Law enforcement leaders worldwide know without question that this continues to be a challenging time for the profession and for the communities we serve.

Leadership has never been easy, but today, with the ever-increasing responsibilities and threats, it requires the balancing and understanding of multiple complex elements. Success rests in the ability to influence others with an end result of effecting positive change. Orders can be issued, but without buy-in, we might not see the results we expected.

In our role, we influence our professional and organizational culture, which shapes our officers’ belief systems and behaviors. As we strive to be strong leaders within our organizations, we must ensure that our officers know and trust that we care about them and their well-being—we must always serve and protect them with the same vigor with which we serve and protect our communities.

We can never forget that leadership is not a spectator sport. We must be all in, all the time. Idleness, indecision, and apathy remain the stumbling blocks to success.

Although leadership styles differ and no one style works for everyone, I find there are three reoccurring types. I call them the “Scuba Diver,” the “Snorkeler,” and the “Boat Rider.”

The scuba diver does the deep dive; they have to be there, hands on, part of the action, totally engaged. The snorkeler wants to be submerged enough to see what’s going and to be close if needed, but has limited interaction. The boat rider sits on the back of the boat deck with a hands-off approach and waits for all the information to be brought to them. Each style has its benefits and drawbacks, and situations may call for several different approaches at the same time. Knowing when to be hands on, when to be close, and when to let go isn’t always easy, but flexibility in leadership is crucial.

We can never forget that leadership is not a spectator sport. We must be all in, all the time. Idleness, indecision, and apathy remain the stumbling blocks to success.

In order to build a sustaining agency that can continue to effectively serve our communities far into the future, we need to promote the education of the people at all levels and ranks. Law enforcement requires leaders with discernment, reasoned judgement, understanding, resiliency, and decision-making capabilities, among other qualities. If we expect the up-and-coming officers of our agencies to think and act effectively, then we must start their development on day one of their careers and continue it even after they step into our ranks.

We continue to support your efforts to empower and develop leaders, from offering professional services like resume reviews and interview training to attendees at our annual conference to providing ways to recognize our up-and-coming leaders through the IACP Leadership Awards and the 40 Under 40 Award. We also offer important development training, such as our Leadership in Police Organizations, Women’s Leadership Institute, and First-Line Leadership courses.

I encourage you to take advantage of the resources IACP offers to help you develop your leaders of tomorrow.

Leadership is about making difficult decisions. It is about collaborating with internal and external forces to better serve our communities. It is about setting the tone and culture for our agencies. And it is about crafting a future for law enforcement through our future leaders.

At the IACP, we continue to work on being change agents in law enforcement on the global stage. We realize that to effect change you must first be at the table, then the closer you are to the head of the table the more change you can effect. The IACP actively engages and is at the table so that your voices, as the leaders of law enforcement, are heard.

Law enforcement is a noble profession, and as its leaders, it is our responsibility to establish legacies of nobility, service, and trust that will be reflected in our leaders of tomorrow.

Thank you for all that you do, and please stay safe.🛡