Perspectives: Leadership Challenges of First-Line Supervisors

One of the sometimes-overlooked roles of a leader is that of a motivator. At one time, motivating might have been an easy task—an unexpected lunch or thank you card might have gone a long way. Today, it is not as easy. How do we motivate faithful officers who have been forced to answer the door as COVID-19 knocked? How do we motivate officers through the uncertainty and uneasiness caused by calls for defunding and abolishing the police? How do we motivate through an intense and divisive political season? Discovering new ways to motivate brave men and women is challenging, yet executives and first-line supervisors must find a way to keep officers committed to the profession and their communities.