our department was ahead of the game when it came to a community policing philosophy, but our patrol division and community police division were still separate entities with not enough cohesion. I felt then as I do now that officers joined the force because they wanted to do good, they wanted to help, they also had certain values instilled in them like Honor, Courage, Duty, but it was more of a warrior mentality. Good must win out and prevail over Evil! While I believe this is still true today, I would acknowledge that the view of what is evil had changed a lot, and that we are turning to policing in a guardian mindset. Today in policing, there is more of an effort in acknowledging and dealing with mental health, new techniques to use with the hope of avoiding using force on someone with in crisis. This knowledge has developed from learning that much our society has struggles with mental health, and that it’s not just and alcohol problem, it’s probably related to mental health and that it’s not just a drug problem, that the drug and alcohol problems are just coping mechanisms for mental health struggles. In policing we are training officers how to recognize symptoms and how to respond to people struggling with mental health and not just put a band aid on the situation. We are looking for long term solutions, so the person in question does not become a revolving door in the system. These are no doubt Magnus actions by our departments and officers.
I believe as a profession we are becoming Magnus, as training and hiring evolves, the amount of training and type given continues to rise. The amount with which we scrutinize our applicants has become immense. I do not believe we teach enough leadership training at the ground level. Leadership training is provided most of the time when we promote somebody. Most officers come to the career with a sense of Honor, Nobility, Responsibility, but to strengthen that moral compass and grow, that officer needs to start learning leadership early and continuous. Police officers all want to confront crime, and I think we start our careers with compassion, but I asked myself after looking at my notes, do we have compassion in our later years as police officers. I will argue because of conditioning of our job we lose a lot of compassion. How do we keep that? How do we free ourselves and other officers from the bitterness we see develop in police officers over time? How do we as leaders free our people from that bitterness? A lot of that can be accomplished by Magnus Behaviors related to learning. As people we should constantly be learning and trying new things. I know that when I start reading a new book, that I really like, I finish reading it quickly and look to jump right into another book. In learning, the human psyche seems to have the need to want more training, more learning as you begin to become a better more educated person. Slowly acting on ways to improve yourself can really multiply over time. We are not perfect beings, but we can improve our lives immensely by striving to live in a Magnus way. I believe there is reward in Magnus work. I have watched the effort our current Chief has put into meeting with all groups and community leaders across the city. It’s a lot, but it really makes the citizens feel they have say in the development of their community. The effort shown by leadership, trickles down and intern the reward has been when other areas of the country are really struggling with violent protest, our community shows more support. I also believe that behind many of our officer’s struggles in their career was a supervisor that contributed to it. We teach to be Magnus in policing, but we need to embed it into our cultures in our leadership within our departments and our officer’s lives, not just when they attend training or respond to a call.
Great point on early leadership Andy. From day one of this job we are looked at and expected to be leaders by the communities we serve. Having some basic fundamentals early on would go along way to bridging the gap between community and law enforcement.
Your points on training are spot on Andy. As I approach my 23rd year in this profession and reflect, never has our training been more honed and diverse as it is today. The sad thing is that mental health drives so much of what our call loads are and the increase in mental health has only gotten worse. The downside to putting the burden almost squarely onto our shoulders is we aren't as equipped to navigate those in a crisis as some other professionals. I think we'll see a shift in how we as law enforcement handle these increased episodes in the future.
Magus concept is a powerful reminder as to why I started this profession (and why I wanted to be in the military) and what it takes to continue to be successful. Magus concept being described as the pursuit of moral goodness which is something that we were all expected to achieve while growing up, but it challenges you to constantly do more and continue to attain higher education and trainings. Magnus officers are challenged daily in todays society and wanting to get more tools to do better is on ourselves. The phrase "enjoy the road that is traveled by few" caught my attention as it can relate to your personal and professional life with the choices you make. In the podcast the comment was made about asking someone to hold you accountable and I think it is something that I can benefit from.
I liked you last sentence related to needing someone to hold me accountable. I have felt like at times in my career that was I looking for feedback. You question am I doing whats expected, am I doing a good job of whats expected? I can remember being a Supervisor in areas of our department and thinking I am operating at a high speed, but was I. Should someone have held me accountable. I knew I was accomplishing everything I wanted to, but I didn't feel like the expectations were set or the feedback was given enough. Evaluations are a good example. We see officers in such a short clip of time on a call or meeting. We become so busy in our own job descriptions that when we sit down with our officers for an annual eval, I just don't feel its always very constructive. We haven't been there to give enough feedback.
This lecture opened my eyes and definitely gave me a broader perspective of the characteristics of a MAGNUS Officer. Treating people with respect and dignity even in the most difficult situations is important. MAGNUS Officers are exemplary and strive to become better. They don't settle for less than excellence. They are service oriented and maintain a balance between their personal and professional lifes. They do the right thing because they believe in helping people and don't use good deeds or actions for self-promoting. It is not easy to be a MAGNUS Officer. In fact, it could be quite difficult. Currently, my best friend, who is a true MAGNUS officer is going through a very difficult time in her personal and professional life. Despite this, she reminds me through her actions of speaking of good deeds that a difficult time is only temporary. Being MAGNUS is forever! Although management has not displayed the best interest in her, she continuously displays fairness, strength, wisdom and prudence. It is not a coincidence that I joined this program and the first lesson is on this topic. This friend that I am talking about is my wife. She is an officer for another agency. She encouraged me to join this program. I make the pledge of being remarkable and will strive to improve on observing, listening, learning and acting in order to be MAGNUS!
We've all heard the phrase "sore loser", but there is the equally bad attitude of a "boastful winner". After viewing this lecture, my mind's eye is seeing the magnus officer as the "good winner", the one who doesn't pump a fist in the air, do an end-zone dance, or trash talk their losing opponent. The "good winner" stays humble, helps the opponent up after knocking them down, and offers encouraging words to the defeated team.
The same is true for the magnus officer. They treat even the most difficult of arrestees with respect, they take care of business and handle problems accordingly, but they do so in the most professional and respectful manner possible.
I guess the biggest takeaway I got out of this lesson was humility. Not only was I humbled by it, but I know have much room to improve daily on staying humble.
Hello Adam. You made a great point about the Magnus officer being a good winner. Winning honorably and respecting an opponent on their defeat shows great character. I really liked what you said about being a "good winner" who stays humble and helps the opponent. In our profession we generally see the worst and people but it is important to treat them with dignity, respect and tact. I also have a lot to improve on in terms of staying humble. Great post!
The characteristics of a MAGNUS LEO mentioned in the lecture, remind me of the qualities that I remember seeing in LEO's growing up, and the LEO I envisioned of myself when I made the decision to become an Officer. Some of these characteristics have required more effort than others that came more naturally. I think the four behaviors of MAGNUS LEO should be used as a fundamental to decision making on a daily basis weather on a call or a tough situation at home or work. becoming MAGNUS requires continual self reflection and awareness, humility, hard work and support. As it was stated in the lecture, the journey to becoming MAGNUS never ends so we as LEO's must continue to hold ourselves accountable to strive to represent the MAGNUS LEO characteristics everyday.
The whole concept of being MAGNUS can be overwhelming. Being great at anything requires a whole lot of dedication and effort. I believe that greatness is achieved in the little things, the habits that we create and repeat day in a day out. Looking at this concept and trying to identify whether you are a MAGNUS officer or not certainly provides a glimpse of our own humility. I prefer to think of myself as a constant work in progress, always trying to improve but recognizing my own failures while not judging others to harshly. I agree with the 4 behaviors of the MAGNUS Officer; observe, listen, learn and act and certainly have experienced in my own career that practicing does equal improvement and in some regards a level of greatness.
This was a great reminder for me. I have taken other courses and had several conversations about the virtues discussed here. Some of these I do well and come naturally to me. I have improved my abilities with some of the virtues over the years and other virtues still require me to devote more time and effort to improve. Great reminder that becoming Magnus is an ongoing, ever evolving process. Each one of us have areas we excel and areas that need some work. Sometimes it is very easy to focus on what comes easy and/or naturally to us. But if we continue to do that, we will not improve ourselves. It is easy to forget that improving ourselves also improves our organization and is a great way to role model to others the importance of always looking for ways to improve.
That is a great point about focusing on what we already do well. If we would take more time to focus on the things where we need growth, that is exactly what would happen. Growth, development, and improvement.
Although leadership can have many definitions, the lecture defined virtuous deeds and beliefs as building blocks of a MAGNUS officer. Leadership was described as a lifelong commitment and a daily investment into improving one’s character. Since good character does not develop by accident and personal growth is not always easy, effective leaders must be resilient, humble, patient and motivated to take on today’s challenges. This module reminded me of why I joined this profession and why I stayed after so many years. When you work in a negative environment everyday it is easy to lose focus and forget who you are and who you want to be. But the fact is, we are in control of how we view the world and how we approach and interact with it. We are responsible for our own character development and this module is a powerful reminder that we are human and that we can change.
Agreed. We are in a world today that it is easy to turn our heads to todays challenges. I liked your comment that good character doesn't develop by accident and personal growth isn't always easy. This lesson was a great reminder.
While I hadn't heard the term "MAGNUS officer" before this module, it turns out I was already familiar with the idea. It is the same reason most of us got into law enforcement in the first place; to serve our communities, to help others, to make a difference and to protect the vulnerable. The idea of magnanimity is rooted in foundational beliefs across the world, commonly seen in religion and core societal institutions.
In order to do the important tasks which called us to this profession, we need to undertake a lifelong journey, which will not be easy or come quickly. The idea of being a MAGNUS officer is complex and difficult and the virtues embodied are not easily attained or maintained. We are all human and subject to flaws and temptations. Becoming and staying magnanimous will take a life of deliberate and constant attention to remain virtuous. The rewards however can be great.
This first module has been an eye opener for what this course will contain and I am very excited to begin my journey. I think now more than ever our profession needs to do some self reflection; we need to go back to foundational principals which will help us improve the communities we serve. Every one of us is responsible for moving police work forward. As a MAGNUS officer I will work to be a leader and set an example for others to follow. I will seek greatness in myself, my co-workers and my organization.
As I listened to the lesson, it brought me back to the first time I lifted my right hand and took my oath of office over 20 years ago. Remembering a time where there was virtue and Police Officers took the oath as a life choice and not as a job. I look forward to continuing on this journey as we both learn and live the Magnanimous way to serve our community and the oath of office. In a time where there is so much distrust of the police, we need to find a way to provide order and build our communities back up for the better.
I agree. Taking the oath and pinning on the badge are huge symbols of our occupation and its rich history. It is far more than a just a job. They are essential to maintaining our culture and keeping alive all those that have come before us. Many have fallen so that others may live.
I believe the world has changed; our younger generations act and think differently. This can be seen in our younger officers (who value individualism more than supporting the group) as well as in our communities, which have seen greatly deteriorated respect for authority. I agree that it is our responsibility to build our communities back up for the better. Acting and living magnanimously is an excellent way to begin that process.
Building back that trust, bringing order, and bettering our communities can only be done by the Magnus officers. Thanks for taking that path, and helping those in your sphere of influence to do the same.
I really enjoyed this presentation. It was what I had hoped for when I signed up for the National Command Academy. The section on MAGNUS behaviors (Observe, listen, learn and act) really resonated with me. Observing the situation and listening (with an unbiased eye and ear) go hand in hand and are key to figuring out the difference be fact and perception. When you are armed with all the facts you are able to act confidently and demonstrate a committed response. These behaviors seem simple but when practiced, serve a leader well because they are applicable when dealing with the command level policy issues (COVID Transports) or personnel issues. The key, is continuous demonstration of these behaviors. You cannot just do it once or every now and then. last but not least, is learning. This is a continuous process. my commitment to personal learning is why I am here. I struggled to find a course of instruction that went beyond "how to" do something and focused more on why/ when to do something. So Far, I have not been disappointed.
Dave G
After finishing the lecture, it left me feeling that we as officers are great individuals for choosing this path of service. We know everyone makes mistakes and we are not different, but there are some who make the right decisions regardless of who is watching and if there is no recognition given for that decision. I think Magnus is being great at all times in how you treat and lead others in todays' world regardless of the sacrifice.
Magnanimous leaders have stepped in and out of my career throughout my life. I have been able to identify those leaders who have the virtues or qualities that I wanted to emulate. I was raised with the mindset a job worth doing is worth doing well and in a lot of ways this includes many virtues of MAGNUS. I have also caught myself in the middle of the night, in the middle of the shift, when no one is looking, thinking of the easy road but always doing the right thing because I would know I took the shortcut. I also know that I tend to slip with virtues like respect when emotions are high. My belief is that if one already embodies the virtues of MAGNUS then it is possible to improve on them. It seems all the MAGNUS virtues all tie into each other and without one you can't have the other. This was a good module for self reflection.
I enjoyed your post and would and would argue that you defined in part your humanity. We certainly all have self doubt at times but the greatness in all of us cries out for self improvement and dedication to our cause. I am self reflective in nature and although this lesson plan is geared toward a MAGNUS Officer I would argue that greatness should be looked for in each aspect of our lives.
Jessica I very much enjoy listening to lecture on leadership. I started my career with the mindset that individuals are
Troxclair born leaders. It was a statement I heard through my adolescent years. I immediately respected and followed
all of my supervisors directions, just as I was taught in my family unit.
Once I began leadership training my mindset and career changed. Although I feel a position of leadership is not
for everyone, there are different styles of leadership. Becoming a Magnus Leader encompasses all of the
greatest qualities an individual can display. The biggest attribute someone can hold is understanding themselves
first, learning more about themselves daily and pursuing goals they set to achieve. Becoming the best version of
oneself allows you to open up yourself and truly help others grow into the leadership role in the future.
The qualities of a Magnus Leader i feel I possess strongly are being humble, fair and accountable. I need to
improve on action; i listen and process longer when the end result is the same.
I agree with your comment about self reflection, I would imagine this course is going to allow for a lot of that. As we continue to focus our minds and thoughts about who we are as professionals and why we continue to do what we do, I look forward to having both inner and outer dialogue.
In the lecture on Magnus Behaviors, Lt. Hoina lists them as Observe, Listen, Learn, and Act. I realized if you really worked on those things, you would not only greatly improve yourself as a leader, but also in every aspect of your life. I feel these behaviors help immensely on your journey to be a Magnus Leader
In this lecture, Lt. Hoina described Magnanimous Officers as "warriors with guardian hearts guided by the pursuit of virtue, which is the source of their strength." I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. I have always believed that police officers should be warriors and have a warrior mindset. If involved in a violent encounter, police officers should have a warrior mentality that drives them to fight and prevail over a violent suspect. As warriors, this means that we must have a capacity for violence. But, we must also maintain a "guardian heart," as described by Lt. Hoina. As police officers, we should embrace our role as guardians and summon the warrior within us when the situation arises.
Marlon Shuff
I take great pride in helping my peers, and to be a better citizen of my community. I am passionate about helping others to reach their goals, this gives me a sense of delight where I find comfort knowing that I can make a difference. I am a family-oriented person. My personnel is included as a part of the family. I show respect to my peers and in return, respect is given. I find joy in being fair to everyone. My strong will has driven me to inherit a successful work ethic by showing up for work an hour early every day. This practice has given me the extra time needed to prepare for our tour of duty. During the beginning of this module, I felt that I am already Magnus.
During this module, I began to realize that I still have flaws that need work. I can sometimes be judgmental. I get frustrated by what someone says or does when I must repeat myself continuously. I tend to stop listening and may even utter something that I may regret later. I have also made careless mistakes that I care to remember.
After looking at myself, I have some things that I need to work on going forward in my quest to becoming Magnus
The module makes clear that in the Magnus way several traits that should be evident in a Magnanimous Police Officer. Truthfulness, integrity, honor, nobility, humility, faithfulness, respect, responsibility, prudence and gratitude. I thing that these traits are important, not only in police work, but in everything we do. As a Christian these precepts align with what God has directed us to do and what we must strive for in our walk in the Lord. When we fail, it is because we have chosen to ignore these concepts and in doing so we stand alone. It is in that isolation failure, bad judgment and sin awaits us. The Bible makes clear that we should surround ourselves with like minded believers and so should the Magnanimous Police Officer.
I agree with you, I've been in this field, Corrections for a total of 20 years. This has showed me how to communicate with people of all cultures and different generations. I'm always trying to give guidance and show that there is always a better way of doing things.
In trying not to simplify this too much, Admiral Clark said it best. “What we do matters…..” In this day and age with the media, social media and politicians beating us down on a regular basis, this is crucial to remember. In trying to keep politics out of this as much as possible, former First Lady Obama said it best when she said “When they go low, we go high”. I feel like this is part of being a Magnanimous Officer. Whether we like it or not, we are held to the highest standard and it is what the public expects and deserves out of each and every one of us. It is having your personal (mental and physical) and professional life squared away, so we can lead and do our jobs with confidence. If a leader can go forward with the “Connection Culture”, while incorporating 1. Vision 2. Voice and Value into daily operations, the entire team will succeed.
You are correct; as police officers, we are continually being held to a higher standard. With modern technology such as body cameras, dash cameras, and surveillance cameras being commonplace, every word we speak and the decisions we make are captured on video. For this reason, we must hold ourselves and our fellow officers to the highest standard and act accordingly.
I could not agree more.. "What we do Matters". I have also found that what we do not do.. hurts us as well. When officers willfully neglect their duties, fail to follow policy and fail to intervene when the situation dictates, our profession suffers in ways that most of the rank and file do not comprehend. It effects public trust. it lends credibility to false perceptions and leads to fear and apprehension in the communities we serve.
Dave G
I had many takeaways and thoughts from the first module. The first of many was the phrase, shared leadership and the whole is greater than the sum. In any department there are many moving parts and if those parts are not in sync or one part is working alone, we do not get the benefit of efficiency and good communication. If all parts are working together communication is increased and we can accomplish more. As it pertains to leadership if a departments command staff is not working together and delivering the same message then it causes confusion and does not allow people to get on the same page, undermining the leadership. I have delivered that message with my command staff telling them that we don't have to agree on everything, we should talk about the pros and cons of our decision, but once we leave our discussion and walk through the door we have to deliver the same message.
I also liked the four behaviors observe, listen, learn and act. This is a great step by step process to follow before making decisions. Often times we as leaders make the mistake of not gathering all of the information on a situation before acting. That can lead to our staff second guessing their decisions and giving them the feeling that we do not trust them. This is extremely crucial, especially now with the current climate in policing. Often times those judging police actions are quick to judge before all the facts are known. I have made this mistake a few times in sending out department e-mails and have now learned to sit back think about a situation for a day or two before I respond rather than responding out of emotion and it has helped me immensely.
I agree with your statement about being on the same page, delivering a unified message to subordinates. I have witnessed how a non-uniform message and command staff positioning can be detrimental to the organization, causing resentment, pot stirring and tension.
MAGNUS Behaviors are something that leaders need to continually perform. These are actions that magnanimous leaders put into practice on a daily basis. Observe, Listen, Learn, Act. Leaders have failed by being too quick to act, ignoring the other three behaviors of magnanimous leaders. Observe- try to take in as much as you can. As Lt Chris Hoina stated, is not necessarily going on. In order to get to the root of the problem and solve it, you have to take the time to observe. Listen- As a CIT coordinator, I teach others the use active listening when handling people in crisis. Law enforcement leaders do a good job of putting that into practice during a call, but then fail to listen to their Officers when they have issues or concerns and also fail to listen to others in their personal lives. Learn- Its a shame that more Officers don't take the time to learn something new. It seems that Officers only want to learn if they see a financial benefit for themselves, rather than just making themselves better people. Act- Leaders must then act on the information and knowledge they've acquired. You can't be a magnaminous leader without taking action! Magnus leaders must put all four behaviors into practice to be successful.
Well said Paul. One of the best pieces of advice I received before being promoted was to make sure you gather all the facts before moving forward. There always seems to be more than what is being shown on the surface.
One of the topics that stood out to me in this track was the idea of "practicing humility today will improve your leadership tomorrow". I think one of the ideas people have is that when you are promoted you automatically know the answers to everything and if you don't it's a negative connotation on you. I also believe that there is a misconception by many that humility is a weak attribute. We have been led to believe that people who are humble are easily "bulldozed" and don't stand up for themselves. In reality, humility isn't about being passive or weak. It's about showing respect and recognizing the truth in situations whether you are on the right side of the truth or not. It's not about thinking less of yourself but rather thinking about yourself less and more of others. It's about being present.
I agree that humility is an essential quality that leaders must possess. Too often, arrogance is mistaken for confidence in law enforcement. Many times, leaders in law enforcement want to portray themselves as ultra confident when really, they're just arrogant. The terrible thing is that arrogance in leadership and law enforcement then creates animosity among Officers towards leadership and citizens towards the Police. Arrogance doesn't allow Leaders/Officers that possess it to ask for help when they need it, the ability to say that they don't know something, or the recognition that someone may be better than them at a particular task. Humility is not weakness, in fact, it's the opposite. Humility is strength!
An analogy I have used with my son. "Dad, did you see that strike out I threw?" My response, "do you see all the people in the bleachers? They saw the great pitches you threw" The point I was making, it's ok to get excited about the good things we've done. Being proud is just fine. When it goes to the excess, gloating, that becomes unattractive. When we do good work, people notice we don't' have to say one word. Humility is so important and your point does show respect and maturity.
Virtues of a Magnanimous Officer: This was a great start to the course, I had never heard of the term Magnanimous or being referred to as a Magnanimous Officer. Having this first session break down and define the meaning and traits of a Magnanimous Officer really puts it into perspective. I feel all officers enter the profession striving to be a magnanimous officer without even knowing that’s who they want to be. Thinking back to the start of my career and those I trained as a training officer. We all strive to be Magnanimous without knowing that’s what we were doing. Officers who are fair, action oriented, act deliberately and with compassion, accountable for our actions. All while conducting ourselves with honor, integrity, nobility, respect, gratitude, and humility. A Magnanimous Officer appears to be the gold standard of a successful police officer as well as the expectation from the public of police.
Another great takeaway from this lesson came from the podcast with Michael Lee Stallard. Stallard talked about the importance of connections both professionally and personally. The importance of having a good balance personal and professional. The importance of having a mentor, being a mentor, coaching, and building up those around you. One of the most poignant takeaways from the podcast for me was some parting advice from Stallard on how to increase your connections. He said, “Be Present”. Be present in you conversation, don’t check your phone, don’t have it out. Just be present in the moment, in the conversation. This is in all of life, personal and professional. This was a great reminder and something we all fall victim to in our fast paced lives.
I also like the "be present." In my Sheriff position I have had to learn to "Be Present" when my staff comes in my office to talk with me. Many times I am very busy and will be answering e-mails or typing a memo. I will have staff come in and sit down and began talking and I have found myself in the past continuing to work or type while they talk. This has caused some of them to feel that they can't come in and talk to me. I have learned that you have to make time for your employees in order for them to feel important. It will also portray to them the feeling that you do not care. If you do not set your work aside for at least a few minutes and engage them they will feel that their ideas are not important to you. It took me hearing a few comments from others that I was always to busy for them to make this change. Now I make it appoint to sit up in my desk lean forward, quit typing and take a few minutes to listen to them and it has really helped me communicate and make those employee connections that are so important.
Guilty! I find it very difficult at times to "unplug" from my work and focus on the people, what really matters most. In college, I learned that we should keep a list of all those who report to us and make it a point to personally connect with one of those people daily and work through the entire list, then start over. Personal connections are huge in life. I also try to remember where I came from. When I was a new deputy and the sheriff or another administrator gave attention my way, I remember those encounters. Likewise, we as current leaders need to remember the power have merely in our positions.
I agree with you 100%. Magnanimous officer has never been a term I have heard. But when we talk about traits in those leaders that were or are great, all these virtues come into play. I also think our role as magnanimous officers changes over time, especially when we take leadership positions. At least for me it has become more about how I can impact and improve upon the people around me and those that I lead than the inmates I use to supervise. Being present is huge for me and yet I often get distracted still because I think I'm just too busy.
The first thing that jumped out at me when hearing this lesson was the idea of being introspective, or taking a close look at yourself on a regular basis. This is an especially hard task for law enforcement officers, because we spend a great deal of time handling calls and responding to situations with the public that clearly are people at a low point in their life. We like to think that we are squared away because we have to be for our jobs, but if we go through our careers thinking this, then we never allow for the personal growth that comes with being introspective. Becoming MAGNUS means continuously improving. To be continuously improving, we first have to be able to except the fact that we aren't perfect in the first place, and that admitting this is not a sign of weakness. Continuous improvement means making changes in our lives that will ultimately make us better officers, better family members, and better citizens in our communities.
The second thing that this lesson made me think: Are we screening new candidates for law enforcement for the character traits that make up a MAGNUS officer? Often times we are focusing on how well someone knows statutes or how well they speak in an interview. But are we asking questions or presenting scenarios that test their moral compass?
I agree, having the ability to be introspective and understand your own strengths and weaknesses helps you grow as a person and a leader. Continuous improvement and evaluation helps improve not only ourselves but also those around us.
I could not agree with you more. Looking inward is the first and the hardest step on the path to growth. We cannot be effective at our jobs if we are numb to the human experience and refuse to acknowledge our own shortcomings. People who love their jobs have a positive outlook on life and they aspire to do more, and coincidentally, these are the people who embrace continuous improvement.
Hi Matt,
How true is that – we are constantly solving someone else’s problems, going from call to call. Often times these are just momentary “fixes” and do not solve the root problem. Meanwhile, we lack trying to improve ourselves because we are caught up in the police work. Whether it is improving a tactic or just a mindset, sometimes we overlook it because it worked, or was working. But, over time, it may not work again. By trying to surface our weaknesses, and then strengthen them, it will only benefit us.
This also is true to your second point regarding new hires. We are sometimes blinded by the technicalities and if the individual knows “how to police”. But sometimes we miss if they are able to possess some of the virtuous qualities that a Law Enforcement professional should carry. Teaching recruits about qualities, such as: truthfulness, integrity, honor, nobility, humility, faithfulness, respect, responsibility, prudence, and gratitude, will benefit them on their career path.
This was a very rewarding and intriguing module, as I share many of the same beliefs and meet many of the characteristics of being MAGNUS. A few key points that I took away from this module were: everyone has the capacity to be better, character is a matter of choice, and decide to be remarkable now. Not only in our careers, but in life, the opportunity to work hard and to "be better," is available for everyone, it's just hard sometimes, as the choice and extra work may be difficult. The module explained how attitude is the difference. I try my hardest on a daily basis to have a positive attitude and to be humble and to positively affect others around me. I try to lead by example and do good deeds and let my positive actions define who I am. Being remarkable now and improving on a daily basis to become better is something I strongly believe in and will implement into my life in order to be successful.
In this module, I appreciated the material which I will implement into my development in being a more defined Magnanimous Officer. "Look, listen, learn, do."
Virtues of Magnanimous Officers: I appreciated this course starting off with a brief history lesson going into the definition/origination of magnanimous as well as mentioning Sir Robert Peel. Discussing and defining how Magnanimous Officer’s are fair, action oriented, and professional gave a solid lead into the traits of Magnanimous Officers (virtues, beliefs, and behaviors). When listening to the lectures as they dove deeper into these traits it struck me that these topics and points apply to not just seasoned leaders in law enforcement, but they can apply to the officer who is day 1 out on the street. Integrity, honor, respect, setting high expectations, being goal oriented, learning, and taking action; these are just a few points mentioned that apply to all of us in law enforcement. There were a few discussion topics that really spoke to me: #1: The goal of striving to be a Magnanimous Officer is never ending, we can always strive to be better, to learn more, to listen more, and to act by passing on what we have learned to other officers. #2: This not only applies to our professional life, but it flows into our personal lives, holding high expectations for ourselves, maintaining our health (physical, mental, etc…), and having gratitude can set the example for our communities. Listening to the lectures I found myself continuously nodding in agreement and being reminded of why I went into law enforcement and joined this noble calling.
Very well said. This was the first time I have heard of the Magnanimous Officer and about being MAGNUS. The longer the lesson went on, the more I also found myself nodding in agreement with what was being said. I think being MAGNUS is something that, as an agency, we can pass along to not only the veterans but the new hires as well. Incorporating lessons learned here into the FTO process can take steps toward positive changes within police departments.
I agree with this, and haven't read anything on Peel since skills. I found it very interesting that Sir. Robert Peel's philosophies on policing so many years ago are still so relevant today. I especially liked the concept that "the police are the public and the public are the police".
I agree as well. It's interesting to see departments swinging, yet again, back to Sir Robert Peel's original concept of Community Policing. RPD a few years ago switch to an Intelligence Lead Policing model that was very data driven. In all the classes and books I read on Intelligence Lead Policing it talked about doing it in tandem with Community Policing. We struggled with integrating the two philosophies together. We are now swinging back towards Community Policing. Sir Robert Peel's teachings from 1829 are still relevant today.
As I sat here and listened to the Virtues of Magnanimous Officers, I found it very enlightening. The MAGNUS Officer is one that I think when we all started this profession, we all wanted to be. I can admit there have been times early in my career where I lost sight of this. When he discussed the MAGNUS Mindset and brought up the idea of jotting down your strengths and weaknesses, I found that very beneficial to do because it showed me areas where I need the most improvement. As was stated multiple times towards the end of the lecture, MAGNUS officers are warriors with guardian hearts. I will definitely use and incorporate things I learned in this module into my everyday life. I'll reference shared vision and shared leadership to enhance my capabilities as a supervisor.
Never at a point in my 24 year career in Law Enforcement has this topic been more on point. Before entering this class, reading the material and watching the videos I thought I was doing a decent job of being a good cop, role model and partner. Examining the MAGNUS Officer from every angle certainly shows us all what is needed and the areas for improvement that most likely we all need. The section related to the MAGNUS mindset is spot on when saying first we need to commit to being and doing better followed up by actually doing something to change. The third point of looking at/accessing ourselves first, hits both close to home and in our work and everyday home lives. As stated later on in the lecture the becoming and being a MAGNUS Officer never quits and only allows us to continually grow both personally and professionally. The last key take away points are powerful in the sense that it shows us we need to prioritize where we can and tweak the positive things. I think sometimes we forget that although positive things are happening and things are going well that we can always look back and improve.
There's no doubt in my mind that we all are doing a decent job of being a good cop, role model and partner. The rewarding part is looking back from when we started, from the positive to our negative experiences, how we grow personally and professionally, and how we have affected others. Like you stated, being a MAGNUS Officer never quits. We continue to improve from those experiences and grow as a person. We are always hard on ourselves and expect to do better. The fun part is that we all have the capacity to do better, we just have to take the initiative to make that happen.
I agree with your comment about how rewarding it is to look back at where we started, both the positive and negative, to see how we have grown both personally and professionally. The desire to better ones self and learn from our experiences allows us to grow. We must therefore be intentional in our daily strive towards being a MAGNUS officer.
For me, the selected readings, module and Badge Cast 1 episode pointed to a very strong focus on the study of human behavior coupled with awareness of self. I began to understand that studying aspects of human behavior (i.e. leadership, influence and dilemma – “The Manual” Chapter 1) and what stage people are in during their life at work (“The Manual” Chapter 3), coupled with comprehending sub-systems within (and without) the organization that can predict those behaviors even when change is constant (micro-view), leaders can understand how their organization and its mission effects the organization, how the external environment effects the organization and how leaders understand their responsibility to society (macro-view) (“The Manual” Chapter 2).
There was also a strong focus on self-awareness and development in the articles (The Natural Pursuit of Virtue in Policing and Success is Equal Opportunity), the Badge Cast 1 episode with Michael Lee Stallard and the module itself. Understanding the complete definition of the Magnus Officer (way, beliefs, mindset and behaviors) to understanding that the life of the Guardian Heart is continuously evolving, I really began to shift my focus to my own behaviors; some strengths and definitely some shortcomings. I understand that being Magnus isn’t just possessing the traits (justice, courage, wisdom and temperance), but knowing that by giving others vision, value and a voice is the only way to truly master those fours overarching traits. I am hoping the modules that follow will strike me in ways, as this one did, that allow me to internalize and further develop what I currently do and how I do it so that I can continuously improve not only in my professional life but with my personal relationships, as well. I very much look forward to this journey I hope will never end.
Considering all that is going on in the world right now, specifically the attention being focused on "negative" Police behaviors, I found this section, Virtues of Magnanimous Officers, to be not only timely, but in my case, needed. Even though I have been proudly serving in this profession for 21 years now, the current constant barrage from the media depicting Police as the enemy, negative and violent encounters with citizens, and calls to defund the Police, it can be easy (but dangerous) to forget why I wanted to do this job, and what this profession truly stands for. Although this was the opening to the curriculum, it definitely set the right tone for what I hope to learn, utilize, and pass on. The characteristics and traits detailed in the 'Magnus Way' are reminders of our duty and what we as a profession stand for. Again, with what is happening in society right now, the fact that we must live by these as guideposts in both our professional and personal lives in order to truly be Magnus ties in why I am happy I was allowed to participate in this course. Even though the word warrior is under scrutiny right now, I truly believe in the phrase Warriors with Guardian Hearts used in this section. It's powerful and accurate, and shows the dual pressures of what we do. The fact that positive changes made now may take time to come to fruition, may include the fact that I will no longer be on the job when that end result occurs. However, this section pointed out that positive steps may help define, than lead, the next generation of policing. To me that is an exciting possibility, and further defines one of my favorite pieces that I took from this section- The journey of becoming a Magnus Officer never ends.
I agree Jim, with the atmosphere around policing today these topics are truly timely. I think you nailed it when you said that this sets the tone for the remainder of the class and how we can pass on what we learn. As much as I dislike watching the news I found myself every now and then turning it on (and being reminded of why I don't watch it), they mentioned no longer allowing "warrior style training"- the news broadcast and persons wanting to discontinue this style of training never really gave their definition of what they think "warrior style training" is...I think there is a misconception of what our training really is... it all boils down to having that guardian mindset
Spot on Jim. I agree that a Magnus officer never rests on one's laurels. Leading a virtuous life both on and off duty will help guide a Magnus officer during these trying times.
James-
As with many of the themes of these initial posts, your viewpoint on how this initial course is an excellent reminder for the audience of the actual values of this profession; while our challenges, of late, are seemingly more negative, these events have existed within our society since its inception. Ultimately, the values of magnanimity continually serve as the core of our ability to serve with distinction and to rise above this set of challenges.
As mentioned, the requirement to adhere to these established truths in both our professional and personal lives is all that more important. To an extent, today’s society and scrutiny demand this behavior pattern due to the transparency in all of our lives with the prevalence of social media. No longer can an individual maintain a dual life. Granted, this should never occur, as, over time, the boundaries between professional and personal lives ultimately collide, usually with extreme destructive recourses.
As leaders on a journey through this program of instruction, the ability to take the theory of magnanimity from that of a personal mantra to that of what is being promoted, mentored, and supported should be the accurate measure of success for leaders tasked with improving the conditions and character of the next generation of law enforcement professionals.
As we begin to progress through the virtues of a Magnus officer we are presented with the ideas of ways, beliefs, mindset and behaviors that exemplifies what this Magnus officer should encompass. Where I believe all that information is factual I believe that before you can achieve the Magnus office you first must achieve being a Magnus person. You have to have these virtues in your everyday life, you cannot achieve being a Magnus Officer without having these same beliefs in your everyday life. So you first must be a decent human being that possess these qualities at your own free will.
I agree with his above comment, if your personal life is a mess, you will not be able to have a successful professional career.
In this module, Lt. Chris Hoina spoke of the virtues of the Magnanimous Officer. In my experience, I think one virtue that is often forgotten is the virtue of gratitude. I have often worked for supervisors who have forgotten what it was like to be a young officer and to make mistakes. Also, the Magnus behavior of listening seems to have been forgotten. I find that people tend to hear just so they can respond, rather than listen to understand,
Gratitude is a must. As far as listening people only listen to what they want to hear to push there own narrative and beliefs.
I completely agree when you mentioned listening seems to be forgotten. Sometimes you can tell people are not truly listening, they are simply waiting for an opportunity to talk. I have always tried to be a good listener and try to understand the other person's perspective. Obviously I'm not always successful, but that is generally what I try.
In Module 1, Lt. Chris Hoina advised that the Magnanimous Officer is is guided by the Magnus virtues and that "there is more to policing than enforcing crime and being productive." So many times we can get caught up in the day operations, we can easily lose sight of our main purpose as public servants which is helping to continually improve ourselves, our agency and our community. I agree that we must observe, listen , learn and act accordingly and in the context of each situation. We must continuously evolve to keep with the every changing world we live in.
We must stay vigilant and challenge ourselves to continue to improve and make a difference.
This module focused on defining a MAGNUS officer. After listening to the MAGNUS beliefs, it was rewarding to know that I share the same beliefs. One of my biggest take away is knowing that sharing my vision and leadership with my coworkers is MAGNUS. This module introduced so many qualities of a great leader. Remembering that I can not change the world without first changing myself is vital because it is easy to see others' weaknesses before we can see our own. After going through this module, I know by the end of session #9 I will have the courage to be the best version of myself.
Well everyone, we are now able to finally get started an join you all. What a great way to get started and that is identifying what are the virtues of a magnanimous officer. Depending on how you view their importance is ultimately going to determine what virtues mean the most to us. I found that integrity can encompass a vast majority of the many virtues that exist. It seems that without integrity, there is no moral compass. Without integrity, any and all other virtues can potentially falter.
I agree Lt. Gros in that integrity is one of the virtues that we all must embody to truly be Magnus. Integrity goes hand in hand with many of the other virtues such as truthfulness, honor and nobility.
We cannot have mutual trust and respect without integrity. It is a crucial component in making deliberate choices with compassion. We must ensure we are acting for the right reasons.
Senior officers told me when I started my career in law enforcement. It takes a particular and right person to be a police officer. Not everyone can be a police officer. I believe that the “right” person already has the virtues of being a Magnus Officer; they do not know what a Magnus Officer consists of or how to apply the attributes. As leaders of our departments, it is our responsibility to bring out the best in our employees. There are senior officers with our department who will never change, but the change has to start somewhere. I have many years left before retirement. Our department has been giving us the training to become Magnus Officers, which a majority of our department has learned and they are following. I have already seen a change in our department, which I believe will only get better as this training continues for our officers.
I agree with what you said. Both you and I have many years left and change begins with us. Policing many years ago was very different. There were no skills taught on how to be virtuous or any perspectives on action-based models as there are today. As society changes, especially in the information age we live in now, we must change with it and stay ahead of it.
After beginning learning are #1, module #1, I was immediately reminded of things learned through going through the Institute for Credible Leadership Development (ICLD) I-IV. It reminded me of why each decision I make has the following order of importance, how will it affect the community, my sheriff, my department, my division, and lastly myself. It reminds us to observe what is going on around us, to listen to what others are saying, learning from those observations and thoughts, and then acting on them. This journey that is beginning for the rest of us today in Session #9 of the National Command College will promote us becoming Magnanimous Leaders and I look forward to completing this journey with you all.
I believe that almost all law enforcement officers when they entered into the profession did so on the premise of wanting to serve with the ideas set forth in the description of a MAGNUS OFFICER. I think a great many of our fellow officers through the years have unfortunately gotten away from what makes this a great and noble profession. It is through courses like this that will restore our leaders to lead by example and thus pay it forward to the future leaders. If we live and work with virtuous values then it should in turn lead our subordinates to live and work in the same way.
In reviewing the first lesson, I am looking at it to set the tone for the course. If this is the case, I may be in trouble. The virtues of the leader in what is considered "Magnus," seems to present an ideal officer and leader that can be quite intimidating. "Great Mind" and "Virtuous Man" are terms that we should aspire to. To many the ideals of this course could be seen as "corny" or naïve. Those are impressions that must change. Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, Reverent. No this is not my paraphrase of the virtues of the Magnus Way, these are the twelve points of the Scout Law. I bring these up, not to belittle or make fun of the virtues, but to show that the journey that we have undertaken brings many, if not all full circle to the values that the institutions of our youth were trying to tell us then.
As stated by an earlier post, "the journey never ends." We have entered into this stage to give us a refresher in our past training and experiences. When reading from one of our manuals, I am reminded of my past, in the profession, both good and bad. This is a life long process to make us the best officer, leader and person that we can be.
I am a firm believer that almost everyone who decides to begin a career in law enforcement already possesses some of the core values described in this training module. I also believe that the progression of each new officer to becoming MAGNUS is directly influenced by the culture that exists within the agency they work for. It's not enough that the agency has a well worded mission statement or fancy “motto” that implies high moral, ethical, and professional values. It’s how we as administrators, supervisors and mentors live up to those values and demonstrate, first hand, the virtues of becoming a magnanimous officer.
I agree with you as well, Lieutenant. I believe we can only help bring out the new officers' virtues if we are striving to be magnanimous officers. As supervisors, we have to lead by example.
Lt, I could not agree with you more. I would liken our duty as supervisors and senior leaders to truly lead our staff with the dignity, respect and courage they so deserve to the duty we expect them to treat our public and partners. I have found there are quite a few agencies around with really cool mission statements and values, but rarely do you find the culture follows suit. I am not a leftist, but believe that reform in today's policing should be seriously and carefully considered and part of that reform could potentially mean redefining the mission and core values of agencies large (more so) and small and adhering to it with major cultural shifts.
Lt. Lyons,
I would certainly have to agree with you that everyone who enters this profession already possesses at some level the core values needed to do this job. I have heard many times throughout my life/career that it takes a "special person" to be a police officer and I truly believe that it does. It is up to us and our departments to take it the next level and become those MAGNUS officers that our departments and more importantly our communities and families need.
Hello All,
Based on the virtual lecture I have just partaken in, "Virtues of Magnanimous Officers", I wish to discuss several key takeaways. The review is extremely impactful and should make the audience completely re-evaluate your everyday life. The "MAGNUS" virtues that were discussed go back to ancient times as the lecturer stated, Aristotle embraced these known attributes. It is obvious that even in ancient times, enlightened individuals were able to appreciate and convey what "MAGNUS" leadership can accomplish when applied with vigor, morality, and direct purpose. It is readily apparent to me that the highlighted virtues can help any officer, new or veteran, to become "exemplary" for what we all signed up to do.
The "MAGNUS" virtues were discussed often. The list of qualities mentioned by the lecturer; impartiality, integrity, professionalism, prudence, gratitude, and virtuosity to name a few should be applied daily. These are things we can all strive to enact daily, whether at work or home. I try to do these things everyday so that I can contribute to my agency, family, friends, and society as we go about our daily lives. The model behaviors mentioned during the lecture are also important. The four behaviors of the "MAGNUS" officer/leader as discussed are to observe, listen, learn, and to act. If these principals are enacted and applied during any officer(s) and/or leader(s) time at their respective agencies, homes, neighborhoods, or daily lives; it will inspire others to act alike and to reciprocate.
I believe these types of individuals can be the "motivation" needed to shape and direct future law enforcement personnel. These types of individuals are always needed in our society, especially today's world of modern law enforcement. For the individuals that are privileged enough to engage in these learning opportunities, we owe it to "pay it forward" to our fellow man. As leaders, we need to share and learn from our experiences as Aristotle has professed for hundred of years. If we can connect with people to share these "MAGNUS" virtues and qualities, we stand to make our society better as a whole!
Regards,
Mike Shard
Very eloquently stated Mike. Our problem as a profession is that we, over the years have become our own worse enemy. We became such a closed society that the public has lost contact with us as people. WE must not loose sight that some high profile issues of wrong doing and criminality within our profession by non-MAGNUS officers, has damaged our reputation to a point that a large portion of society just plain doesn't like or trust us. If we are to regain the trust of the public then we must focus our efforts to change our mindset first. If we all strive to do our jobs as MAGNUS officers at all times, then our officers learn by example. Then the public sees that we operate in a respectful, professional manner. Then just maybe trust can be restored.
In Module 1, I've learned that becoming a Magnus officer is something that you should want to grow to be when in the field of law enforcement. Becoming a Magnus you want to show professionalism, fairness and become action oriented. I've learned showing honesty, mobility, respect, responsibility and being loyal will take you a long way as being a leader. I've also learned that having the Magnus mindset I would need to assess my strength and weaknesses. Some of the examples that I will use more to enhance my leadership will be to observe, listen, learn and then act. Those are things that I know personally that I need to work better on to do in order to grow as a leader.
Perhaps the lesson that stood out most for this module is the lesson of virtue. As pointed out in earlier posts, it seemed most prudent that the word magnus was first defined and then expanded upon. Virtue was the synonym that best related or defined the word magnus. Benjamin Franklin taught that virtue was one of the most noble of all morals and most worthy of our attention and achievement. Interestingly, virtue is probably not the more common schools of thought when regarding the police profession. I believe that this is so for both those within and those without this discipline. However, if we are to reach the great heights that is before each of us and to further this nobility, clearly we must embrace and constantly pursue this most valuable ideal. In doing so, we will strengthen and enhance the trust and integrity of our chosen profession, the public in which we serve and, as taught, our own personal lives.
"The best part of becoming MAGNUS is the journey never ends" That struck a chord with me. I always thought that my moral compass pointed north and relied on it to guide me through tough times. What I realize is that I have grown complacent in my continuing journey to become better, to become virtuous. This weekend I will take time to look within and make my list of things I need to work on to improve myself to better serve those I am responsible to and for. May this course help us all become better people and in turn better leaders.
I agree S. Fortenberry. I think throughout our career we all become complacent at one time or another and it a constant challenge to not get stuck in that rut. Hopefully, by the end of this course, that challenge will become less challenging and it opens our minds to the fact that change can be good and that our ways are not always the best way.
Frank Guttuso
I totally agree with your response. I remember going to a class and they explained to us about the complacency, which could make a huge problem in your career. I do believe after going through this class it will give us a very different outlook on things in our everyday job duties.
I totally agree. I can see it in myself . I have become complacent in a number of areas and I can see where I need to improve. I think this course will help this old dog learn some new tricks and become a much better leader.
What I learned in this module is to try to be the best me that I can be. To look past myself and see the "big picture" in that I am representing more than just myself. I am representing my department and law enforcement as a whole. It reinstated the fact the Law enforcement is fluid, changing and evolving constantly and I must push myself to continuously evolve, learn and improve myself along the way and not get stuck with the, "well that's the way we always did it" mentality. That those under my command are looking to me for leadership and I need to display the qualities discussed in this module describing a MAGNUS officer, with the hope that they will follow my lead and leave that legacy with them. I have always tried to live my life, personally and professionally, by the idea that it is not what you do when you are being watched, but what you do when you are not being watched. I believe this is part of what this module is conveying to me. We can all fake it, which is easy, but to be a MAGNUS officer, you need to live and believe the virtues discussed.
This lesson provided me with a solid overview of what it means to be a "MAGNUS" officer. I learned the specific virtues associated with a MAGNUS officer as well as detailed beliefs and behaviors to compliment those virtues. After hearing the term, "Guardian Heart", it brought me back to why I became a police officer in the first place. It describes why we do what we do and why we were all drawn to this profession.
As I look at the notes from this lesson it brings me back to the history of my career and those that have mentored and contributed to my growth. I was at one point early in my career as one of those that was not happy, disgruntled or just unsatisfied with my profession and through their "MAGNUS" characteristics, helped me change for the better and provide a positive influence to my career and growth. When looking at the self reflection of the virtues of a MAGNUS law enforcement officer, I see areas I have strengths in and other that I have weaknesses and strive to learn ways to make improvements.
What really strikes most interest is the MAGNUS beliefs of health in the physical, mental, emotional and spirtual areas of life in general. I would much rather be in a position that allows a cohesive ability to maintain each of these areas with regard to both personal and professional life.
I'm looking forward to improving my leadership ability to assist others as I was assisted in becoming the best MAGNUS officer I can be.
I have to agree with your post. When doing the reading, I was finding myself drawn back to every leader I had had in police work or the military. I see areas that I want to improve in myself and things that I wish I had known earlier, in my career.
Steven I know exactly what you mean as you speak of being in a place being unhappy and disgruntled in our profession. I know we started in this business around the same time and had the pleasure of working for a short time alongside you. As stated in the opening we had the "shoulders of the giants before us" to guide us back to where we are now.
Steven, it is interesting that you took interest in that particular MAGNUS belief. This area is often ignored however it is the one that effects us the most. Also thanks for sharing the impact a MAGNUS leader had on your life.
This lecture opened my eyes to what it means to be a Magnus Officer and how we as leaders need to concentrate every day to keep this mindset. All to often we get caught up in our job responsibilities and we do not pay attention to molding the young men and women under our charge. Like we learned in this lecture, The Virtues Of A Magnanimous Officer is a journey, a way of life, a way of thinking. I know I need to do a better job of making everyone around me want to be better and pass on these virtues. I think we are all good leaders. We just get off track as the years go by and forget to nourish the people we supervise.
I agree wholeheartedly with your statement. The grind of my daily duties push me off track with why I set my goals to be a commander. I wanted to become a commander so I could mentor men and women the same way I was guided. I force myself each day to walk around and show my presence and to see if anyone needs advice or simply to check on family issues and their well being. It is a responsibility and a privedge to lead. This will be a great refresher on why we chose this path.
While listening to the lecture Virtues of a Magnanimous Officer, I found myself doing a mental checklist of the virtues and characteristics that were discussed in the lecture. I began to question if I was doing enough on a day to day basis at work to ensure that the younger generation of law enforcement officers at my department were reminded of what it takes to perform this job at its highest level. I believe it is crucial to stay true to yourself and hold on to the "Magnus" values that each of us possess and continue to work towards being even better leaders and role models for the younger generation. I look forward to learning more about myself and ways in which I can improve and become a better "Magnus" leader for the next generation.
I agree. One of the things I enjoy most about my role as a trainer/mentor, is that I get to spend the first five weeks with every new hire to our agency. It’s a role that I am honored to have, and a role that I take very seriously.
Lt. Dean, I totally agree on what you said. I also have been looking within myself to make sure I'm doing what's best, not only for myself, but for those who I supervise. We all know we will be retiring some day and we have to make sure we teach the new leaders how to do it correctly. Most of the time, the "old ways" don't work anymore. So teaching them to be the best "Magnus" they can be will leave a great legacy.
A few of the main highlights for me while participating in the Virtues of the MAGNUS Officer, was the characteristic of Humility. Being a leader in my unit, I strive to be humble and remember those who have come before me and taken the time to help me along the way. I try to do the same for those who I am responsible for leading. I try to take the time to guide them, help them and mentor them. So hopefully one day they may remember that someone took the time to help them and in some ways pay it forward. Also keeping in mind that I too came from where they are now and remember the hurdles and struggles in my journey. It also hit home for me when the instructor spoke about understanding yourself. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Writing them down and working on area's of self improvement. This in itself is a weakness for me. Just simply looking in the mirror and trying to make myself better in areas I know I am weak. I believe sometimes I get so focused on helping those around me, that I may miss the fact that I myself can improve.
I feel the same as you do on the ability to see ones self. I do see some areas of improvement, but it seems it would be a great thing to have someone who knows us well, to be able to constructively assist us in making needed improvements. We as leaders that fail to help those under us realize these improvement areas, are not serving a great leadership quality in my point of view.
While reviewing the materials from this lesson, I began to think about the supervisor I have become. I felt that I tried to embody the good virtues of the supervisors who came before me and work on the bits that I felt they needed to improve. It made be start to think about the how it is the officers with whom I work view me. Do they believe me to be a tyrant with unrealistic, unreachable goals? Or am I a leader, someone who shows them the way, who leads from the front, and works to make certain that not only they achieve the goals I have laid before them, but their personal goals. I believe I can help my officers by helping myself become a better MAGNUS leader. I will write down what I think are my good attributes and those which are not so good; okay let’s just call them bad. I know that I will first work on the ones which will make me a better family man which will in turn lend themselves to being a better leader. My goal will be to become a better person not only at work but all around and continue to grow.
I feel the same way on a lot of your points. It made me wonder what my detectives think about me. Do they see me as someone they can talk to for advice or do they just see me as their "Major". I think I will share your goal of becoming a better all around person.
I appreciated reading your insight and honesty. I think that it us natural for us to compare ourselves to the leader that came before us. I know that I certainly have done this. I remember distinctly what my mother has said to me several times while growing up. She would tell me that it was always her hope that I and my siblings would take the best of what we had learned from her and my father and build upon those best practices for our own families. I believe that the same can be said regarding the leaders before us. I believe that they to would want those of us coming after them to take the very best of what we have learned from them and build upon that foundation while implementing the new best practices that we now learn. Thank you for your post.
After listening to these first set of lectures, i began to identify with many if not all of the MAGNUS virtues within my own personality which i possessed prior to my Law Enforcement career. After 10 years total (Corrections up until now as a Patrol Sergeant), i like to think i have retained some of these virtues, but admit through time and experience on the job that some of them may have slightly eroded.
I started this career which i love thinking i was going to save the World. As a lowly Correctional Deputy and especially on my first day exciting day being released from the Field Training Program (FTO) in my new shiny, pressed uniform patrolling in my first assigned unit.
There are days when i come home from an especially hard shift, and having seen what humans are capable of toward each other. I can feel my Compassion starting to wane and tire out. I still feel most of the virtues listed in the lectures i still possess and hold dear to my heart, but i can feel the battery being drained. I still keep a priority of Honesty and telling the truth to be paramount to my belief system. Still i admit that my Compassion and Patience are slowly being drained. Which I'm sure isn't new territory for anyone in these discussions.
Sid,
I too have felt that battery draining because of my many years spent on Patrol. I believe what keeps me going, and will do so for years to come, is the knowledge that I have a compassionate heart. I still want to save those who cannot save themselves. Just remember why it is you got into this profession. It definitely was not for the money. There is no glory or fame. It is the ideal that you, and all the rest of us, are warriors with guardian hearts.
I believe that this session is a good refresher for some of us that have been in law enforcement for several years. We tend to get complacent in our duties, attitude, and outlook on what it is that we do. Magnus is a good reminder that we are the “tip of the spear”. We are the first and sometimes only representation of law and order that people will encounter. It is our duty to make sure that we hold ourselves to the highest of standards so what we project is positive and helpful to the people we are sworn to serve.
After digesting the content of the lecture and supporting documents and data, my biggest take away is that it's not enough to possess these qualities, but one has to demonstrate them in everything that they do. Its not enough for a person to believe that they are trustworthy, loyal or what have you, but that others can see those virtues in you and evaluate you accordingly. In law enforcement, like many professions, perception is the reality, for instance a man could never tell a lie, but if others don't see him as honest, then it doesn't matter. The virtues of the MAGNUS officer are just the foundation of a great leader and I am excited to build on this foundation to become a better leader, and person.
As I start this journey to become a MAGNANIMOUS officer I guess I had certain expectations of what I might learn as leader within the organization that I work for. After listening to this first module the gears have sifted towards looking at myself not only in the scope of my work but also as an individual person and what can be changed for the better. As we learned from this lesson that "MAGNUS" equals "Great" and "ANIMOUS" equals "Great Mind", we must continually work on ourselves so that we can make the people that we work with and the people in the communities that we live in and work in to become great. I look forward to learning many more lessons throughout this journey with my teammates of session #9
The Magnus Man in the Mirror:
I am starting this journey to be a Magnus Chief / Student / Learner a little bit different than the rest of this class. I know how to be a police officer, and have attended courses over the years on ethics and how to “be a leader.” I possessed all the right traits and characteristics of being a leader and most of the characters of being a Magnus officer. However, I fell short in the category of being a Shepard and how to lead the flock to the vision and goals of the agency. Being in a small department, I can not attend weeks of training and be gone from school for long periods. I am a Trilogy Graduate of FBI LEEDA, but that did not adequately prepare me for leading the flock of sheep that I Shepard.
I fell hard last year and was in the fight for my career to save my job, and as I attended a Chiefs conference, I met Dr. Javidi and his team in a lecture that, when I started, thought, this session was a massive waste of time. I lost interest in the talk in the first thirty minutes. My wake up point in his speech was Dr. Javidi sharing with us about what MAGNUS meant, and how we can turbo-charge our leadership. He started to turbo-charge and energized my leadership. I learned more in his lecture that morning, then the whole conference.
It was not until I enrolled in the Emerging Leaders course that I realized how little I knew about how to be a MAGNUS Leader. Although I completed phase one of my journeys, I still have many more things to learn about being a MAGNUS Chief, in phase two of my walk/trek I have established many goals for myself in a professional and personal way.
In the past several months of being a changing chief based on learning how to lead in a MAGNUS way, I have changed and grown in so many ways. Today as I reviewed this lecture, I hope that I keep growing as a Magnus leader, but more important to me, it will show to my district and department that we all can be MAGNUS.
To my teammates in session #09, I cannot wait to walk this journey with all of you. I can not wait to learn and see how we all have started and how we all will end up as MAGNUS Leaders.
Chief,
I too was like you in the begging of my leadership career. I felt I had a good grasp on how to be a police officer. I was thrust into a leadership role and didn't know exactly how to lead a flock. Taking the course on being a MAGNUS officer or leader has already helped me. It has reminded me about the some of the Virtues I may have forgotten along the way. I am also hoping that by learning the MAGNUS way, it will help me to improve in every aspect of my life. The 4 behaviors really sunk in my brain, Observe, Listen, Learn and Act. The two main ones being Listen and Learn. I don't feel like anyone could get to a point in their leadership career where they don't feel they need to listen or learn.
As I sat down and began my journey into the National Command and Staff College module #1, I feel that it was only right for our journey to start with a thorough definition of "magnanimous". That definition in its self provided by Aristotle as "Magnus"-Great and "animous"-Mind, spoke to you about the journey each of us is beginning here today. As the lesson continued and discussed different aspects of developing to becoming a "Great MInd" in not only our professional lives but also striving to lead that same life in our personal walk, a few keys components struck me as strong suits of my own leadership abilities but also highlighted multiple areas were I see the need for self growth. Do you also see room for improvement in some of your leadership qualities and ways to reach the goal of becoming a "MAGNUS" leader?
Lt. Jenkins:
The personal growth that we all go through, not only makes us MAGNUS, but makes us great leaders who want the best for our family, department, and career. I hope that we all can reflect, and smell the roses on this journey.
I agree. I think that it is something that we need to constantly examine because years equals complacency. It never hurts to take a look in the mirror and ask ourselves, are we keeping with the same ideals that we started this career with. Are we keeping our oath to the people we serve.
I also agree with you when you say that it was a perfect place for us to start our journey. The lecture reminded me of all the ways I can be a "Magnus" leader at work and in my personal life. It also opened by eyes to several areas of personal growth that i need to further develop to ensure that I continue on the path of become a better person, co-worker and supervisor.
I believe all new officers begin their career Magnus. Most I have seen seem to lose it after a few years on the job. They tend to become cynical and develop a bad attitude in general. This costs a lot of officers their job and families. This must be conveyed to all officers and kept fresh in their mind to prevent going down the wrong road. This can only be accomplished by the leadership of the departments.
I do agree that most officers start out in this profession with a level of MAGNUS as you stated, this lesson showed us that becoming and remaining MAGNUS is a constant work in progress that must have a conscious effort applied every step of the way. I do concur that it becomes a MAGNUS leader's role, to continue to push for the development of the subordinates to strive to remain in the fight to be the best we can all be in both personal and professional role.
I found the opening “Policing & Magnus” to be the essential aspect of the overall direction of the lesson provided. The presenter establishes that we not only be technical at our profession but how we as leaders build the foundation for others that we’re surrounded by. I believe we must grow and or extend the virtues of those that we lead, manage, and follow. I advocate to those that I’m surrounded by to have a moral compass within their personal and professional life. I have found through literature or through a direct encounter with others that most grounded leaders and mentors are humble, honest, and are engaged with a high-level discipline. These lesson topics and learned experiences allow me to continue and or revisit paths, which are an essential requirement in my day to day activities with myself and others.
This lecture has help me to first examine myself as a person, then as an officer, so I can be a benefit to my family, community, and anyone whom I may come in contact with in life. It has also given me a better understanding, tips and guidance on how to gain and keep the community trust, while conducting my daily work duties and being part of building a better future for the organization.
What I have learned from the Magnanimous Officer lecture is that a great leader begins with a great person. We all have a moral compass that guides us throughout our daily life. You can build on your moral compass through faith and family. These attributes will be on display while performing your daily duties. I have also learned that I can improve my daily performance. These improvements will allow me to become a Magnanimous Office within my agency.
I concur and we need to mentor other officers to adopt the philosophy to improve the organization as a whole.
Lt. Champagne,
I agree with your statement entirely on having a moral compass. I’ve acquired this path like you through my friends, family, and faith. I try to incorporate those learned values in my day to day encounters with others.
Prior to starting this lesson my concept of a Magnanimous Officer was one of perfection, honor, and admiration. It seemed unattainable but something to strive for. As I listened to the concepts and examples cited there were a few keys that caught my attention. The first key was the numerous references to virtues and a virtuous life. While there were several lists such as Franklin's 13 virtues they all seemed to boil down to the concept of striving to improve the little things, doing the right thing (not always the easy thing), and finding ways to improve the person I already am. I wanted a definition for Magnanimous Officer. What I had found so far was the path.
As I continued to listen and reflect on the readings my second key arrived in a concrete definition of what Magnanimous is. Magnus means great and manamous means mind. A Magnanimous Officer is one with a great mind. Through history we see these great minds and great lives from the ancients, the Greeks, the Romans and even present day leaders. That mind is a mixture of knowledge, health, service, and many other factors. Factors that can be described as virtues.
Connecting the dots revealed what becoming a Magnanimous Officer can mean to me and my career. It is not that one shining moment when some great accomplishment is achieved. It is not a heroic act of self-sacrifice that will define the person. Instead it is the consistent daily pursuit of improvement of the small decisions, the little preparations, the virtues that make us ready when challenge arrives. It was stated in the presentation that challenges are opportunities to achieve. By preparing ourselves we lead those who follow us by example. We should step up and do the little things. Those we lead, work with, or supervise will follow this behavior and in doing so prepare themselves for their challenges. This will enhance my own own leadership capacity by creating more capable leaders surrounding me.
I could not agree more. It is not the one instance in our lives or careers that make who we are, it is that daily pursuit towards greatness. As young officers just starting out of the academy I believe that most of us have that want and drive to do and be better. As leaders in our organizations we should keep that going and if the young officers see the leaders around them doing so they will continue with that fire that they start out with.
Honestly, when I first became a law enforcement officer back in 1998 I thought it was cool to be able to carry a gun. All the while not really understanding my second amendment rights and that I didn’t need to be an officer to do that. But at the time, I really needed a job having just finished college and my wife was already involved in law enforcement. So I got a job and fell in love with it. I soon began to realize the power that was bestowed upon me. As I worked every day I learned more and more. As I learned, I began to humble myself. When I would see the effect of something I did upon someone I began to structure and change my work ethic. Not that I was unethical, it was basically ‘on the job training’ development. I learned that it’s not always important to issue a citation or summons. I learned discretion carried a lot of value, as did honesty, integrity, and respect. I began (and still do) to hold myself accountable for the actions I took at work. I would treat people the way I wanted to be treated until other action was required. Law enforcement is constantly training your mind, heart, and body. It’s a never ending self-development and improvement challenge. I hope that I have come a long way. Because I still have a ‘ways’ to go. This is what ‘Magnus’ is to me.
As a rookie you do not understand the great authority that has been given to you. Through experience we understand Officers discretion and how it can impact a person's life. We are all a work in progress and I look forward to completing this course and becoming a better husband, father and leader.
Lt. I can not agree with you more on this post. In the academy, we not taught what it means to be a police officer. Yes, we get the lip service from the ethics class that we all had to take; however, it was never really expanded into this much detail. I remember in the early part of my career, in the early 2000s, we were tossed a set of keys and told to hit the road. FTO and the program of FTO were not nearly what it is today.
I can not agree with you more as we enter this journey as Magnus Men (and women) our lives will change. The overall goal is to become a better person (leader/ professional), which in turn with is becoming a better husband, father, and Police Chief (Leader for my district).
I can not wait to walk this journey of Magnus with all of you.
A very good point, as I navigate through my career I think back to what was important to me as an officer and how those things changed as I was promoted and my duties changed. For this reason its important to spend time in many positions and ranks as you mature in law enforcement, otherwise you will be missing valuable perspective on issues that affect your subordinates.
Donnie, I was in much the same situation. I began law enforcement because I needed a job after the Army and a neighbor got me. Started. It was not until I was working and the MAGNUS officers around me showed me what serving was about did the job turn into a career and eventually my calling.
What I gathered from the Virtues of the Magnanimous Officer lecture is taking on the responsibilities of those that have preceded us in the noble profession of law enforcement is not a task to be taken lightly. Being “magnus” as Aristotle defined is being great. A leader to embody true professionalism is one that is truthful, has integrity and honor, is noble and humble, content with their position, faithful to the organization, respectful, prudent, and grateful. A magnus officer understands who they are, shares their vision, is goal oriented, embodies high ideals and follows a strict standard of conduct. I was somewhat relieved to recognize some of these traits which I have learned through years of public service in myself. Some of those traits were based on my own philosophy of treating others how I would like myself or my family to be treated by a law enforcement officer. I also recognized some traits where I could use improvement.
The awareness of those who preceded us is important. I agree that we can see many of these traits in ourselves. I also feel that when we identify those traits in us we can also identify a mentor from this profession who represents that trait and serves as our model or measuring stick for that virtue.
We can always use improvement. I feel that the insights that will be revealed by this course will serve us both to become better leaders.
As a Magnus officer I have to lead by example. How can expect my coworkers and subordinates to have this mind set and qualities if I do not. As a leader it starts with me, from the appearance of my uniform, to giving full effort on the simple calls as you will give towards the major calls.
I agree with every part of your comment. Good leaders lead from the front. Subordinates are extremely perceptive so the subconscious cues such as the condition of your uniform, the condition of your unit, how you speak to complainants, every thing we do day to day as a law enforcement professional is being watched. They see you do things a certain way or say things a certain way they are most surely going to mimic how you handled it.
The public and our subordinates watches everything we do. I stress and stress to my deputies all the time make sure you handle yourself in a professional manner at all times, because you never know who's watching.
I agree if we start by doing the small things the correct way, it will be a whole lot easier and a lot less mistakes for bigger issues. Leading by example, is one of the main issue that occurs in organizations.
The list of qualities possessed by a Magnus officer is long and impressive. I would hope I possess these traits, even though they may not always be apparent in my interactions with the public and coworkers. The realities of life outside work and the changing perceptions and opinions of police officers can wear you down over time, causing burnout. It takes strong self discipline and determination to perform to the high standards of a Magnus officer routinely. Honest introspection of who you are, requires courage and humility. It is an ongoing process throughout your career and life. This module certainly made me think of how I can improve myself and by extension be a leader to others.
I concur. I like to think that I too possess all these traits. It's hard to tell but a really good teacher is your conscious. It doesn't work for everyone but if you have one it will tell you the truth.
While reading the Module Overview, I thought to myself; I have the virtues required to be a Magnanimous Officer. I pride myself on being truthful, respectful, and I act with integrity. As I watched the modules it opened my eyes, maybe I am not as virtuous as I thought. What I mean is, how many times as a leader have I/We turned a blind eye to a subordinate or peer who may have said something negative to diminish the morale of others. As a MAGNUS Officer, I should have been able to recognize this and corrected the actions immediately.
After reviewing the module, I have a lot more to learn about becoming a MAGNUS Officer.
This module showed me the Magnus Way: Truthfulness, Integrity, Honor, Nobility, Humility, Faithfulness, Respect, Responsibility, Prudence and Gratitude. These qualities not only help you to be a better officer, but also a better leader. How can you expect coworkers and subordinates to have these qualities if you do not? Simple, it starts with me! I need to live by the Magnus Way and show them how it is done.
Agreed, Amada Pertuis. If we as leaders do not practice the Magnus Way ourselves, how can we expect our subordinates and coworkers to be truthful or respectful to others. As leaders we have to make sure we are instilling these virtues into their training and their daily work schedule. Then we will have successfully achieved the Virtues of Magnanimous Officer.
I learned valuable lessons about leadership. I learned the characteristics of being a magnus officer. No one should do this for promotional purposes or to gain anything from it. Leadership is an ongoing process. The characteristics of a magnus officer must always be displayed. Many in law enforcement possess these traits, but some are a work in progress. Early in my career, I found some very great leaders and a few who influenced younger officers in a negative way. Have you ever worked for a leader who was negative about everything? I don't believe they knew how their attitude effected the newer officers. I believe all of these leaders have left the agency. Leadership training is a great reminder of where officers need to be and what they need to be doing daily.
Well said Roanne. My belief is that it is up to current leaders to erase the negative mindset and create positive employees.
I began this module thinking highly of myself. I am proud of the man I am, as are my wife and daughters. I am honest, hard-working and take great pride in serving my community. I strive to learn all I can and passionately pass my knowledge on to others. I strive to be judicious and fair at all times. I am family-oriented and have gotten my personnel to grow into a second family for myself and each other. I appreciate everything I have in life and feel blessed every day, personally and professionally. Helping others reach their goals gives me an enormous sense of accomplishment. I take great pride in being fair and compassionate with everyone, whether it is a Deputy, citizen of our parish or an offender at our Correctional Center. As I was going through the module and learning more about being a magnanimous man and officer, I thought to myself, “I’m already Magnus! Bring on the rest of the videos!”
Well, that premature thought was less than seven minutes into the module. I quickly learned that there were dents in the armor I had so proudly put on as I silently declared myself a success. I swear like a sailor, but I was in the Navy, so that is acceptable, right? I am much more judgmental than I care to admit. I mentally correct and chastise myself immediately after thinking it, but that doesn’t undo the fact that I thought it. I am overweight, out of shape and I smoke. I let emotion control the words coming out of my mouth before my brain has had the opportunity to stop them. When I get frustrated by what someone has to say, usually because I disagree with what is being said, I stop actively listening. I have off days. They are rare, but there are days that I do not strive to be the best I can and just do what needs doing.
After taking an honest, good look at myself, I discovered gaping holes in that armor I put on at the beginning of the module. I have a list of things that I need to work on going forward in my quest to become Magnus.
I have a plan and it is time to get down to work.
How did your self-assessment go?
It is great that you have a plan of action. You can become the change you want to see.
Upon completion on this module (Virtues of Magnanimous Officers), I found the qualities of a MAGNUS officer are often found in law enforcement professionals entering our profession. However, those qualities tend to get lost over time. This does not occur for the majority, but does occur far too often. For example, many times I see the eager, new officer enter the profession with a MAGNUS mindset. They have honor, integrity, respect and prudence. All those traits that are the MAGNUS way. However, over time, those traits begin to be pushed aside resulting in a belief for personal reward rather than a MAGNUS reward.
In my humble opinion, it’s my belief this mindset is caused by a failure in leadership at one level or another. It is incumbent upon us, as upper level leaders, to demonstrate those MAGNUS values to our younger officers. Not only in our words, but in our actions. This will help develop those young officers into becoming strong, MAGNUS leaders in the future. It will also bolster a sense of pride, respect and professionalism that will extend not only to other members of the agency, but will be seen by the citizens we serve resulting in a greater bond between an agency and the public.
Well said, Dave.
It is absolutely up to us to lead by example and foster the correct virtues for them.
As we learned in this module, you aren't born MAGNUS. You work for it, achieve it, and continue working for it.
“I am a Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPAC) evaluator and am testing the system”
Upon completion of Virtues of Magnanimous Officers, I feel the Magnus Rewards is crucial to becoming a Magnus officer. I learned that if any officer in a police department doesn’t have the ambition to meet the rewards that his other fellow officers share, then he becomes stagnant. The Magnus officer must want to make a difference in the community that he serves. The officer must provide serves to the public, whether it’s in the hardest times or better times of those affected. This officer must be willing to help others, that most people would not help. But most of all, Magnus officers must swear to protect. In doing these duties that we all do, I feel this builds the “Guardian Heart of Magnus.” I know officers that have been in law enforcement for many years who seem to only “ride the clock” because they have lost the visions of the rewards and the heart of a guardian. These officers do possess the traits to be great but may need more practice to become stronger. Therefore, I know I want to leave a legacy behind and engrave the same virtues I strive for every day at work into the heart of our future Magnus officers. I feel the Magnus officer begins on day one at the police academy, where it’s become our duty to help initiate these steps. Does anyone else feel the same or experienced this before?
Clint,
I believe the vast majority of us start out with the fundamental virtues of a Magnus Officer. As you know some officers lose this over the years and often succumb to the mindset of "us against them" or worse "me against them" and "them" being criminals , the public, the administration, etc. I have found myself in this spot once in my career but took the advice of a mentor and became more involved in broadening my career (teaching, specialties) and professional development (getting my degree). By doing more than just my shift I was a able to reinvigorate my passion to serve and it allowed me to reinvent my career in law enforcement. I believe we can help those who get off track the same way we help the public and that is by showing compassion and modeling the way.
I enjoyed reading your post.
I agree that the MAGNUS reward is crucial to becoming a MAGNUS officer. It can be seen that officers tend to lose sight of the reason they got into our profession. It turns from a “want to serve” to a “what serves me” attitude. This does not happen to all, but happens for some. These officers need to be reminded of what our profession is about, a duty to serve. They need to be shown that truthfulness, integrity, honor, nobility, humility and all those qualities that are the MAGNUS way will help them become a MAGNUS officer and thus better their career. They need to be shown that being a MAGNUS officer and focusing on the MAGNUS reward will help them enhance their career as opposed to only thinking about themselves or what they are getting in return. As officers who are trying to better ourselves in becoming better MAGNUS officers, we know that actions are noticed by senior leaders. This is why we are in the position we are in today. It is incumbent upon us as MAGNUS officers to help guide these new officers in the right direction.
I agree completely, Clint. If you are not in this career to make a difference and serve, then you are in the wrong career.
I'm sure we all know people like that, but I truly can't imagine dealing with the things we do for a paycheck alone. If you took away the satisfaction I get from serving this community, I'd be doing something else entirely.
I believe people in that mindset can be helped, but it will take consistent effort.
The same can be said of our new hires. Most are coming to us as their first 'real' job. Some join to serve, some join for the stability, some join for the retirement plan ha-ha. As I said before with the disillusioned officer, these new members of our agency need constant help to stay the course and strive to improve. I have done my best to form a team of people to surround them with that have bought into the mindset of service and foster the idea that we are family.
One of the things I learned in this module is officers with MAGNUS qualities tend to be better officers simply because they want to do the right thing all the time. Its qualities that everyone should have no matter what profession you are in honestly. Most become officers because they feel the calling to the profession, which can make someone a better officer rather than someone just looking for a job. In trying to recruit people to work for our agency, I can see that people just looking for a job most times do not last in this profession because they do not possess the MAGNUS qualities. Today’s generation, I believe, see’s things very differently than previous generations. They are more entitled, self –absorbed, and want everything quickly. We have a lot of work to do to help them be better leaders.
Absolutely, Laurie.
It takes a substantial, continuous effort to get someone out of the 'just a job' mindset and into taking pride in serving their community. I have had a number of successes in dealing with new personnel like that, but I have had some failures as well.
I'm looking forward to learning new ways to help with it.
I am a Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) evaluator and am testing the system.
According to the lecture the definition of a Magnus Officer is one who continuously improves in the characteristics of virtue by learning to be increasingly fair, strong, wise and prudent, by improving thinking, speaking, actions and deeds through the gradual process of improving character in every situation, both professional and personal.
I agree with the end of the lecture where most police officers enter this line of work looking to make a difference, serve others and protect the vulnerable. I gathered from this lecture that it takes someone with the mindset of looking, listeining, learning, and doing what is correct and virtuous to attain the status of Magnus. I believe that we have those people here at the Police Department (Both of higher and lower rank,) and I have been mentored by some of them. I know from experience that I draw on the memory of what those officers did, and how they did it. Their example has helped me in decision making in my own law enforcement career. This is only one of the ways in which we can use a Magnus Officer to help the evolution of policing by helping to develop problem solving skills.
One of the things that stuck with me is the fact that a Magnus Officer is a warrior with a guardian heart. I have always viewed our professionin this way. We fight the good fight with good hearts.
This lecture provided an overall definition of Magnanimous Officers. The lecture broke down Magnanimous Officers into sections consisting of the Magnus Way, Magnus Beliefs, and Magnus Behaviors. The Magnus Way encompasses the embodiment of such virtues as honor, integrity, and responsibility. Magnus Beliefs are goal oriented with high standards set for themselves and others, as well as action oriented by providing positive direction through mentoring and modeling. There are four Magnus Behaviors indicated in the lecture as observe, listen, learn, and act.
These definitions are not foreign or new to this profession. These are all reiterations of expectations our profession has handed down from our career infancy. When interviewing for a police cadet position there are honor and integrity questions. When going through the academy the Way, Beliefs, and Behaviors are drilled into your mind over and over.
Somewhere along the way these Magnus qualities are pushed to the back of the mind like an old textbook in a bookcase. This lecture brings the book out and dusts it off. It tells us to keep it out on the desk to refer to continuously throughout out lives. We need to carry these virtues and definitions of the embodiment of our profession with us always and refer to it in whatever we do regardless of whether we are on or off duty.
Does a Magnus officer possess traits that encourage a workplace to consider the needs of an employee?
In an ever-evolving world, the law enforcement officer must also evolve. What I took from this module is that the Magnanimous Officer is not exempt from the evolution. The key is that the Magnanimous Officer must do this without compromising his virtues and principles. A new officer coming into this career, has to understand that many procedures and policies have changed, but the virtues and principles of the past have to be upheld and continued.
In listening to the fist lecture, I would agree that most officers strive to be "Magnus". Over time, leaders can get complacent , which causes a disconnect between supervisors and their subordinates. I believe a good way to combat this would be self-reflection. As the lecture stated, one goal of the "Magnus" officer should be to continuously improve and learn.
I like how you used the word disconnect because I can't agree more with that word. We have all worked around or possibly been that "disconnected part" due to complacency. I would love to see an evaluation process that allows subordinates to evaluates their supervisors. I believe this would also help with self-reflection.
Your right, the term "forgot where they came from" comes to mind. Even in our line of work certain calls get monotonous. Dealing with the same people with the same problems time after time causes us to just go through the motions. As leaders we must be on guard for complacency to combat it.
I have tried throughout my career to hold to the characteristics described in this lecture. I have never heard of the Magnanimous
Officer. I have learned that sometimes it is difficult to live to the high standards set forth here but not impossible.
I have not heard of Magnanimous Officer either. However, all of the qualities set forth in the lecture are those I have heard over and over again in leadership, supervisor, and management training. They are extremely high, this is probably because they are what the public expects. The public holds us to such a high standard that if we do not there will be an impossible imbalance. We may fall short at times of such expectations but the important aspect of this lecture was to acknowledge their existence and strive for excellence.
Many things struck me as I went through the readings and lecture of this first Module. The very idea of "Magnus", at it's very core should be what we as human beings abide by. We should start and end each day with self reflection and an honest assessment of where improvement is needed. As the lesson indicates, we never stop learning and are constantly evolving as humans. "The journey never ends". In order for our professional life to be at its best output, our personal life needs to be squared away as well. One cannot be without the other.
The assigned readings teach us that we must learn to balance the expectations of the organization and the needs of the individual members for the most efficient output. There is no "cookie cutter" template to show how to properly manage the behavior of each individual, each must be learned. Individuals are molded by various influences such as upbringing, belief system, past experiences and all influence perception. If the meaning we are trying to convey is not clear, we as humans fill in the blanks based on our previous experiences.
As I watched the lecture on what it takes to be a Magnus Officer, I would expect most officers would fit in that category. The lecture addressed listening. I think we as leaders often fail to listen to subordinates and sometime take an us against them attitude. This is a disconnect that often leads to poor morale. Officers like to know they are being listened to and that they are framing the future of the department.
I have been guilty myself of not listening and sometimes shutting down the conversation. I have learned to recognize my mistake and have immediately apologized with great results.
As I listened to the virtues of a Magnanimous Officer lecture I reflected upon myself and others I have come in contact with during my military and law enforcement career. I thought about the great supervisors I worked with and the not so good supervisors. Those that were great supervisors/leaders had a persona that matched the virtues of a Magnanimous Officer. Each one was different in their own way and I can’t say they all had every virtue listed. However, they all shared the same common core values starting with integrity and excellence in all we do. That was a foundation to build upon and try to instill in subordinates. After all, if you start with a great foundation the rest should be easier to add right?
The emphasis throughout this entire module was Magnanimity. It was also the first module, which underscores its importance. In the law enforcement profession, ethical decision making, or being the Magnus Officer, is paramount. Every law enforcement action results in an outcome, and every action is preceded by a decision. If the decision is based on virtuous thinking, the better the outcome. As mentioned in the module, there’s more to policing than confronting crime, and demanding Magnus behavior in your organization is good leadership.
I agree, there is much more to policing than confronting crime. Good leadership helps builds trust in the organization and the community.
The Magnanimous Officer must serve and protect with character. He needs to be action oriented even though risky it is the right thing to do. I also agree the magnanimous officer should constantly thrive to improve his character and virtue.
The replies to these open discussions leave us all time to self-reflect. As Royce stated here, that the "Magnanimous Officer" should possess character and virtue. These traits are some of the "core" values that are discussed frequently. It is certain that that if we don't strive to succeed, we are doomed to fail. It is fair to say that people who have "sight", sometimes fail to have "vision". To me, this means that they fail to better others or themselves, even if they are given the opportunity to do so. As such, the ability to "see", but failure to "visualize" the final outcome escapes the best of us. We can only strive to take what these courses offer and use the "sight" and "vision" which we all hope to possess and offer as future officers/leaders.
Mike Shard
Your comment on 'It is fair to say that people who have "sight", sometimes fail to have "vision" ' sums up so much of what I think this section (and I anticipate, this whole course) will shed light on. It is one thing to take in information and understand, it is a whole other thing to take that, look inside yourself to improve, and then take action for yourself and your organization- and the profession of Policing. The vision part to me means what you (I) do with this knowledge, and how we "Pay it forward" so that the next generation can do the same. The profession needs to constantly change, adapt, and improve.
It appears that what we are listening to and what is being shown is a refresher of what we should have been doing since becoming law enforcement officer. This model called magnus, has been taught to me since being a member of the US Army. All the key points of being truthful, being honest, being a true leader in good time and bad times is what makes this job so awesome.
An effective leader leads by example and in my opinion it doesn't really matter if anyone likes or dislikes you as long and you are fair and impartial when it comes to doing and saying what is right.
mbrown great point. Magnus behavior didn't just become important at this stage in our careers; its always been important.
I would agree that this should be a refresher because as a law enforcement officers we should already have these virtues. I believe that is how most of us start out in law enforcement, but for some that often changes due to greed or a want for power. You are a hundred percent right, t you should always lead by example not by words alone.
I like that the Magnus Officer is on a journey throughout their career. There is always much to learn and areas to grow. It is easy to know the right thing to do but not always easy to live it. It is also important to maintain a healthy lifestyle through continuous work on the body, mind and soul. I agree that listening is one of the hardest elements in being a good, effective leader.
In agreement Lt., we have to bring it all together as a whole package in order to be effective. If we lack in one area, the others suffer. Health, professional life, personal life.
ujp
Lt. Estorge, I agree with your post and like the idea that you bring fourth in a, "Journey throughout their career." I believe that many of us are looking at the finish line instead of concentrating on the impact that we have in the here and now. This can make a big difference on how less senior officers perceive who we are and the message we are delivering.
As others have related to, the lesson describes the perfect officer. We all want to be that person and it is true that most of us believe that we are that person. That is probably false for most of us. Learning our flaws is the most awakening aspect of these lessons. Being a good leader requires constant work on our part to be someone that one can look up to for guidance, direction, and knowledge to further their careers. It is much easier to be just the opposite of the Magnus Officer. Doing the right thing when no one is looking is something that I have tried to instill in my daughter and step-children. You have to have integrity and respect for others.
I agree that we all want to be that person that is described in the lesson. But being a realistic person we all have flaws but we still strive to be the best that we can. You are correct in saying that when others are looking we do the right thing or say what is appropriate at the time but its really true and just when we say and do it when one one is around.
jporter I enjoyed reading that the leadership principles you learn at work, you try to apply at home. Leadership starts at home.
I believe that the hardest part of becoming a Magmus Officer is the art of listening. As we get in the profession for an extended period we feel that we have seen everything, therefore we tend to disregard the information we receive from the younger officers. Listening to new ideas may improve our own mindset.
Listening to someone with less time and experience is a huge hurdle for most of us to overcome. We don't want to think that someone with one year on the job could tell us something we don't already know. Having an open door that welcomes new ideas is a wonderful way to allow your officers the chance to contribute to the whole. As with any new officer, if they feel they have contributed to the greater good it will keep moral high and an open line of communication.
I would have to agree that a vast majority of officers in a supervisory role often don't listen, but hear, just to respond. Listening is an art that has to be practiced to be effective. Despite how we may feel, some of the younger officers propose good ideas and can really help us on our journey to become more effective leaders and policing agencies.
That is spot-on Monte.
I often tell my Deputies to listen to comprehend not listen to reply. Sadly, I am also guilty of listening to reply to what a less experienced deputy is telling me. Since I "know more that you", the whole time the other person is speaking, I'm making mental notes on how to counter what they are saying. What I should be doing is actively listening to what is being said and trying to comprehend the message BEFORE I reply. When I listen to comprehend, I find that I'm more willing to consider a new mindset, technique, and/or idea.
The Magnus police officer as discussed in the first portion of this class is the ideal police officer, virtuous, kind, constantly seeking knowledge, fair etc. If one wants to become an effective leader one must first strive to posses these qualities by working on their own flaws trying to become their personal best and attain the qualities mentioned.
I agree that self reflection is one of the most important parts of being an effective leader. We all have to put ego aside when you are trying to improve yourself.
I agree the qualities of a magnus police officer, strived at on a continual basis, will make us effective leaders. The difficulty comes in the daily process of being disciplined.
Upon the completion of this lecture, I would agree that you must have all of the traits as described to be successful. I have been in law enforcement for 31 years and have witnessed those that have these traits and those who did not in leadership roles. The leaders with these traits always succeeded with completing the goals they wanted to accomplish. The leaders without these traits would usually have a unit that lacked in moral, production and in many cases would have officers with poor attitudes that would eventually affected the few officers that did have these traits.
As a Commander within my agency, I have dealt with many different personalities. It is unfortunate that I have seen many officers come and go over the years because they did not represent many of these traits. As it was mentioned in one of the other post, I do not believe this is something you can teach a person. Either you have these traits or you do not. Today's police officer is different in so many way from when I became a police officer. I truly became a police officer because it was my passion to want to make a difference and to help those in need. I never had the mindset of what was in it for me, as many of the younger generation police officers have today.
I am looking forward to progressing my ability to become a better leader and being able to address the issues that we are all facing today with the current generation of police officers.
I agree that the times are different now then when I first started back in 1992. I listened and learned from different individuals all of whom had different ideas of how to make things run smoothly. What I really learned was it wasn't their techniques but it was there personality. Some had what it took and others just wanted to do their 12 hours and go home.
I too have witnessed some leaders who lacked these traits and you are right their squad were never motivated.
After reviewing the lecture of this module,
After reviewing the lecture in this module, I reflected on my own values of being a good officer and supervisor and what I have seen over the years with coworkers habits. I believe that becoming a magus officer is something that can not be taught with out the officer having the values in stilled in him prior to becoming a officer. A person can act as if they are a truly honest person when they know people are observing their work habits, but the times when they know their is no one around they will revert back to their natural instincts of being a less-than-honest person.
A person with integrity will always act the same at all times, A person that claims to have integrity will only do the right thing when their is someone watching them. I believe that Integrity is something that cannot be taught. Integrity is something that a person is born with and carries it with them throughout their lives.
You are correct. A person can totally be different in front of people versus when no one is around. That is not a Magnus. Its sad, however, there are those people walking around with us in everyday life.
I agree: honesty, humility and integrity are instilled in a person as they are growing into adulthood. Those virtues cannot be taught.
In reading and learning about the virtues of a magnanimous officer, I learned more about me, where I stand and was a reminder of where I really need to be. In today’s world of staffing issues, budget constraints and challenges facing police departments, it may be easy to lose sight of where we are vs. where we really need to be. In many if not most organizations, it is easy to be inundated with projects, personnel issues, and day to day “emergencies” or fires that must be extinguished. It is very easy to become frustrated with these issues and deflect or take short cuts when dealing with them, thus losing sight of our own virtues. It reminded me of the discipline and accountability I have to myself, the members of my department and my organization. It’s a constant discipline and accountability we must have on ourselves to better serve and improve ourselves as human beings to accomplish the goal being MAGNUS officers and leaders.
The concept of the Magnus officer is very important in any organization, especially in law enforcement. I, in fact, try to instill those virtues to all of our officers. With that being said, what a Magnus officer was when I started my professional career, is quite different then what a Magnus officer is today. I feel the new generation of officers, at least at our police department, feel they are Magnus; however, they really don't know what that means. Or at least they only hold true to part of the definition. Words like self serving, entitlement, and average come to mind when thinking of our new generation and their idea of Magnus Officer. I understand that it is my job to teach them what the true meaning of Magnus is and enjoy doing it. However, it seems that as the generations get younger and younger (or I get older and older), their virtues completely change and the term Magnus evolves or morphs. Has anyone else dealt with or seen this problem?
I believe all generations including ours are all different, our officers come from different backgrounds, cultures times, etc. I guess I have learned that in my career, I can’t make everyone be like me when I was a new officer. I must hold them to the department’s standards of performance and not mine, which admittedly was a struggle. I really had to break it down and understand where they were coming from (which was very hard for me and it took a while) Once I somewhat figured it out, at least with the people I was dealing with, I determined I was originally doing it all wrong. Like some one else said in a post, it was about the relationships that we build that help us understand and relate to people. We then can empower them to do things which will motivate them to do work with expectations laid in front of them. When they feel like they are part of it or have ownership things changed. I recognize this may not work for everyone. I don’t believe virtues morph; I believe we become undisciplined to them and find the path of least resistance.
Henry, I would totally agree with every portion of your statement. I would say that everyone in this training has seen and is dealing with the same issues. I have for many years tried to instill these traits into the officers that I worked along side of and those that I have supervised. I have been fortunate to instill these values in my children, but find it very difficult to instill them in many of the new generation officers.
I know exactly what you are expressing. I have had the same feelings. I have been a police officer for 26 years now and lately I have been reflecting on when I came on, wondering if the senior officers felt the same way about me. In my experience with younger officers I find they are a bit more educated and so they ask way more questions than I did in reference to procedures. I began having discussions with them on why the procedures and SOPs are the way they are. These discussions opened both our eyes, they began to understand what we were trying to achieve and for me when policies should be revisited and revised. Just my experience.
Henry,
Great point on yesterday’s officer vs. today’s officer. I understand what you are saying about instilling the virtues of the Magnus officer today seems a little more difficult. The new generation coming in to this career sometimes comes out of the training academy feeling entitled but not yet understanding what is totally expected of them. That’s why I feel it’s our job to instill these virtues into these officers just as you said. Take the time and LISTEN and get to know your people. Start setting a foundation for them to build on and I truly believe it starts with INTEGRITY. After all, is it not our job to train our replacement?
I have also noticed a decline in virtue in some aspects of the younger officers. I feel magnus cannot evolve. The virtues required to live magnus have been the same from our ancestors, to now. I feel the new generations of officers suffer from failures of society and parenting. They have been told all their young life that they cannot lose, and are always right, that there is no wrong way of doing something. In my opinion, this leads the young officer to step into the job ill prepared to cope with the stress and expectations that are required to be magnanimous. With that being said, I feel that every generation complains about the next generation, and we as leaders must make sure we are not falling into the same mindset. I believe it is our job as leaders of our departments to find ways to assimilate the new officers into the “Magnus Way.”
Class listening to the lecture about the Virtues of a Magnus Officer takes me back to the day I took an oath to defend the Constitution of this great Country and the State of California over thirty years ago. These virtues define what we attempt to achieve every day twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. We are expected to be held to a higher standard which I welcome. What I have learned from this lecture is that by adhering to these virtues anyone can achieve success in leadership and provides a path to model the way for future leaders at all levels of the organization. It brings it back to the duty and honor we all must have to serve our communities.
Hello class,
The discussion regarding the definition of Magnus and the virtues of Magnanimous Officers is a good topic for leaders in an organization. Many of the virtues discussed regarding Magnanimous Officers fall directly in line with the Chino Police Department's 7 Core Values, Honesty, Integrity, Accountability, Dedication, Professionalism, Respect and Teamwork. Recently, our newly appointed Chief of Police set up meetings with each member of our department and asked them the same three questions. One question was "What called you to serve in Law Enforcement?" This is a great question to ask and one that will allow the leader to understand the motivations of their staff. This question, though, demonstrates the Magnus qualities many of our staff possess. In speaking with our Chief, he noted many were called to serve others, be guardians and to make an impact on the lives of others. This was true for both tenured and newly hired staff, both sworn and non-sworn. I personally believe every leader has Magnus virtues in them, sometimes they just have to remember what called them to service in the first place.
Frank
This section of study was timely for me since I sit down with every new employee to discuss the mission, vision and values of our department. What it means to be a servant leader and how we hold each other accountable as law enforcement professionals. Admittedly, I do most of the talking because I am trying to instill the MAGNUS Officer and what it means to be MAGNUS! We talk about the 30 Virtues of a MAGNUS Officer with the understand that we will never accomplish complete mastery of all the virtues, but we must continue on the idea of being a life-long learn of leadership, which will develop your character and make you a role model for your family, friends, peer and community. Moreover, the understanding of self-development is accomplished through taking action steps to further your education, learning and understanding of yourself. The first person you lead is yourself!
The foundation of a thriving organization starts with a true and honest willingness to understand our strengths and weaknesses so we can take action to change. As law enforcement professionals, we must constantly remind each other that our noble profession is only as good as our men and women whom act like honest servants to our community.
I believe everyone would agree, when entering the law enforcement profession, you feel you are Magnus in both body and mind. Your body has been conditioned with physical training at the academy, and your mind has been filled with visions of a noble, rewarding profession. I had this perceived notion that all LEOs were magnanimous. Because of this, I entered my career with the highest of expectations for myself and my co-workers, only to be dejected when I saw veteran officers giving minimum effort in their work product, physical appearance, and ethics. When I vented my frustration to my sergeant, he told me, "Brian, you hold yourself to very high standards. You can't expect everyone to meet your standards." I found out quickly when I promoted that trying to raise everyone to my standards caused resistance. However, when they saw that I wasn't going to lower my standards to accommodate them, many officers left my team at shift change and went to supervisors with lower standards. The officers that stayed, and the ones who bid for my team, were all looking for structure, accountability, and higher standards. I eventually ended up with a productive, positive team that required little hands on supervision. I've been lucky to have these caliber of officers and supervisors follow me throughout my career in supervision and management. I feel had I not continued to strive for Magnus, I might have been liked by more, but not respected.
Development as a magnus officer is ongoing throughout one's career and even life. The virtues of a magnus officer are ones that we must all strive for but rarely, if ever, fully achieve. Having this mindset, that we must constantly be striving toward this goal, is important as it ensures we are aware of our shortcomings which will hopefully prevent us from falling into the trap of over confidence or indulging in our human tendencies. We see people in our career who choose to advance or promote for various selfish reasons (power, influence, money, etc.) but end up failing to promote further or lose their career through an embarrassing incident or lapse in judgement because their intentions were not right from the start. We all have a tendency to have occasional lapses in judgement, but it would seem to me that those who are not magnus oriented, or have no intention to work towards magnus, tend to have issues of malfeasance vs. those who mean well but still make mistakes (misfeasance). By guiding our employees, and ourselves, towards magnus behavior and characteristics, and continuously reminding ourselves of our intent to work toward magnus, we set the very foundation of our career up for long-term success (not always promotion - but positive reputation, work ethic, community service, etc).
I agree development as magnus officer is something we must continue thought out our career and personal life. As leaders in our department we must lead by example to our subordinates and other leaders in our department. By living by the Magnus standards we can help lead our department into the future and help to mold the next generation of officers into the right path.
Yes as a Magnus officer the total goal is the educate all officers. I truly believe that some of the mishaps that a young officer encounter are because they have a different mindset. It is imperative that a Magnus officer educate these officers as well as the citizens in the community so we all strive toward success.
After viewing the lecture I had a better understanding of not only what it means to be a Magnus officer, but learned more about what the virtues of a Magnus officer mean. It was interesting to note that individuals coming into the law enforcement profession share such similar motives of answering a calling to serve and be a part of something bigger than themselves. What sets Magnus officers apart from others is that continued drive for self-improvement both personally and professionally. It is easy once you are in the law enforcement profession to get caught up in the "rat race" and tire from the trials and tribulations officers face daily with the negative public sentiment toward our profession and the internal politics that exist in any profession. What is more difficult is what makes officers Magnus. It takes commitment and perseverance to overcome the exposure to such negativity and continuously look for the light in the dark that allows us to grow and improve. Self-awareness is crucial to becoming Magnus, as it is this self-awareness that allows us to understand who we are and set expectations for ourselves and others. As explained in the lecture, it is important to create and believe in a shared vision, be goal-oriented, inspire and mentor others, and be that catalyst for change through our actions.
Some of the things that resonated with me the most in this lecture was the mindset of look, listen, learn and do. This mindset was reinforced with the Magnus behaviors discussed which were to OBSERVE in order to perceive what is really going on; to LISTEN carefully to what people really say (active listening skills); to have a commitment to LEARN continuously, as knowledge is very powerful and is a force multiplier; and lastly to ACT by having a commitment no matter how small, to do something to improve either self or for the benefit of others. I do believe that becoming Magnus is a journey, as stated in the lecture, because we never stop learning and are constantly faced with new challenges...being a Magnus officer is key to overcoming the challenges constantly thrown our way.
My biggest takeaway from this module is that we must act on the belief that every individual has it in them to be better, whether it is outwardly apparent or not. With that in mind, it is imperative that we, as leaders at work, at home and in our communities, seek to support others as they navigate their personal path to bettering themselves. This will require that we see others for what they can become, not just for what they are today. Furthermore, we must demonstrate that a commitment to growth through small, steady steps forward matched with an unwavering commitment to the cardinal virtues of justice, courage, wisdom, and temperance, will ultimately lead to magnanimity. By adopting this personal commitment and sharing details about my path with my co-workers and family, I expect to grow personally, and more importantly, help others to realize their full potential.
I agree with this. Unfortunately, there are times that I as a sergeant have failed in this endeavor. I tell my people that I am always there for them, but have failed to make them feel like I am available. My division has developed an "use vs. them" mentality, because our deputies do not feel there is adequate communication between them and the supervisors. Myself and the other 2 supervisors are working hard to change this mentality around. It is not easy.
The connection aspect was the part that struck me the most. Although some may say they can work/live alone the negative aspects of isolation eventually show up. If you are unable or unwilling to connect with both those you work with and those you serve your tenure as an officer will be short.
Command staff I remember the most from my career are those with whom I have connection. My first Lieutenant I ever worked with would manage by walking around. He knew everyone’s name and family members names. He stopped and talked about everything but work as he walked. Until the day he retired I would have done anything to make that man proud of me and worked my hardest for him.
The caution I feel is that it can not be a “faked” connection. If it is not genuine and sincere it will be spotted as the fake, it is almost immediately. You can not set it as a mission it really must be genuine for the connection to work, otherwise it just you are trying a “technique” and no true connections results.
I believe the information delivered in the discussion regarding the mindset of an officer when he/she enters the policing profession, that their heart and mind are oriented correctly. Officers enter the profession in response to a calling, to help and protect others, and to make a difference. I believe it everyone's goal to become Magnus and if asked, many believe they are there. As leaders in law enforcement, modeling the virtues, professionalism and actions expected and required of all police officers, is necessary. I find it difficult, however, when I interact with rank & file officers who don't exude the same. Nonetheless, I continue to communicate often with many of the tainted and less-productive officers, hoping to modify their actions, behaviors, morale, work-ethic, etc. I am confident many are in the same or similar situation within their agency.
I would agree with you to constantly continue to communicate with those that do not show the ideal traits of a magnus. These are perhaps the ones who need connections the most. we tend to spend time with under-performers to try to get them to perform instead of looking at the core systems they lack that create the under-performing. Truly caring for everyone may lead those under performers to their true calling which just may not be in the law enforcement field.
I agree Robert. Unfortunately, the majority of our time is dealing with the underperformers. While we consistently try to motivate them, the balancing act is to also focus on the overperformers and provide them the necessary attention. I am sure we all agree in this arena.
It is concerning to see the number of officers that I work with on a daily basis who do not have traits of a Magnus officer. I hope that more individuals in our profession get exposed to training like this to change their mindset to what this profession truly is about. Most of us who are in this course have shown to our agencies that we are in it "for the
long haul" and are dedicated to becoming better Magnus officers so we can shape younger officers to become Magnus as well. To quote Lt. Chris Hoina, "You can't change the world without first understanding yourself".
I feel your pain and I suspect that many others do as well. I also admire your commitment to continuing forward on a virtuous path, even when faced with situations in which others appear not to share that same commitment. If you maintain a steady commitment to being MAGNUS and keep walking along a virtuous line, you will undoubtedly experience many successes and help ensure that others are able to do the same.
I agree that it is difficult interacting with fellow officers who do not share the same values and work ethic expected of a Magnus officer. It is important, as you stated, to continue to communicate with these types of employees in order to exemplify the desired behaviors and work ethic expected. As a Magnus officer it is important to understand and embody the role and responsibilities of being the positive role model and mentor so one can effectively hold others accountable.
I agree, modeling the virtues, professionalism, and actions is absolutely necessary. What I've noticed in my department is there is a disconnect at the management and line-level supervisor levels. This might be a cultural thing we are dealing with. It seems we are afraid to hold people accountable these days in fear of hurting morale. But I feel morale is being hurt more by the fact there is little accountability, and what accountability there is, is not consistent.
Absolutely Brian! All the virtues & characteristics of a MAGNUS officer are those things which should be present, to a certain extent, even down to a newly hired officer. I think the disconnect is more generational, and the lack of holding officers accountable to a common standard is demoralizing to veteran officers, but also newer officers who do fulfill the standard which is expected of them.
I agree with your thoughts and ideas. I would offer a perspective that has worked for me in the past. We all want to get those less productive employees to find the "why" when they came on the job. But this generally take a lot of time and energy with marginal results. I would recommend that you focus on the top 20% within your agency that thrive and want to make a difference. Help develop them into better leaders...developing other leaders is a force multiplier that will "turbocharge" your organization.
Brian, I love your reply the "why." Most leadership schools teach that but we as leader often forget it. A large percent of morale problems can be resolved with the "why."
I disagree that morale problems can be resolved with "why." There is an issue in my division and I have tried to explain the why, but there is no "buy in." It is frustrating in this line of work to spend time on the nay sayers and those that "just want the paycheck." I love the MAGNUS program in that I need to focus on me, and by making me better, inherently those around me will either become better too, or stay the way they are. I love the belief that working on me will make me better, in turn make my relationships with others better, and then I can lead by example. I have seen way to often co-workers that used to be awesome, but then fall into a hole and leave to find another career. Granted this line of work is tough, and it is not for everyone. Maybe that is the answer? Get everyone to work on themselves, only then can we all be great.
Brian I agree with the "why" and also agree with developing new leaders. I feel that as leaders we should be grooming and teaching those under our command how do be the next generation of leaders. We all plan on retiring at some point in our lives, and I am sure, like me you want to leave your agency in good hands. I strive each day to teach my subordinates how do the jobs at hand but also to teach them decision making skills, trouble shooting techniques, accurate and fair discipline for those they supervise, and overall administrative duties.
I identified with a set of four magnanimous behaviors, which are action items, that can enhance communication and interaction with members of our organizations. The first action is to observe. Paying close attention to others, their concerns or performance is a good way to measure the health or efficiency of the organization and the needs of individuals. The second is to listen. Active listening, involving asking questions and providing feedback is the best way to make sure we are hearing the message or concerns clearly and it allows us a chance to show empathy or to reinforce the values of the organization. The third behavior was to learn. Continuous learning is a trait of many great leaders. Being a student of this profession, I help create a rising standard of performance and customer service through learning better ways of serving our community. The last behavior is to act. With every great plan comes action. Executing a plan for improvement, or corrective action, is how we stay ahead in this everchanging profession of public safety.
As sworn officers we commit to exemplify the many virtuous behaviors of the law enforcement code of ethics. From the academy, throughout our careers, we strive to abide by the high expectations of character, behavior, commitment, and service. This entire module one lecture series reminded me of the many virtuous behaviors described in the code of ethics. As leaders, we need to constantly exemplify and expect our members to show these behaviors, while promoting our mission and constantly reinforcing our values so they all become how the members of the organization see itself.
I agree that many of us experience the same frustrations and challenges when having to manage employees who lack the many virtuous traits discussed in this module. Our best officers generally embody the larger share, but many of our personnel do not have the entire skillset when it comes to virtuous behavior. For this reason I think it so important that our written directives, and organizational goals and values address what we expect and what we stand for. As a team, many will adopt these behaviors if the message is clear and reinforced when behavior falls short. Lastly, There are a lot of parts in becoming Magnus, and I identified a few that I fall short on and will need to work on as well.
Captain Primiciero,
Thank you for sharing your perspective on Magnus virtues. I understand the frustration, when some of your personnel are negative and forget why they entered this profession. Does your agency have any methods or training that seeks to motivate these disenchanted officers?
Frank
Thanks Frank for the response. While there are numerous training opportunities afforded to rank and file officers, I see many shun at these options as they require additional effort. Some have tried and after receiving a rejection, they may be that negative person not understanding how to use this as an opportunity to grow.
jprimicerio,
I can completely understand your frustrations associated with attempting to communicate with many of the tainted and less-productive officers. I also see a few of them within my organization. They are the 10 percent who do only the bare minimum and are there only as a means of collecting a paycheck. I have found that it is better to focus on the other 80 to 90 percent within the organization who are looking for that leadership and who willing to work hard to become a Magnus law enforcement officer and understands that our professionalism is also evaluated when we are out of our uniform. We must always strive to deliver results with confidence.
As a Magnus Officer and Leader we are responsible for being the example to those who have not developed an “I want to be Magnus” attitude. As long as we continue the process of improving we become better for them. I believe it’s crucial that we never stop looking, listening, learning, and doing. This is easily done for those who are willing and wanting to improve. It is quite a challenge for those who came aboard just for the paycheck.
I believe that if a person is a magnus officer and he/she possess the mindset, the skills, morals, and values he/she can assist the struggling officer. The magnus officer has goals and if he/she presents his/her goal in the right fashion change can be made with another non magnus officer.
Great post
I have to agree with you when it comes to speaking with the rank and file who don't possess Magnus qualities. To some this is just a job and a paycheck. I give some of the Rookies credit, most come with excellent virtues and want to do the right thing, even when their course of action is not correct. That's where my responsibility as their Leader to lead them toward the right course of action comes to play. The most difficult Officers to deal with are the long term senior Deputies, I'm sure due to their experience they've adapted a complacency in duty and in writing of their reports. To their credit still all good men and women, they've just lost that "fire" i guess.
Jarod, I agree that most officers enter the profession with the correct mindset. I believe as a leader and and someone with the goal to be a Magnus Officer, it is our job to help the ones that do not exude the same behaviors get back on the right path.
For me personally, communicating with others with different objectives or lack of caring for the welfare of the group, is one of the most difficult things to do and I continually find myself failing in this endeavor. I feel like this is my greatest challenge to moving forward at my agency.
I agree that most new officers enter the field with the right mindset of having their mind orientated correctly. I also agree that we as professional law enforcement leaders should spend a little more time with those few officers, modeling the magnus beliefs, and articulating and expressing through words and actions the example of a virtuous officer. However, I also believe we should also humbly continue to work on ourselves and others within the agency concurrently so that we don’t lose sight of continuing our own growth as leaders within the department. Ensure that we continue to evolve with the ever-changing ways of society, meeting those noble objectives.