ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What if the most powerful thing a leader could say to their team is, "Correct me"? In this episode, Tami Sharp and Chris Zamora sit down with retired law enforcement lieutenant, TEDx speaker, and bestselling author Justin — who spent 20 years in the trenches, from the Texas prison system to SWAT, before finding his voice as a leadership coach and the author of How to Get to the Damn Point. This conversation goes deep on what it actually takes to lead well, why toxic leadership can produce the best leaders, how to tell when ego is running the show, and why cops are terrible at celebrating themselves — and what it costs them.
What You'll Learn:
• Why giving your team explicit permission to correct you is a game-changer — and why it goes against everything the paramilitary structure teaches
• How toxic leaders can be more instructive than great ones (and how to use that fuel without becoming them)
• The Walt Disney dreamer/realist/critic framework — and why the dreamer and the critic should never be in the same room
• What it actually looks like when a leader surrounds themselves with yes men — and why it ends in lawsuits or termination
• How parenting and leadership use the exact same skill set, just in different contexts
• Why cops don't celebrate wins, what that costs them long-term, and how to start changing it
• The first indicator that you're leading with ego — and it's not what most people think
• What Eckhart Tolle's work has to do with checking your defensive reactions in a leadership role
• How to deliver hard feedback up the chain without blowing up your career
Key Takeaways:
— The most dangerous thing in a command staff is an echo chamber. If no one challenges you, you are the biggest liability in the room.
— Learning what not to do from a toxic leader is just as valuable — sometimes more valuable — than learning from a great one. Don't waste the lesson.
— You can't let the dreamer meet the critic. If you're building something, protect the idea until it's solid enough to survive scrutiny.
— Celebrating your wins is not vanity. It is a wellness practice. If cops treated their wins the way they treat their worst calls, the math would look completely different.
— Direct communication is a skill set you have to develop on purpose. It doesn't happen by default.
Resources Mentioned:
• How to Get to the Damn Point by Justin — available on Amazon
• The Suspect Within — Justin's TEDx Talk- https://www.tedxsouthlake.com/2024-speakers/justin-atherton
• A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
---
Ready to bring this kind of leadership development to your department? Law Enforcement Coaching offers IADLEST-certified training, one-on-one coaching, department assessments, and retreats built specifically for the law enforcement community.
Learn more at lawenforcementcoaching.com
---
If this episode hit home, don't keep it to yourself. Share it with a sergeant, a lieutenant, a chief — whoever in your world needs to hear it. Leave us a comment below and tell us: what's one thing you learned from a toxic leader that made you better? We read every single one.
Like and subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Blah, Blah, Blah...Something Wellness Podcast, proudly partnered with the National Police Podcast Network at https://nppn.live
