My uncle was a great example for me because he dedicated himself toward advancing the common good. He was a police officer, a firefighter and a paramedic, and I sure looked up to him. He brought me to work with him several times while I was in high school and I was hooked. I decided to follow in his footsteps after seeing the difference he made in his community.
I learned that I would never be able to change the world, but I saw firsthand through my uncle’s interactions that, as a police officer, I would change at least one person’s world every day. That’s a huge responsibility and it takes intention to ensure that the person’s world changes positively.
I’ve been a police officer for 15 years. I’m so thankful for the example and leadership shown to me. As I’ve matured personally and professionally, I’ve taken on more leadership roles. It’s exciting to see how we can use leadership opportunities to accomplish good in our families, our organizations, and our communities.
I’m thrilled to have begun another journey in leadership training. The University of Minnesota offers a Policy Fellows program through the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs – Center for the study of Politics and Governance. As stated on the Policy Fellows website, “the Policy Fellows program offers practical training in public affairs leadership for emerging leaders seeking new experiences and skills. The nine-month leadership and professional development experience equips participants with three core leadership competencies to inspire, organize, and work effectively with others to advance the public good:
Mindfulness:
Assessing personal leadership style, understanding others, and taking informed risks
Strategic effectiveness in context:
Diagnosing opportunities and constraints, influencing the legislative and political process, and working effectively across public, private, and nonprofit sectors
Persuasion and collective action:
Negotiation and conflict management, building collaborative relationships with allies, and communicating persuasively and effectively.
In future posts, I’ll be sharing some highlights of this journey and how they impact me personally and professionally.
How can you be a leader in your organization? In your community? Does one have to be a supervisor or manager to effectively lead and make improvements? Does it help? I believe we can all be leaders, without regard to our specific rank or position. Each of us can make a positive difference, but need to be aware that we can also have the same impact negatively. Hone your leadership skills, be involved, and together we’ll work to advance the common good.
~ Sergeant Mike Duzan is a guest contributor.
