January 2026 | The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine 18
They surveyed over 330,000 bosses, peers, and subordinates to rank the top competencies from a list of 16 key leadership skills. Not surprisingly, high on that list was“ Displays technical or professional expertise.”
Of course, it could be argued that nowhere is professional competence more valued by subordinates and peers than in what Gen. Tom Kolditz refers to as“ organizations chartered for dangerous missions.” Gen. Kolditz, author of the groundbreaking book In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended on it( Jossey-Bass) was chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the U. S. Military Academy West Point for 12 years, where he was responsible for teaching, research, and outreach activities in Management, Leader Development Science, Psychology, and Sociology.
After joining the West Point faculty in 2000, Kolditz began a program of empirical research into what he soon dubbed in extremis leadership. Using a variety of research methods including observation, interviews, and surveys( this is not a topic that lends itself to controlled experimentation), Kolditz identified a consistent pattern of traits, skills, and attitudes that characterizes those who are successful in leading others in these dynamic and dangerous settings. Specifically, he found that successful in extremis leaders( 1) possess an inherent motivation for the task,( 2) embrace continuous learning,( 3) share risk with their followers,( 4) adopt a lifestyle in common with their followers, and( 5) are highly competent, and inspire trust and loyalty in others ….
Continuing Professional Development is the ongoing, structured process by which professionals maintain, enhance, and expand the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to perform effectively in their roles.
It is worth commenting further on the role of competence in leading in dangerous contexts. Dr. Patrick Sweeney, now the Director of Leadership, Character, and Ethics Initiatives at Wake Forest University, conducted a very insightful field study of leadership in soldiers engaged in actual combat operations. In 2003, while still in graduate school, working on his Doctor of Philosophy degree in social psychology, Sweeney was personally contacted by David Petraeus( a major general at that time, and commander of the division) who asked him to join the U. S. Army V Corps as it prepared to invade Iraq. Seizing the opportunity to both serve his nation in combat and conduct a study of leadership of real soldiers conducting real combat missions, Sweeney quickly devised a series of questionnaires that he administered to soldiers and their leaders.
To a large degree, what Sweeney found is consistent with Kolditz’ s findings. But his most interesting finding may be that it was competence that was essential to leading others in combat. If a leader was not competent, he was not trusted by his soldiers. Lack of trust is devastating to a combat unit. Without it, both morale and performance degrade....[ emphasis added ]
Naturally, there are other crucial traits and attributes that contribute to the success( or lack thereof) of any leader. But it is clear that professional competence is fundamental to successful leadership, and it is equally clear that continuous professional development is one of the keys to maintaining, if not achieving, a high degree of professional competence. It is the way professionals – in every field – keep their saws sharp.
Part 2: Learning From Experience – The NJSACOP Staff Rides for Law Enforcement Leaders There are two truisms that cannot be disputed, nor can they be avoided: life is short, and the best learning is by experience. The combination of these two truisms leads to one conclusion – to maximize your potential you must study the experiences of others.