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POLICE EQUIPMENT NEWS FLEET MANAGEMENT SENIOR MANAGEMENT ADVERTISER INDEX PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Developing Leadership Skills Conduct a true self-analysis of needed leadership skills. By Art Adkins lows us to recognize where we need improvement. To conduct a true self-analysis of needed leadership skills, excessive pride must be removed. The most respected leaders I ever www.artadkins.com worked for recognized they were www.artadkins.wordpress.com not right all the time and they knew they did not have all the ideas. Athletes have long recognized the value of As one Commander on LAPD told me, "I know what skills practice to hone their skills. Through diligence I have and the ones I need to work on. Leadership is a conand hard work, they prepare themselves by over tinuous education." This person had conquered pride and learning the basics. In a game situation, their success is conducted a regular self-analysis to improve performance, often referred to as instinct when making a spectacular which meant success for the team! catch or shot. In truth, instinct is nothing more than A leadership self-analysis can be revealing. Take a sheet of repetitive exercises performed successfully until it paper and divide it into three columns. Start a list of all the becomes both mental and muscle memory. Instinct desired leadership traits you want or expect in your boss and allows the athlete to execute fawlessly when that skill place these in the left column. In the center column, place set is needed. those leadership traits you believe you have. In the right colWhy not approach leadership the same way? Once leadumn, write down those areas you need to work on. Have you ership traits are identifed that are essential, the goal is to been honest with yourself? Has your own pride blinded you establish a systematic methodology to over learn the desired to the areas where you need to improve? skill until it becomes locked in our mental arsenal. This apTake your list to a trusted friend, family member, or to proach allows us to transform our leadership skills into acco-workers who will give honest feedback. Their answers tion without conscious thought, and the results will dictate may hurt your feelings, but this is where the path to growth success for the team environment. The secret is to identify begins. Remember, very seldom do others see us the way we the needed skill or trait. want to be seen. You may not agree with the response you To begin the journey to acquire leadership skills, a detailed receive, but it is a starting point for your leadership training. self-analysis must be conducted. This is the diffcult part on As philosophers have pointed out, a thousand-mile journey the path to leadership excellence. We often are not viewed begins with a single step. So does leadership training. the way we desire to be seen and we must be cognizant of Once you have identifed those areas needing improvement, this if we are to evolve as leaders. A self-analysis is crucial develop a Leadership Operational Plan. Write down the deto implement a practice plan for leadership success. Just like sired skill and how you are going to develop it. Place the Ops the athlete who identifes where he/she needs improvement, Plan in a place where you have constant visual access to it. It a leader must do the same thing. takes successful practice to succeed. By reviewing your Ops Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The obstacle to Plan, your desired skill will become instinct. The result will a clear self-analysis is pride. Pride can blind leaders as to astonish you. Conquer pride, embrace humility, conduct your where their true strengths and talents lie and where they leadership self-analysis, and start the journey to acquire leadneed to improve. Pride has been called the Gateway Sin beership skills! Leadership is a continuous education. cause it opens the door for all other bad vices. A recent poll Post your comments on this story by visiting of traits needed for leadership revealed humility was at the LaO www.lawandordermag.com top of most lists. Humility is the opposite of pride and alArt Adkins is a lieutenant on the Gainesville, Fla. Police Department. A 33-year veteran of law enforcement, he also served on the Ft. Lauderdale PD and the LAPD. Adkins has spent the majority of his career as a supervisor and is the author and lecturer of ÒLeadership Basics: Conquering the Seven Deadly Sins.Ó He can be reached at www.theleadershipbasics.com. 61 LAW and ORDER I June 2013