Nearly every oath taker began their oath with an act of “initiative.” A simple fundamental of leadership. What we have in this country is a degradation of leadership at every level. While I’ve never served in an elected office, I still have a few words for the officials serving in that capacity. Leadership is not a brand that applies to only one sect of society. It is like liberty in the sense that everybody can enjoy it, and serve it, if it is done right. Leadership can be served at every level. It’s not reserved for corporate commandos or military officers. In the military, you are instructed in the fundamentals and principles of leadership at the earliest rank upward. And reflecting on it, I can say that leadership should always be served from the bottom up; not to be confused with management that is dictated from the top down.
Our Congress has lost their way, supplanting the will of the people for their own ideologies. Sadly, the people in office with this mind-set are already below the moral requirement for leadership. It would take a life-changing event to bring a person back from moral depravity to a position of leadership. The reason? Moral depravity is hubris built. A haughty person doesn’t want to be humble. “Service” is vaguely defined in their vocabulary. It is beneath them to “serve.” They seek only a means to their own desires. Leadership is servant hood, and servant hood is below the proud.
This is why it’s important that oath takers be humble in their service. Servant hood is the role of the oath taker. Words like “truth,” “faithfully” and “serve” can be found in various forms of oaths. These are service words. They bring to thought words like “integrity” and “honor.” This is why I’m including a few lessons on LEADERSHIP in this chapter. Your goal, as a servant, is that of a leader, not a manager; and I will explain the difference later, but for now, understand that the oath taker is assuming the position of a leader, and all the respect one would expect of an oath taker to have, is found in service, not dictatorial positions of management.
The driving force behind every good leader is good instruction. Like the ol’ cliché says, “you are what you eat”! You, as a leader, are a direct product of influence, instruction, and the lessons of life. You have learned from your predecessors and have grafted the traits that best influenced you into your own character. You have received, and are in the process of receiving, instruction that should impact you for the duration of your leadership. Like your character, which is or was a product of your environment, leadership skill is a direct result of impact. Everything the leader does will have a direct impact upon another person, whether for good or for bad. There is no gray area that has a neutral impact on lives. Therefore, the leader must live as if every eye is always upon him. People watch the leader, they hear the leader, and they study the leader. Everything you do, everything you say, every action you take, every response you make; it’s all being observed. You are held to a higher standard, because much is vested in you.
The purpose of what I’m writing is not to make you a leader. No book, course, or seminar can make you a leader. Leadership is acquired through many factors. Reading materials and courses are only a couple. Even swearing an oath and taking a position of office or of influence does not make you a leader. The willingness of people to back you and support you through good times and bad is what makes you a leader. The leadership fundamental known as initiative is just a building block of leadership. It’s a trait, a telltale sign of leadership.
I’m trying to make a substantial contribution to the foundation that has already been laid or is already in the process of being laid. You, as an oath taker, will build upon the foundation and shape your organization, beginning with yourself.
Accepting the fact that you should be serving as a leader isn’t always easy to swallow. Especially if you’ve been elected to be a leader. Many are elected because they have been identified as such. Or perhaps, their potential has been identified. Many good leaders are able to identify traits in people that can be fine-tuned. If you have been selected by a leader, such as an officer, executive, or another type of authority, this is probably the case.
To determine if you have been selected as a potential leader, compare yourself to the following:
I have been asked to fill a position in a lower level of responsibility.
I have been asked to do a task that requires special trust.
I have been placed in a position, or asked to perform a task, that requires competence.
I have learned servanthood.
The above list is not an exhaustive one, but if you have answered “yes” to any of them, then you have probably been identified as a potential leader. Now that you are aware of your potential, allow your leaders to shape you. This will require time and patience. They will shape you by putting more demands upon you. In the process of this period, you may, or may not, find out that perhaps you weren’t leadership material after all. There is no shame in that. Many people are better followers than leaders. Continue to support your leaders and grow in the area in which you were planted. You will find, if you haven’t already, that it’s the “little things” that are every bit as vital as management.
“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”—John Wooden
Those of you who are actively serving in positions that require leadership should utilize the information in this book to fulfill that obligation. Not everybody can be a captain, a congressman, or a policeman, but those of you who have successfully made it into such a role should be held to a higher standard of behavior. You are expected to have more honor, more integrity, more discipline. You are expected to be more extraordinary than the “man on the street.” If you are able to meet the challenges, then you should probably be prepared for some unexpected emotions to accumulate. Things like time, effort, demands, restraints, disciplines, forethought, quick thinking, and many others, were just not expected. At this point you will begin to feel some, if not all, of the following emotions:
Doubt (I’m not sure if I will be able to handle this.)
Fear of the unknown (I’ve never done anything like this before.)
Incapability (I don’t think I’m skilled enough for the task.)
Entrapment (Look what I’ve gotten myself into.)
Discouragement (Maybe I don’t meet the criteria after all.)
Every leader was a potential leader first! An emotion is only a feeling and not a determiner. It should not be regarded as a counselor or a guide. Be sure to “act” on your emotions and not “react.” Your reactions can cause more damage than improvements. Your emotions are normal and every leader goes through at least one of these. You can’t build a reputation on them, so why let them lead you? You will find that facing the challenge head-on is the best way to overcome it. There has never been a mountain overcome that was not climbed first. Everything the leader does is a challenge. If the challenges weren’t met by him first, then he wasn’t the leader, he was the follower.
What should be my code of conduct as a potential leader?
The leader should never get caught up in the “status quo.” Sometimes the affairs of men get caught up in the same ol’, same ol’. The leader is the one who is always looking for a new and better way to do things. Many complain that they keep getting the same results over and over again, when all they need to do is make a few changes. If they keep doing what they’re doing, they’re going to keep getting what they’re getting. Second, you, as a leader, should do nothing for appreciation or praise. Leadership is not a reward. Many, many times, you will find that leadership is a thankless job. Keep these simple principles in mind as you progress through your potentiality:
Leadership is not a reward. It is a challenge.
Leadership is action, not mediocrity.
Leadership is vitality.
Leaders progress (not to be confused with compromise).
Communicate effectively with the people.
Leadership is not a stepping stone or a destination. It is a journey.
Work together, as a team! There
is no “I” in “team.”
Leadership is not “superiority.”
Back your leader in all things.
I often talk about principles. I consider myself “a man of principles.” When I do or do not, it is because of the principles that govern me.
Principle can be defined as:
a. A rule or standard, especially of good behavior: a man of principle. b. The collectivity of moral or ethical standards or judgments.
The following principles should be found in every leader in order for him/her to be effective:
1) Be tactically professional.
Your thoughts and actions must be well thought-out. They will affect your potential if you are misunderstood. What you say and do can have positive or negative consequences.
I’ve served in municipal, state, and federal positions for more than twenty years. In that span of time, I have seen every example of the tactically unprofessional. There’s nothing more disheartening than serving under a person that cannot deal with people in a manner that is tactically proficient. No person serving in a leadership position should have an inner circle of line staff, a clique, if you will. This is particularly damaging to the “leader’s” reputation. When these type of things exist in departments, it becomes the subject of many misconstrued incidents and rumors.
2) Know your people and look out for their welfare.
It doesn’t hurt any to be aware of your people’s strengths and weaknesses. Armed with this information, you can have more of an impact on the individual. If you can have an impact on the individual, then you can impact the department. If you impact the department, then you impact the community. Do not utilize people in areas where they are not technically proficient. Look at their strengths, identify them, and utilize them in a manner that benefits the department and, ultimately, the public. Be conscientious of their people skills. If they cannot respect the people, they should probably be utilized elsewhere.
3) Keep the people informed.
Nothing brings more vexation than not knowing what all the labor is about. Nobody likes to be blindfolded. Share your ideas, reasons, goals, and outcomes. Then critique the mistakes, possible innovations, and be sure that new goals are set and understood. When you are engaging the community, tell them anything you are legally obliged to share. Be friendly with the public, and always remember, you are under oath.
4) Set the example.
The leader sets the standard of excellence. If you are in a mediocre mind-set, then your people are going to be mediocre. Show the people that you are a servant. In turn, they will learn to serve. Never ask the people to do something that you are not willing to do yourself. In my time of service, I’ve seen bad followers take up management roles and become anything but a leader. When this happens, the people have no respect for that person or that position. If you are in a position of a follower, fulfill that role to the best of your ability. Remember, people are always watching you, even when you are not in leadership positions; they watch you and take mental notes.
Most recently, I had the misfortune of working a staff position with an individual that earnestly coveted a leadership position that was already filled. Rather than letting this be his time to shine as a follower, he undermined his leader and actively sought to make him look bad to his employers. I’m sure his thought process was that eventually he would replace the man in charge as THE MAN IN CHARGE. He failed to set the example for those who worked with him directly and was eventually appointed to the position he sought, but not without a loss of respect from many of those who once worked with him, including yours truly. I resigned that position because I could not reconcile my unhappiness and lack of respect for the man with the job I needed to do. Don’t forget that there will come a time when you will have to correct your subordinates, and they will bring to thought a laundry list of your shortcomings.
5) Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished.
A task will not be accomplished in the manner you have envisioned if you haven’t shared it with the people. You must be able to communicate your vision in the language of the individual (know your people).
6) Train the people as a team.
Unity is not an automatic trait of the team. Unity must be forged. The team must learn to cast away such words as “I” and “me” and replace them with the words “us” and “we.” Do not rely on one or two people in your department to take care of all the training. Seek to have every person fill a critical role so that the team can feel prolific. Unless you’re in the military, do not publicly criticize. Team building is not the same in public service as it is in military service. There is no Uniform Code of Military Justice in the public sector. That being said, understand that there are repercussions for the way you deal with people. You can always be replaced, especially if you’re serving in an elected or appointed position.
7) Develop a sense of responsibility and accountability in the people.
“Passing the buck” is unacceptable. It’s an example that shouldn’t be followed. You have to wonder how things in this world might have changed if the leaders in it would have taken responsibility for their own actions. A leader doesn’t say to his people, “It’s your fault.” And the team shouldn’t point fingers at one another either. If you, as a leader, are being criticized, don’t turn the tables by criticizing the employee. Instead, inquire the reason you are being criticized, admit the fault, fix it, and carry on. If you cannot hold yourself accountable for your own shortcomings, don’t expect others to take responsibility for their faults. Nobody respects a “perfect” man, because only one has ever existed, and the rest are fictitious, except in your own self-image.
8) Use the people in accordance with their capabilities.
You don’t want to give your people a task that they are not set to accomplish, or cannot accomplish. This could do damage to their conscience and/or confidence. Many times, early on, you may not know the capabilities of your people. In this case it will be necessary to search them out. When you are equipped with this knowledge, you will be able to properly use him/her in accordance with their capability. If your people are being used within their capabilities, there should be very few instances of damage control.
9) Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions.
As a leader, the people will look to you. Be sure to admit when you have made a mistake. There’s nothing wrong with apologies. It’s humble to apologize, and the people will admire that. A person who can admit his/her wrongs is a person that people can be comfortable around. As aforesaid, admit the fault and fix it. Remember you set the example!
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” —THOMAS JEFFERSON
Trait can be defined as a distinguishing feature, as of a person’s character. A person’s character will dictate traits necessary to be an effective oath keeper. These simple traits should be found in every leader:
1) Integrity: Uprightness of character.
“A man should be upright, not be kept upright.” —unknown
There’s no limit to what can be said about this trait. Integrity pretty much defines everything you do. It defines who you are, what you say, what you do, even what you think. The integrity that is ingrained within your character is the building block to all other principles of leadership. Integrity is something that should come pretty natural. It can be taught, but at no easy leisure. Your actions are a response to the way you think; therefore integrity ought to be at the root of everything you do.
“I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.” —Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a man of integrity. In 1517, Luther pinned his ninety-five theses to the door of the Catholic Church. No matter what religion you are, you probably cannot deny that Luther had unwavering integrity. His conscience told h
im to act, and he acted. A person who chooses to ignore his conscience condemns his own integrity. A man’s conscience will eventually become seared when he continually circumvents his integrity. Eventually, there comes a time when right and wrong is no longer considered, when the path of least resistance is optimal. The right path is not always the easy one to walk, but when you choose to take it, despite the opposition, your conscience will be clean and your integrity intact.
“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” —Samuel Johnson
What good is integrity if you’re at a crossroads and you don’t have the knowledge to choose the right path? Samuel Johnson had it right. A person without knowledge may consider the possibility that right and wrong are fluid. We’re commonly seeing this in American leadership; people with the inability to see evil as it is, or to call evil “evil.”
Early in the Obama administration, Janet Napolitano, former homeland security secretary, refused to use the term “terrorist” or “terrorism,” choosing instead to call them “extremists” and “man-caused disasters.” Obama, after the Benghazi attack, failed to say “terrorists” or “terrorist attack,” choosing instead to say, “No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for,” on September 12th, 2012. You may feel that it’s just a play on words, but the reality is, Obama doesn’t see in black and white; he sees everything in shades of gray. On September 12th, 2012, Obama appeared on 60 Minutes. Obama was asked if he believed Benghazi was a terrorist attack. Obama replied, “Well, it’s too early to know exactly how this came about, what group was involved, but obviously it was an attack on Americans. And we are going to be working with the Libyan government to make sure that we bring these folks to justice, one way or the other.” This may or may not be integrity, but it was certainly spoken without knowledge of right/wrong and good/evil.
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