10 Performance Measurements to Judge Yourself as a Leader

February 8, 2019
Billy
Chiefs, Command Staff
90 Comments

I recently received my 2-Minute Monday Motivator in my email box from my friend, Rick Houcek. Rick is a strategic planning coach, self-motivation workshop leader, keynote speaker, CEO coach and author. He also happens to be a resident of Dunwoody. Rick’s Monday Motivator is worth the read. Sign up here to receive his free weekly newsletter.

Anyway, in Rick’s latest newsletter, he discusses the criteria we should use as leaders to judge our performance and make sure that criteria lines up with our stakeholders. In other words, we should judge ourselves by the same criteria those we lead judge us.

Job Performance Criteria for Presidents

Rick provided a list of criteria used by historians to judge the performance of United States Presidents according to USA Today. Here is the list.

Public persuasion
Crisis leadership
Economic management
Moral authority
International relations
Administrative skills
Relations with Congress
Vision/Agenda setting
Pursuit of equal justice for all
Performance within the context of his times

Although this is a great list, it really doesn’t work well for trying to judge our performance as law enforcement leaders.

As Rick pointed out, historians agree you can’t really measure the effectiveness of a president until 50 years later.

Since we can’t wait 50 years to find out how we are doing, I decided to take this list and modify it for law enforcement.

Here are 10 performance measurements you can use to judge yourself as a law enforcement leader today.

Advocate for Department and Staff

One of your greatest responsibilities as a law enforcement leader is to advocate for the needs of your staff and the department. It is easy to focus on your own needs rather than the needs of others. Yet helping others is the path to helping yourself.

Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

I certainly believe this to be true.

When I was first hired as a police chief, my boss told me that I was the best advocate for the needs of my department. The Public Works Director, the Parks Director and even the City Manager were not going to speak up for what the police department needed.

It had to be me.

Are you advocating for the needs of your staff and department?

Leadership in a Crisis

They say the best of a leader comes out in a crisis. It is much easier to make decisions when there is less pressure and less stress. What happens when the pressure is on? Can you make a decision when all eyes are on you and the outcome has major consequences?

Great leadership is revealed in a crisis. Winston Churchill is well-known for his leadership during WWII.

A leader that can stand up, remain calm in spite of the chaos and make good decisions with no hesitation is worth his or her weight in gold.

Are you an effective leader in a crisis?

Fiscally Responsible

Regardless of your leadership position, if you manage a budget you must demonstrate that you are fiscally responsible. If you are consistently over budget, it sends a message that you don’t pay attention to the details.

Pay attention to the details.

Stay within your budget. Review the budget periodically to make sure all purchases are appropriate and are categorized correctly. Follow all purchasing policies.

Be fiscally responsible.

Ethical Above Reproach

Character counts, especially for law enforcement professionals. The eye of the public scrutinizes almost every decision made by a police officer. And if the public doesn’t review it, management does. You must have unquestionable ethics. It is the foundation your leadership is built upon.

Internally, do you follow the rules of your agency like you expect others to do? Do you wear your seatbelt? When firearms qualifications happen, are you there? Do you tell the truth? Do you hold yourself to the same standard as everyone else in the department?

One ethical lapse can undermine your effectiveness as a leader.

Partner With Local, State & Federal Law Enforcement Agencies

A good law enforcement leader recognizes the need for partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Crime and criminals are not restricted by boundaries. Today’s criminal may commit a crime in 10 different areas without the first thought of jurisdiction.

The Dunwoody Police Department recently partnered with the Gwinnett County Police Vice Unit and the FBI’s Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation Task Force (MATCH) to conduct sex trafficking operations leading up to Super Bowl Llll. We made over 30 arrests, rescued two women from sexual servitude, and charged two suspects with sex trafficking.

All possible because of great partnerships.

Good Manager

Management is obviously different than leadership, but still important. How you manage your responsibilities can cause you to fail as a leader.

Let me explain.

You have certain duties and responsibilities that you must carry out with precision, meeting all deadlines. This “paperwork” can be tedious, yet it is important.

If you consistently fail to meet deadlines or fail to submit important reports as part of your assignment, you may suffer disciplinary action or be removed from your leadership position.

Are you a good manager?

Community Partnerships

The success of your agency and your ability to lead is derived from the community you serve. The stronger that relationship is, the better you are able to serve. Incorporating initiatives that develop partnerships and builds trust will contribute to a much stronger relationship with your community.

Are you working to develop strong community partnerships?

Vision for Agency

Without a vision, the people perish is an axiom used in the Bible that is certainly true for law enforcement agencies today.

Great leaders incorporate a shared vision of the future of the agency and the possibilities that exist when the entire team works together.

Most agencies have a vision statement. However, a leader’s true vision is more than words on a paper. It is lived out in public and known by all members of the department.

Do you have a vision for your agency?

Justice For All

How you treat those you work with and the public is the yardstick many use to measure your ability to lead.

Procedural Justice is the term frequently used to describe law enforcement encounters with the public.

Are you being fair?

Are you giving people a voice?

Are you impartial in your decision making?

Are you being transparent?

True leaders also make sure these same tenets apply to employees of the department. If you treat those you work with justly, they are much more likely to treat the citizens they have contact with justly as well.

Treat everyone justly.

Be Contemporary in Thoughts and Actions

Strong law enforcement leaders follow current trends religiously and make adjustments accordingly to the department and themselves. Court rulings, community expectations and technology influence changes in policy and procedures.

I’ve heard this statement many times over the years, “There are two things cops don’t like; change and the way things are.” I agree this is true, yet good leaders must always look past such sentiments and make small adjustments and changes that keep the department moving forward.

If you are not changing, you are falling behind.

Great leaders are engaged. They attend the appropriate conferences, volunteer to serve on relevant committees and engage with their peers on the important issues of the day.

Conclusion

Although you may not be judged as a leader on the same scale as past presidents, you will nevertheless be judged. Rather than just trying to do your best and hope it works, you should take time to evaluate your performance as a leader to see how well you are doing and if you need to make any changes.

I tried to keep this list in line with the list from USA Today about past presidents. However, I am sure there are many other attributes we as law enforcement leaders could be judged by.

The important point is are you taking conducting a self-assessment?

If you asked those you work with to judge you on these 10 performance criteria, what would they say?