From the Desk of Chief Ogden | By Chief David A. Ogden
Emotional intelligence is more than just being “good with people.”
It is knowing yourself, knowing others, and knowing the community you serve.
In leadership, the greatest blind spot is rarely strategy, tactics, or even effort.
It is self-awareness.
I have said before that the table of introspection is filled with empty seats.
Everyone wants to evaluate others. Few themselves.
Early in my career, I didn’t always see it this way. Years of investigative work, moving through the ranks of policing, and learning to read people forced me to confront a hard truth: The best leaders are not the best at spotting flaws in others, they are the best at recognizing them in themselves.
Every call, every conflict, every success, and every failure carries a lesson. I’ve seen a clear pattern between weak and strong leaders, and it always comes back to how they process what they observe.
Weak people notice others’ mistakes and laugh.
Strong people notice others’ mistakes and learn.
Weak people talk about other people’s problems to feel better.
Strong people talk about other people’s problems to become better.
Weak people gossip to build fake connections.
Strong people express vulnerability to build real ones.
Weak people envy those ahead of them.
Strong people study those ahead of them.
It’s interesting to note that both are looking at the same thing, but they are seeing something very different.
Chief David A. Ogden
One is looking outward to judge. The other is looking inward to grow. That is emotional intelligence in action. And that is where real leadership is born.
Regards,
David A. Ogden
“Outdo one another with Honor.”
