Crisis in Leadership?
Every day a small number of law enforcement officers act in a manner contrary to their Oath of Office, the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and the Canon of Law Enforcement Ethics. Their actions, from lapses in judgment to the deliberate commission of unethical or unlawful acts, become the face of our profession.
Are these acts the result of a crisis in leadership… or a crisis in followership?
It’s important to understand that Followership is not blind allegiance to an individual. Followership is adherence to our oath and all that it represents. Followership is the execution of the tenets espoused in the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, at every level and rank within an organization.
LAW ENFORCEMENT CODE OF ETHICS
AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, my fundamental duty is to serve mankind, to safeguard lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice.
I SHALL keep my private life unsullied as an example to all; maintain courageous calm in the faces of danger, scorn, or ridicule; develop self-restraint and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others; honest in thought and deed in both my personal and official life. I shall be exemplary in observing the law of the land and the regulations of my Department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official capacity, shall be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty.
I SHALL never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and with relentless prosecution of criminals, I shall enforce the law courteously and appropriately without unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities. I RECOGNIZE the badge of my office as symbol of public faith, and I accept it, as a public trust to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of police service. I shall constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself before God and my chosen profession…law enforcement.
Followership is a devotion to the ideals of our profession. It's acting in accordance with those ideals, as part of a team, to achieve the goals of the organization.
Leadership, true leadership, is the pursuit of excellence in followership.