Military Leadership and the Crossover to Law Enforcement
February 2026 | The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine 30
Military Leadership and the Crossover to Law Enforcement
Brigadier General John J. Driscoll( Ret.)
The common phrase Leadership as both an art and a science aptly describes the dynamic span of learning and becoming an effective leader. There is no one way to learn leadership, just as there is no one school to teach art or science.
Leadership is learnt from personal study, experience and mistakes made. Learning how to be a better leader never stops and good leaders are those armed with knowledge and experience who can navigate whatever life throws at them, whether on the job, at home or in general.
Leadership Requirements Model( LRM) How the Army develops leaders is summarized by the Leadership Requirements Model( LRM). A blueprint to help the reader understand the attributes of Character, Presence and Intellect and how they enable the competencies of Leads, Develops, and Achieves. The attributes define the leader as a person, and the expectations as a leader to capably lead and develop the individual and others, to achieve the success desired in the assigned field or role.
The LRM works as both the Army and Law Enforcement are professions that serve our citizens with a purpose. They require and expect leaders to serve with competence, commitment and character; to do the right thing, the right way, at the right time. This is built on a solid foundation based in the US Constitution, US Code and federal and state law and policy.
Crucially, the individual’ s internal moral compass, grounded on a personal value system together with external policies, rules and regulations within the organization are of core importance.
The bedrock foundation for leadership is integrity and trust in oneself, values, the organization and its people; always on display for all to see and judge.
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Leadership Leadership is based on people and each person is different, using their own unique knowledge and experience to lead. Leaders, whether good or bad, set the tone for the organization. There are two sayings that guide interaction and leading people:“ Character & Trust” and“ Sincerity & Empathy”.
Army Veterans will recognize the Be, Know, and Do that surround the outer circumference and refers to who the leader is as a person( character), and what they know, will indicate how the person will perform as a leader. Leaders set the tone, both good and bad, and the better a leader understands themselves and those they lead, the easier it is to learn and become a better leader for their team and organization.
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