The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | January 2023
Continued from previous page Inspired by Mitchell Sklar , the Executive Director of the New Jersey State Association Chiefs of Police ( NJSACOP ) and its presidents over the years to develop an out of the box model for professional development of its members , I developed the Leadership Staff Ride model as a vehicle that can impart valuable leadership lessons to law enforcement personnel at all levels of its organization .
This training method is modeled after the Military Staff Ride a time honored tradition of the U . S . Army that allows participants to examine a historical event ( usually a battlefield ) in extraordinary depth , provide valuable leadership lessons for its up and coming commanders . The Staff Ride was developed in the latter part of the 19 th Century by the Prussian Army and adopted by the U . S . Army in the early 20 th Century as a way to further develop the leadership skills of its future leaders . It is still a staple of leadership training at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas .
The Staff Ride consists of a preliminary study and extensive visit to the actual sites of a military campaign ( or other historical event ) in order to examine and better understand the actions of battlefield commanders at all levels from generals to privates , particularly in times of stress or crisis .
In such an exercise leadership principles such as command and control , decision-making , communication , planning , personnel selection and vision are examined in the context of real historical events for the purpose gleaning leadership lessons for current organization leaders . While the persons and events might be long in the past , the leadership lessons imparted transcend time .
Participants in the staff ride travel to the historical site , take the role of the historical figures who exercised leadership at that location , exchange and debate the actions that were taken and analyze the results of those actions with the purpose of understanding the characteristics of effective leadership .
I have used this training model successfully with many law enforcement organizations including the New Jersey State Association Chiefs of Police , the New Jersey State Police , FBI , DEA , New Jersey Transit Police and a number of local police departments . Our Staff Rides have explored the battlefields at Trenton , Princeton , Monmouth Courthouse , Gettysburg , Antietam , Normandy ( D-Day ) and the Battle of the Bulge . These exercises can be tailored from one day to a weekend or in the case of overseas campaigns , a full week . We have examined the leadership of people of importance such as George Washington , George Patton , Dwight Eisenhower , U . S . Grant and numerous lesser known figures who have exercised leadership in critical times in the past . It allows the participants to walk in the footsteps of the ordinary foot soldier or the major historical leader at the very location where they exercised their leadership and can yield an informative dialogue on effective leadership skills that can be adapted to the participants own organization .
I hope that you might give consideration to joining a future Staff Ride sponsored by NJSACOP and encourage and support members of your leadership staff to do the same . It is a valuable opportunity for professional development that can strengthen the leadership skills of your personnel while reinvigorating them and at the same time , providing a greater appreciation of our historical heritage . I think you will enjoy the experience . In addition , Fairleigh Dickinson University can provide college credits towards one of its degree programs for the completion of this professional development training . I look forward to welcoming you to one of our exciting Leadership Staff Rides in the future .
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