During one of our recent Justice Clearinghouse webinars, I shared the story of when I was asked to guest-host a local radio talk show on WTMA radio. One of the webinar participants asked me to make a video of the story, so here it is.

One of the callers on the radio show was a father who was struggling with how to reward his kids. He promised his son and his daughter that he would give them each $50 if they made the honor roll. His son made it but his daughter missed it by just a few points. He knew she tried hard and he wanted to reward her for her efforts without lowering his standards. The Character Connection was what he needed. Instead of rewarding his kids for their achievement, he needed to recognize them for their good character.

THE CHARACTER MAXIM:
If you recognize achievement to the exclusion of character,
you inadvertently encourage bad character.

While I was in Colorado to present the Inductive Interview Course for the Ft. Morgan Sheriff’s Office and surrounding agencies, I stopped off at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs to produce the video.

According to our Character Maxim, “recognizing achievement to the exclusion of character can actually encourage bad character.” Instead, we promote the idea of making the Character Connection by connecting the achievement with one or more Character Qualities (Virtues of the MAGNUS Officer) that made the achievement possible. This is a powerful paradigm and I think you will enjoy this example of character-based praise from a law enforcement colleague and supporter of Police Dynamics from Australia.

THE CHARACTER MAXIM
Focusing on achievement to the exclusion of character inadvertently encourages bad character

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Seasoned law enforcement leaders recognize that there is an intricate link between officer morale and performance. Consequently, the morale of any law enforcement agency impacts the crime rate.

Those of us in police leadership must be actively engaged in showing our police officers, deputy sheriffs, and correctional officers that they are appreciated, encouraged, and motivated to fight crime and maintain the law, order, health, safety, and morals of their communities, whether on the streets or inside the detention facility. Making the Character Connection by praising them for the character quality that produced outstanding achievement is an excellent way of improving morale and fighting crime. Remember,

“Failure to Motivate Is Failure to Lead.”

At over 5000 years old, the ancient pyramids in Giza are among the oldest structures in the world. They provided a great opportunity to talk about the importance of building structure in our lives.

The 4-sided pyramid is a good model to illustrate the power of structure. Imagine that each face (triangle) represents an important aspect of your overall strength and structure. One triangle represents the three aspects of your Integrity – character, competence, and communication. Another represents the importance of exercise – strength, flexibility, and aerobic conditioning. Another, the three components of nutritional health – balanced diet, hydration, and anti-oxidants. The fourth, Stress Management – sleep, rest, and recreation.

Balancing all four aspects of your life and building structure in these areas brings strength, integrity, and wellness.

In this second video from Giza, I use the Twin Towers of Integrity as a model to illustrate the relationship between character and competence.

Both character and competence (or as Noah Webster calls them, virtues and abilities) are critical for success and together they form the pillars that support our integrity. Our integrity, in turn, builds trust, which fuels relationships internally and externally. Trust-based relationships with the community are the foundation of the coactive response to crime-fighting.

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Our English word “integrity” comes from the Latin root “integritas” – meaning wholeness and completeness. We also get our English words integrated and integer from this same root. When I visited the ancient Roman city of Jerash near Amman, Jordan, I had the chance to tell another centurion story relating to integrity.

In the Roman military tradition, the soldiers would line up for inspection and as the centurion approached each man, the soldier would bang his breastplate with his fist and shout, “Integritas!” which meant, “I am whole. I am complete. And I am prepared for battle…!”

I was first exposed to this history in a speech by General Charles Krulak, then commandant of the US Marine Corps.

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I was recently discussing with a viewer of the Police Dynamics website about incorporating character-based principles into tactical debriefings. Here is a series of short videos that demonstrate how to make the “character connection” in tactical debriefings, roll call training, and in-service training sessions. The first is a re-enactment of a canine-tracking exercise, followed by a roll call session featuring Lt. “Poncho” Villa, and then a couple of character recognitions with Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office personnel.

(Sadly, Michael Deese, the deputy on the front row/right side, was killed, along with his canine partner, in a tragic car crash some time after this video was filmed …)

There are essentially three keys to building a Culture of Character within any organization:

Develop a new Character Vocabulary
Make the Character Connection
Prepare for the Character Test 

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In these two videos, one from the city of Beth Shaen in Israel and the other from Jerash in Jordan, I use the setting of these ancient cities to emphasize the importance of character in determining a man or a woman of integrity.

The first video from our visit to Beth Shean explains the importance of individual character qualities in defining a man or woman of integrity.

The second video was filmed at the ancient city of Jerash in Amman, Jordan. At the foot of the Temple of Zeus I found a great setting to explain the Twin Towers of Integrity. 

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I hope you are enjoying this series of Police Dynamics teachings from the Holy Land. I am working on some new training resources behind the scenes so I haven’t been producing any new videos for a while. Hopefully, these resources will be available to you soon.

The first video, “The Path of MOST Resistance” was recorded at the Siq (narrow passage) leading down to the ancient city of Petra in the nation of Jordan. As rushing water followed the “path of least resistance,” it carved the Siq from the limestone substrate. Barney Barnes, my Chief of Staff when I was Sheriff  (every sheriff needs a Barney, and I NEVER get tired of that joke…) often said, “Following the path of least resistance makes rivers, and men, crooked…”

BTW: Barney has written an excellent book called Born to Be a Warrior that you might want to check out…

“The Mark of Character” was filmed in front of the Treasury at Petra, made famous in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” which was filmed there. In it, I talk about the meaning of character and living your life “within the dash” which will be engraved on your tombstone.

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Dr. George Thompson, the founder of Verbal Judo, was the first person I ever heard coin the term “Golden Rule Policing.” He defined it as treating people the way you would like be treated under similar circumstances. We can apply the same principle to our “deep-dive” analysis of character and Police Dynamics in this two-part series on the Golden Rule of Character.

Golden Rule of Character – Part 2

(I have to apologize for the quality of the second video. I filmed it on the beach and didn’t realize the wind and surf noise would be so loud. But it’s a short video, so please suffer through it…)

A fundamental truth, that I have found to be true far more often than not, is that the character flaws that irritate you about other people are often evident in your own life… and you don’t even know it. It’s a blindspot. And, by definition, you can’t see a blind spot.

Look at it from this perspective. (more…)

During my trip to Goa, India, I stumbled across this abandoned, partially completed hotel in the middle of the jungle. It was infested with bats, but gave me a great opportunity to talk about the Twin Towers of Integrity and the Building Blocks of Success.

The Bat "Cave"

The Bat "Cave" in the dark

To understand the important role that ethics plays in accomplishing the police mission, or achieving success in any organization for that matter, let’s look at a model I call the Twin Towers of Integrity. (more…)