As 2017 comes to a close, it is a great time to reflect on how far we have come this year and also acknowledge where we have fallen short.  It is also the time of year when we start making plans for 2018. Have you thought about 2018 yet? No Resolutions For many people, thinking about doing better in the new year means compiling a list of New Year’s resolutions. If you are like me, I’m sure you have done this on many occasions.  And like me, I am sure every resolution you made was broken within a few short weeks or months at the most.  80% of New Year’s resolutions are broken by February.  According to one study, only 8% of New Year’s resolutions are kept. If this information is true, why do people continue to make New Year’s resolutions? One reason is resolutions are easy to make.  It requires little thought or effort to jot a few resolutions down. Another reason is the allure of starting the new year with a fresh start. Still, another reason is the long tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions.  Most people want to be like everyone else. Rather than continue making resolutions…

12 Step Plan to Ace Your Interview for Police Chief, Part 2. Now that you have done your research, collected the data and organized the information you are ready to move to the next part of the interview preparation process 5.     Prepare Potential Questions Anticipating potential questions, you may be asked, is a critical part of your interview preparation process.  How well you anticipate these questions may be the difference maker in the process. Some questions are common, while other questions are unique for a particular job opportunity. Here are a few common questions you may be asked regardless of the job you are applying for. “Why do you want to be the police chief of this department?” “What is your greatest weakness?” “What are the three biggest challenges facing the department today?” “How would you improve the relationship between the department and the community?” “What is your leadership style?” This short list of questions is only a small sample of a much longer list of common questions that may be asked. After you get some of the most common questions out of the way, it is time to get to the specific ones you identified through your research. …

The men’s group at my Church last year was having a discussion about leadership.  During our conversation, the discussion turned toward how important it is for a leader to be a good follower.  This is also known as Followership. Let’s examine this concept further. In an article titled, “Why the Best Leaders are Followers,” Michael Hyatt identified several followers in history that eventually became good leaders in their own right.  He used several examples from the Bible to make his point. Joshua followed Moses for 40 years and then led the people of Israel into the promised land. Elisha worked with Elijah for over 10 years before taking his place. The Apostle Peter followed Jesus and after his crucifixion, Peter became a leader of the new Christian faith. Aristotle was a follower of Plato and eventually became a great philosopher in his own right.  He understood the value of being a good follower. Warren Buffett worked under the tutelage of Economist Benjamin Graham for over 10 years before starting his own investment company and rising to the top of the industry. These are only a few examples. There are three key truths about being a follower that helps followers find…