Before I Had the Title

I joined the Dunkirk Police Department in the City of Dunkirk, New York, in 2002. A few years into my career, I was grateful for the opportunity to field-train new officers.

I was honored.

I always found it rewarding to teach new officers and watch them “graduate” to solo patrol. The bond between a field training officer and a new officer forms quickly, is deeply meaningful, and can last a long time. I remember all my Field Training Officers, the impact they had on me, and the friendships that developed.

When you are in a patrol car with someone eight hours a day, five days a week, for about a month, you don’t just talk about the responsibilities of being a police officer. You get to know them as a person. You find out about their likes and dislikes, their family, and their values.

I quickly realized I loved being a Field Training Officer (FTO). When you complete field training school, you receive a pin to wear on your uniform. I wore mine proudly.

Looking back, being an FTO was my first real leadership experience. I’m grateful I became an FTO before moving into supervision. You don’t have any rank, but you have significant responsibility. You help shape a new officer and, whether you realize it or not, your example influences the kind of officer that person may become.

In 2008, one of our supervisors retired, giving me the opportunity to periodically serve as the officer in charge of shifts while another officer was promoted. That experience, along with field training, made me realize I wanted to become a supervisor.

I had learned from others that if I wanted to lead, I first needed to earn people’s respect. With only six years of experience, I knew I had no idea how to lead. I also knew that a title alone wouldn’t make me a leader.

So, I turned to the internet and ordered a leadership book.

The most popular leadership author I found was John C. Maxwell. I ordered his 2005 book, The 25 Ways to Win with People. I took so much from it that I downloaded two other audiobooks by John Maxwell: Leadership Gold and The 360° Leader.

These three books became part of my foundation for learning about leadership before I had the title.

One of the principles that stuck with me was that you don't need a title to lead. In The 360° Leader, Maxwell explains how people can develop influence from wherever they are in an organization. He even highlights how you can lead from the middle.

That changed the way I thought about preparing for leadership. I didn't have to wait for a promotion to start becoming a better leader. I could work on myself, learn from the leaders around me, and try to positively influence others from where I was.

I believe that decision to intentionally study leadership helped prepare me for opportunities that came later. The books were part of it, but so were great mentors, experience, successes, mistakes, and lessons learned along the way.

The titles came later.

I was fortunate to eventually rise through the ranks to Chief of Police with essential mentorship from those that came before me. Each position brought new responsibilities and plenty of mistakes with new lessons. Some leadership principles I learned about early in my career made more sense as I gained experience.

I ordered that first John Maxwell book about 18 years ago because I wanted to become a supervisor.

Today, I'm retired from law enforcement, and I'm still studying leadership.

The reason I'm writing now is to share some of what I've learned along the way in hopes that it may help new and aspiring leaders on their own journey.

That’s one of the most important lessons I’ve learned. Leadership development doesn't begin when you receive a title, and it certainly doesn't end when you receive one.

Don't wait for the promotion to start studying leadership. And if you already have the title, it's never too late to start.

Whether you're an FTO, a senior officer, a junior officer, or someone working in an entirely different profession, you already have opportunities to influence the people around you.

You can start leading from where you are.