Stripes and Bars AMAURY MURGADO
NO ONE CARES? While some of your efforts may go unnoticed, as a leader you need to care about yourself, your people, and your mission. I ONCE WORKED with someone who always joked with me are responsible for setting the tone. Don't ever kid yourself that I was spinning my wheels because no one cared. He told by thinking that sergeants and other first-line supervisors me all the extra work I did either went unnoticed or didn't are trivial. Your agency lives and breathes by what they do. change anything. He told me I was the only supervisor he Whenever you see a lazy squad, look to their sergeant as to had ever worked for who held his subordinates accountable why. If you want to make a difference, you need to accept the and to a higher standard. He would often moan that I made challenge or move out of the way for someone that will. You also need to care about your people. Those under your him do things no other sergeant in the office had to. For example, my co-worker never understood why I made command depend on you for guidance. One of your biggest him write a proper evaluation when, according to him, it priorities revolves around taking care of them. You need to be didn't count for anything. I actually had to agree with him their champion in the face of malicious intent. It's your job to on that point. At the time, evaluations didn't help you get make sure they have the tools and training they need to sucmerit pay or count toward promotion, and really served ceed. You need to be there for them when they stumble and fall. You need to understand their failure no purpose other than the administration PEOPLE WHO CARE is ultimately your failure. You need to care having the ability to say we did them. Still, MAKE THINGS enough to light the way for them. Don't exmy response was always the same: employees deserve a fair representation of their HAPPEN. PEOPLE pect anyone else to do it for you. You need to look at your agency's miswork, and it's part of your job as a superviWHO DON'T CARE sion statement and take it to heart. Look at sor. I would always end conversations by JUST COMPLAIN. it as a guide to where you and your actions saying, "Someone has to care or why put on fit into the big picture. With everything that the uniform?" is going on today, it's easy to make excuses, If you are a good old boy, have no interest in leadership, or are just plain lazy, then stop reading. How- take sides, or forget what it is you are supposed to be doing. ever, if you have ever wondered what single characteristic You need to center yourself and remember how important helps make you an effective leader, you might want to read what we do for a living really is. We are the ones who help those that can't help themselves. As a supervisor, your job is on. Your own experience dealing with various supervisors to make sure no one ever loses sight of that. The only way to will no doubt confirm that one of the keys to effective lead- accomplish anything is if you care enough to do so. To this day my former co-worker still says no one cares, to ership is caring. When you care, you accomplish more and help others do the same. There are three ways to care; you which I say, "So what if they don't?" It shouldn't change what you stand for, what you believe in, or be used as a cheap exneed to care about yourself, your people, and your mission. Let's face it, if you don't care about yourself why should cuse to lower your standards. Sometimes you have to rememanyone else care about you? Giving a damn begins and ends ber what you really care about. If it's not law enforcement, with you. You need to care about the job you do before you then there is no shame in going to work somewhere else. People who care make things happen. People who don't can hold anyone else accountable. There is no room for hypocrisy in leadership. You need to do the things you ask of care just complain about things. Want to be an effective your subordinates even if it accomplishes nothing other leader? Start caring about yourself, your people, and your mission. No matter where you are in your career, it's never than your having a sense of doing your job well. The truth is, everyone has the choice to do a good or me- too late to start. diocre job. As a supervisor your choice is obvious but sometimes the hardest of all. You have to choose what's right, Amaury Murgado retired a senior lieutenant from the Osceola regardless of what your peers think. Someone has to stand County (FL) Sheriff's Office with over 29 years of experience. tall and, as the saying goes, if not you, then who? If you don't He also retired from the Army Reserve as a master sergeant. care, you are just going through the motions and are no He holds a Master of Political Science degree from the Univerbetter than those you complain about. As supervisors, we sity of Central Florida.
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POLICE JANUARY 2017
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