The ABC Quick Check of Leadership

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by Craig Lepkowski, PCI #1180-B/EMSCI #272-B
Lake Forest (IL) Police Department (retired)
IPMBA President

here is a multitude of books, articles, and webinars on leadership offering an equal number of opinions, ways of performing, and advice to assist in developing leadership skills. I’ve written previously that bike patrol personnel can be leaders in their own right. Those who have yet to earn an official leadership title – corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, commander, deputy chief, chief, etc. – are still expected to take control of incidents and seek acceptable outcomes. Authors like to use catch phrases to highlight specific traits of leaders. I will join the movement and convey some insights in the context of IPMBA training.

One of the first things public safety cyclists learn in the IPMBA courses is how to complete the “ABC Quick Check”. This mnemonic lends itself to a discussion on leadership skills as well.

Awareness. Leaders must be aware of the role they play in employee morale. They must recognize the individual skills of each team member. Those in charge should accept that personnel have different needs. Both good days and the unfortunate bad days need to be acknowledged. Leaders must notice the contributions made by employees and recognize people for their efforts. To quote an oft over-used phrase, this awareness means “having your finger on the pulse” of the organization. Being aware of the demands of society, the desires of the public, and the budgetary constraints of the agency is essential.

Balance. Leaders need to be balanced – psychologically, of course, but also emotionally, socially, and intelligently. In addition to being aware of an organization’s needs, they must also balance them against the desires of the employees and the demands of those they serve.

Although they need not be skilled in every aspect of the agency, leaders must take a balanced approach to hiring, developing, encouraging, and rewarding personnel. Fair and equitable treatment of people is essential to the success of any endeavor. Leaders must balance praise and criticism fairly between all deserving employees and ensure impartiality.

Collaboration. One of the most important skills of leadership is collaboration; not simply between those in leadership positions and their personnel, but also between other departments or organizations. Understanding the expectations of the public and meeting their needs is a primary goal of any organization. One person, one department, or one organization does not have the ability to develop all the answers. Collaboration drives creativity and input and encourages new ideas to address current and future problems. Leaders who believe they can accomplish great things by themselves only diminish the incredible returns that are possible by including the ideas and input of others.

Quick. Leaders cannot let issues fester or delay their responses. They must be quick to praise and compliment good work, and pause before critiquing or disciplining shoddy work. They must not let situations continue without addressing them. When presented with problems and/or solutions, they should neither disregard them nor overthink matters. They must quickly confront them and institute measures to bring about positive change.

People may not like changes, but putting them off only exacerbates poor situations and can cause discontent and a lack of confidence from those affected.

Leaders should also be quick to assume responsibility for the direction of the organization. They should shoulder blame but highlight and spotlight others for successes.

Check. A leader should check in often with those whom they serve. Personnel desire a personal connection; frequent communication to ask how people are managing goes a long way towards nurturing loyalty and dedication. The people who are served by the organization also require frequent check-ins; not just to see how the organization is managing their expectations, but also to learn when expectations change. Transparency in communication and in relationships allows for a free flow of information, which smooths transitions when problems develop and answers are sought.

The frequency with which a leader checks in with personnel or those served has a direct correlation to the open relationships that allow for the successful attainment of positive solutions.

While there are a host of leadership tips and many more avenues to develop and observe, this column is intended to condense some of the theories to an easy mnemonic and use IPMBA language to help highlight the concepts.

Hopefully, these straightforward ideas will assist you in continuing the leadership roles you play as a public safety cyclist and inspire you to take on additional leadership responsibilities, with or without a promotion.

Craig retired in 2020 after 29 years at the Lake Forest (IL) Police Department and is currently influencing students of all ages through part-time teaching at a preschool, a law enforcement training organization, and a community college. After completing the IPMBA Police Cyclist Course in 2009, he attended the Instructor Course in 2010 and has enjoyed teaching IPMBA courses ever since. Craig was elected to the IPMBA Board in 2013 and served seven years as Secretary. He is currently serving as President and can be reached at CraigLepkowski@comcast.net.

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