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Some friends wanted me to continue writing about the Mueller investigation, it’s outcome, and the impact of Attorney General Barr’s recent testimony. Quite frankly though, I’m bored with the whole thing. In my opinion it’s over. The Democrats in D.C. will keep it on life support because it’s really all they have to work with (especially in light of the April jobs report!). Now it’s just painful to watch. Especially when I heard Senator “Stolen Valor” Blumenthal comment that Barr lacked integrity! Wow! The only aspect of the whole thing that I’m curious about now is the investigation the Republicans are proposing into the source of this whole mess. That has potential to be very interesting. We’ll see…

What I really want to talk about is leadership. I just finished a fascinating book called Extreme Ownership. This book was written by a couple of retired Navy SEALs and is based on their combined battlefield experiences. These guys take leadership principles learned in battle and apply them to a variety of business and personal situations. In my opinion, the lessons in this book are applicable to virtually any leadership position or challenge. It’s a good read if you’re into that sort of thing.

I spent 33 years working for a quasi-military organization and became sort of a student of leadership. I believe that the word “leadership” has been diluted to the point that it now simply describes a person in charge. In my experience, true leadership is much more than that! I should state at the outset, that I differentiate between leaders and managers. I’ve worked for both and the difference between the two is like night and day. Without fail, the leaders outshined the managers when it came to completing a task successfully. Managers are bean counters, focusing on minutiae rather than the mission because they lack confidence. Leaders are dynamic and get the job done. So, what’s the difference? It’s hard to describe because “leadership ability” is impossible to quantify.

There are different theories regarding the development of leaders. Some think that leadership is something that can be taught while others believe leaders are born with the necessary qualities/traits. I fall into the latter category. The Los Angeles Police Department used to send (maybe they still do) newly minted supervisors and staff officers to what was called West Point Leadership School. This was a course built on principles identified at The United States Military Academy at West Point. This was an outstanding course because it did accurately instruct candidates on the critical tenets of leadership. Unfortunately, all the instruction in the world couldn’t transform some people into leaders. I saw it happen often. A person did all the right things to promote. They took the tests, studied hard and made the right connections. The simple fact is, some people just don’t have the other necessary attributes of a leader. These are the people I call managers rather than leaders. They may be in charge, but they’re not really “leading” anyone anywhere.

There are people who believe themselves to be leaders by virtue of their rank, position or title. In my experience, the real leaders aren’t necessarily the people in charge. In fact, some of the best leaders I’ve been around were reluctant to take an official or traditional leadership position. Why? I think it’s because one of the characteristics of true leaders is a certain amount of humility. These same people were able to focus their efforts on the mission rather than drawing attention to themselves and their achievements.

Consider your own experience. Can you recall a time when you were in the presence of someone you would describe as a true or natural leader? What was it about this person that set him or her apart? Take away all the written material on the principles and practices of good leaders and what you have left is that intangible I mentioned above. Some call it charisma, and I guess that’s as good a descriptive word as any. Whatever you want to call this trait, these people seem to have the innate ability to somehow draw others to them and ultimately…lead.

Teddy Roosevelt, who I believe was a good leader, said the following; “It’s not the critic who counts. It’s not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled. Credit belongs to the man who really was in the arena, his face marred by dust, sweat, and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs to come short and short again, for there is no effort without error and shortcoming. It is the man who actually strives to do the deeds, who knows the great enthusiasm and the great devotion, who spends himself on a worthy cause, who at best, knows in the end the triumph of great achievement. And who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and cruel souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

We’re all leaders in some sense so we need to seriously consider the following: leadership is a privilege, not a right. Additionally, leaders have tremendous responsibility to the people they lead and those impacted by their leadership decisions. Kind of a sobering fact when we consider those looking to us for guidance.

Blaine Blackstone is a retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant who enjoys the simpler life in Thompson Falls. He can be reached by email at [email protected].