The Genesis of the Deputy Leadership Institute

Published in the L.A.S.D. STAR NEWS: October, 1999

Since 1850 the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has provided a tradition of service and leadership. The untamed west needed men like our original Sheriff George Burrill and his two deputies who began this tradition by keeping the peace.

Over the years, policing the County of Los Angeles has changed dramatically. The complexity of laws, computers and advancing technology, transportation, communication, liability, scrutiny by the public, weapons, drugs, street gangs, and other challenges have evolved far beyond what those first lawmen could have ever imagined.

What has not changed are the basic responsibilities of being a peace officer. Today people depend on us for help, protection and justice just as they have for the last 150 years. We gave an oath to protect those who cannot protect themselves. As such, the foundation of our profession is based on leadership.

Why Leadership Training?

Looking back on the first 50 years of the LASD, there was no real rank structure. The deputies and Sheriff each handled every situation that arose. By the 1920's, we began to specialize. We gained expertise within our specialties, but lost our flexibility and overall problem solving ability. The phrase "It’s not my job" began to surface.

During Sheriff Baca’s initial Needs Assessments with members of the Department, some employees voiced concern about the perceived lack of leadership within the organization. Department members made it clear they sought greater unity between management and rank and file in their collective responsibility to get the job done.

Sheriff Baca drew on those expressed concerns, coupled with the history and tradition of our organization, when he directed that we promote the development of leadership throughout the Department. Sheriff Baca said, "No other profession is so universally looked upon for leadership as law enforcement. People look to us for fair and sound judgement, decisiveness, and courage in time of crisis. Leadership is a personal attribute enhanced by training and experience." It is in that spirit that the Deputy Leadership Institute (DLI) was created.

Defining Leadership

Although leadership is defined in different ways, we develop personal leadership by drawing on fundamental values that have existed for centuries: common sense, compassion, courage, decisiveness, ethical behavior, innovation, integrity, positive attitude, respect, self-assurance, sound judgement, and trustworthiness.

Sheriff Baca has said that leadership is part of the nature of the law enforcement professional. It is an applied art, not a science. Leaders don’t tolerate excuses. Cynics excuse their lack of creativity in problem solving by saying, "It can’t be done. That’s just reality." Leaders do not get discouraged easily, and they never give up. Leaders cooperate as well as give direction. Leaders are motivated, and they motivate others. Leaders believe in themselves and their people and have an unshakable faith that people can accomplish what even they may doubt they are capable of doing. Leaders focus on three important concepts: vision, perseverance and belief.

You Are A Leader

Each and every individual in the Department is expected to be a leader. Leadership means being fair, following a set of core values, doing the right thing. We are all responsible for getting the job done. People in this organization need to know how to use the power of leadership. If it can’t be done on your own, then you must enlist others who have power and get it done in concert with them.

Leadership requires us to have the courage to stand up for what is right and challenge what is wrong. It means applying common sense and fairness within the wide range of discretion we possess, and it requires us to make responsible, value-based, ethical decisions. You are responsible for your own personal and professional development. The DLI will assist you in developing the potential that exists in every member of the Sheriff’s Department.

What The DLI Is

The DLI is a groundbreaking leadership development philosophy that will set the standard for all law enforcement agencies. It was founded on the principle that leadership is intrinsic in the professional law enforcement officer and can be developed in each of us. It is designed to enhance our leadership abilities and to recognize our leadership responsibilities, both in our personal lives and professionally. As one deputy wrote in the DLI pilot session course critique, "The course’s greatest strength, is it forces individuals to evaluate themselves as leaders."

The DLI’s mission is to develop and enhance the leadership abilities in all Department members. Since leadership training is a lifelong process, no one will ever "graduate" from the DLI.

The DLI is open to all Department members with an emphasis on front line service providers. Learning about leadership on your own is helpful, but a diverse learning environment and group discussions on the subject will cause you to challenge your own thoughts on leadership so you don’t simply validate your own thinking.

What the DLI Is Not

The DLI is not a management class. Leadership expert Warren Bennis wrote, "Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing." Management training focuses on efficiency, while leadership training focuses on effectiveness.

Community policing was first greeted with skepticism by many in the law enforcement profession. Now it is the norm throughout the United States in one form or another. Leadership training for line personnel is at that same crossroads of innovation. The DLI is not a temporary "program." Leadership development for all members of the Sheriff’s Department is a mainstay.

"Deputy" Leadership Institute

"The services provided by front line deputy sheriffs are the essence of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department." Sheriff Baca has said, "All of us, as leaders, should be ever mindful that everything we do supports the deputy sheriff who, through teamwork and the commitment of the entire organization, provides the finest law enforcement services to our communities, courts and custody operations."

The deputy sheriff is why this Department exists. Therefore, the entire reputation of the LASD rests on the success of the deputy sheriff in the performance of his or her duty. All members of the Department, sworn and civilian, managers, supervisors, executives and rank and file must work in partnership towards the mission and goals of the Department.

A function of the DLI is to eliminate the stereotypes of "them and us," to foster respect for one another and recognize the contribution each of us makes to the organization. The strength of teamwork and the recognition that each of us plays a leadership role in our success cannot be overemphasized. Sworn, civilian, reserves, supervisors, management and executive personnel including the Sheriff himself will attend the DLI together.

You Are The DLI

You are a leader. Your input is important and has a direct effect on the content and delivery of the principles and ideas presented at the DLI. It is our individual responsibility to continually educate and develop ourselves to meet the challenges of our ever-changing and demanding society. Since leaders share responsibility and knowledge, your input will continually improve and shape the DLI.

Over 70 sworn and civilian personnel from throughout the Department participated in three 24 hour pilot sessions of the DLI. They provided valuable feedback and constructive criticism both in the critiques and in one on one discussions with their Division Chiefs and Directors. Sheriff Baca also engaged in a dialogue with participants at two of the DLI pilot sessions. This personal involvement by the Sheriff and executives is intended to ensure that the training provided by the DLI meets our employees expectations.

The feedback was honest and straightforward, and many recommendations for improvement were identified. In fact, the length and content of the written and verbal critiques were more comprehensive than the trainers had previously seen for other courses.

This feedback will further shape future DLI sessions and demonstrated that respectful dissent provides alternative views and effects positive change. But the most telling feedback received was a poll of DLI pilot participants. Eighty-five percent believed the DLI had significant value, that it should be made available to all personnel, and that they would like to return for additional DLI sessions.

Adult Learning

DLI training is thought provoking, intense, and unlike any training previously presented by the LASD. The DLI challenges people to educate themselves and to discover and examine their leadership role in both their professional and personal lives. The DLI will stir emotions in you and make you think. The adult learning theory of ongoing education is reinforced, as are values, traits, and skills to further develop us all as leaders. The rewards are great, and as one pilot session participant wrote in his critique, "The DLI has made me a student of leadership."

There is a sequence of eight, 24 hour sessions of the DLI which will address critical decision making, loyalty, ethics, motivation, and communication. Session One includes college credit at East Los Angeles College and is mandatory for all employees. Sessions two through eight are voluntary at this time. The advanced sessions qualify for credits at California State University, Los Angeles. Abbreviated DLI lesson plans can be viewed at the DLI Intranet or Internet (http://www.lasd.org) Websites.

The DLI will succeed because our organization is made up of leaders who believe in themselves and their responsibility to help others.

(Written by Mike Parker and Nina Sutter, based upon interviews with Sheriff Leroy D. Baca,
Assistant Sheriff William T. Stonich, DLI Lieutenant Rufus Tamayo, many DLI facilitators
and participants, and a review of available DLI literature.)

DLI Internet and Intranet Sites

(This is an associated article that appeared alongside of the end of the DLI article.)

The DLI has created unique Leadership Internet and Intranet sites to support the mission of the DLI. Leadership information and elements of the DLI training are made available to those who have attended or intend to attend the training, both inside and outside the LASD. It includes abbreviated course outlines for the DLI, Internet links to outstanding articles on leadership, and many other aspects of leadership. It is an incredible resource on leadership that is growing thanks to a number of enthusiastic volunteers. Access your Intranet or the Internet at http://www.lasd.org to visit the DLI.

What Else is New?

I.D.E.A.S.

The Innovative Development and Empirical Analysis Section (I.D.E.A.S.) will be made up of two separate, but interrelated groups consisting of a Central Resource Library and an Innovative Resource Team. The unit’s goals will mirror those of the Department, and its purpose will be to act as a support in the furtherance of those goals. It will support a culture and environment of innovation, making use of creative and forward thinking methods of problem solving for all ranks.

The empowerment that is called for by the newly developed I.D.E.A.S. unit enhances and is enhanced by the DLI training. It utilizes our experience, helps to provide us with the necessary skills to progress, and encourages a very important element to the advancement and success of our organization: communication.

Central Resource Library

A Central Resource Library is planned for on the first floor of the Sheriff’s Headquarters building, the goal of which is to be the primary information resource for Department personnel. The library’s emphasis will be on enabling us to work more efficiently and effectively, thus eliminating duplication of research efforts. Our collaboration with POST, the L.A. County library, and other entities will provide us with a resource center unparalleled in municipal law enforcement agencies. It is anticipated that additional satellite libraries and learning centers will link with the Central Resource Library when they are established at units throughout the Department.

Law Enforcement College

DLI will ultimately lead us to establishing a law enforcement college.. It will allow us to enrich our lives and lead us towards greater fulfillment, both personally and professionally. Good leaders should not define themselves solely by their jobs. They should be educated and informed about a variety of subjects. The LASD must be an educated and informed organization driven by knowledge.