I was three-quarters of the way through my interview for police chief when Commissioner of Public Safety Dave Blackburn asked me this question, “What is the greatest challenge facing the Dixon Police Department?” I think my answer completely took him by surprise. 

Here is...

Creating a culture of leadership is heavily dependent on selecting the right people to serve on your team and intentionally developing them throughout the different stages of their career. Prior to hiring a new team member, you must have a laser focus on the soft skills and individual...

Organizations rise and fall with leadership. Negative managers with a strong micro-management leadership style destroy cultures, employee engagement, and morale. The very best leaders insert positive energy into their company and lead from the value of serving others. These leaders...

Just over a month ago, I asked our LinkedIn community of more than 34,000 followers for your help. The response was overwhelming.

I had identified 8 critical components of psychological safety and asked for your feedback.

What did you like?

What would you add?

What would you change?

Engagement on...

I found myself completely dejected, beaten down, and feeling hopeless. 

I had just finished a phone call with one of my closest friends. We had worked together at the police department in the Detective Division for five years. I was the detective sergeant and he was one of three...

Last week, I went to Sauk Valley Community College and had the chance to meet 15 of the best and brightest high school seniors from across a 6-county region. These students are in the Sauk Valley Academy, which is an accelerated program where they complete their senior year and freshman year of...