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This tendency is problematic in policing for a number of reasons. First, it can lead you not to contribute in ways that could improve the performance of your organization. Ironically, not understanding your strengths can amplify your weaknesses by leading you to hold back when the potential for your impact is greatest. This problem is compounded by the premium we tend to put on humility. For fear of coming across as arrogant, we hold back even more, but the result can be that we leave important opportunities for serving others on the table.
A second problem arises from our built-in tendency to assume that others often understand at least as much as you do about what’s happening in a situation. Suppose that you are an expert at, say, graphic design, and that you are confronted with a flyer announcing an important initiative that is not in good shape. As humans, we tend to assume that the flyer was designed poorly on purpose, and to give up on the announcement, feel deflated, and become discouraged that something important is not getting the right level of support.
Another problem is in our failure to invest in building a strength. In the end, weaknesses may be the other side of a coin from strengths. For example, I may believe that I am too nerdy, when my strength is that I’m great at math. In an effort not to be a nerd, I may neglect to deepen my mathematics and suppress elements of my personality that would flourish if they were developed further.
This last point reflects an important leadership concept that we emphasize in the Police Leadership Program at the University of Toronto, which is that building on your strengths tends to be at the center of what leads you to sustained excellence as a contributor to your organization. Strengths constitute the core of your distinctive contributions, and by building on them, you cultivate your expertise and knowledge in a domain area that may be important to your organization. Greater levels of knowledge are also central to an attitude of wisdom, which we spend quite a bit of time discussing in the program: Wisdom is characterized by a greater awareness of what we don’t know as knowledge develops. By investing in the development of your expertise, your contribution as a leader expands through the wisdom acquired from the knowledge you acquire.
Over the course of a person’s career, the nature of your strengths can change. Early career contributors are often more agile and sometimes quicker in their responses to situations than later career contributors. But the achievements that define a career also can lead to invaluable leadership qualities in a late-career member who has invested in developing personal strengths. In other words, the rewards to understanding your strengths can arise in many more ways that you may initially expect.
This year’s PLP program runs from October 28 to November 15, 2024, in Toronto. For more information on the PLP, click here.
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Why Policing is More Than a Career: It’s a Paradigm Shift
If you are passionate about making a difference in your community, policing might be the perfect path for you. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) Constable Selection System (CSS) emphasizes qualities such as integrity, honesty, and a commitment to public safety, qualities that resonate with those driven to serve. However, it is more than just enforcing the law.
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Introducing the PRF-R for Policing: A New Era of Precertification Testing
On June 1, 2024, a new chapter began in Ontario’s approach to police recruitment with the launch of the Personality Research Form – Revised (PRF-R) for Policing. Developed by SIGMA Assessment Systems in partnership with TNT Justice Consultants and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP),
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What We Can Learn in Policing from Wildfires
I had trouble figuring out where to begin this year’s renewed version of the Police Leadership Program. The challenge was too many options. The leadership issues in policing today range all the way, for example, from community mental health to organizational budgeting to technical skill development.
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The Complexity of Police Leadership
Yet leadership effectiveness is, simply put, about people understanding people. It is a skillset that can be learned, and that depends quite simply on leaders investing in themselves. With social-scientific discoveries, self-awareness, and powers of observation and communication, leaders can pull others together around a common goal. Among others, the below three skill sets help to get you there:
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The Leadership Imperative: Leader development in Ontario
Modern policing is complex. Whether mediating a dispute or managing a crisis, it’s a job that not only requires a deep understanding of the law and society, but also the ability to lead with confidence and compassion.
1
What We Can Learn in Policing from Wildfires
I had trouble figuring out where to begin this year’s renewed version of the Police Leadership Program. The challenge was too many options. The leadership issues in policing today range all the way, for example, from community mental health to organizational budgeting to technical skill development.
2
The Complexity of Police Leadership
Yet leadership effectiveness is, simply put, about people understanding people. It is a skillset that can be learned, and that depends quite simply on leaders investing in themselves. With social-scientific discoveries, self-awareness, and powers of observation and communication, leaders can pull others together around a common goal. Among others, the below three skill sets help to get you there:
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Countering Incivility, Harassment, and Discrimination in Policing
Creating a workplace environment that is inclusive, respectful, and free from harassment and discrimination is an ongoing priority for ontario police services. However, services face systemic challenges in their efforts to prevent these negative behaviours, effectively address them, and change their culture.
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The Leadership Imperative: Leader development in Ontario
Modern policing is complex. Whether mediating a dispute or managing a crisis, it’s a job that not only requires a deep understanding of the law and society, but also the ability to lead with confidence and compassion.
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THE FUTURE OF LEADERSHIP IN POLICING
Under the leadership of Chief Jim MacSween, the executive leadership team at York Regional Police (YRP) established a mission to re-imagine leadership development within the organization. YRP knew that standardizing leadership principles and delivering them to all ranks of the organization would enrich the development of ethical and professional leaders.
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Connect, Lead, Inspire
As policing leaders, there are key elements to consider when it comes to developing outstanding organizations. Opening conference keynote presenter Tanya McCready of the Winterdance Dogsled Tour and author of Journey of 1000 Miles opened the conference with a timely message: time, dedication, trust, and practice are key elements to leadership, as well as ensuring that leaders know their team and where they thrive best.
