LEADERS HAVE MOTIVES WORTH FOLLOWING
By Robert Vernon
© 2008
I was working a plainclothes unit targeting an identified crime
problem when we received a call to phone the station. The manager of
a local ice cream store had phoned the police. A man was hanging
around the store long after consuming his ice cream treat. The
waitresses complained about the man’s strange questions and his
lengthy loitering. The manager had taken a close look at him and saw
what appeared to be a gun tucked behind his waistband.
We discussed our tactical plan on the way to the store. We would
enter the store separately. I would sit as close as possible to the
suspect. Moments later, my partner would take a seat close to the
cash register and door. We would both order something so we appeared
to be regular customers. After I finished my order, I would walk
behind the suspect and suddenly put my arms around the counter seat,
grabbing the gun, if it was there. My partner would quickly converge
on the suspect as soon as I started my move.
The store was near my home and I was a regular customer. When I
entered, the employees immediately knew the police were present and
they were all noticeably nervous.
I took an available chair at the counter immediately next to the
suspect. I ordered a chocolate ice cream soda. The waitress was so
nervous she turned and asked the manager if they served ice cream
sodas. Of course they did. This was an old-fashioned ice cream
store.
As I began working on the soda, I took a quick look at the suspect’s
waistband. Sure enough there was a gun-shaped bulge. The store was
full of young people from the nearby high school. I was anxious
about the confrontation. I wanted to get this thing over.
I asked for the check and began my move. As I passed behind the
suspect, I quickly put my arms around his body, shouted “police
officer” and grasped for the object in his belt. It was a gun. I
clenched it through his light jacket with a death grip as he
grappled to pull it out. I yelled to my partner, “It’s a gun!” My
partner pulled his gun and yelled: “Police! Everyone get down!” When
the suspect saw my partner converging on us, he stopped struggling
and allowed me to remove the gun. We quickly cuffed him and found a
second gun.
Know the Motive, Know the Man
We took the suspect to the station and found he was an ex-convict
and prohibited from possessing a handgun. At that point, we didn’t
connect him with any other crime, but wondered about his motive for
carrying two loaded guns and loitering around an ice cream store.
What was he about to do with these illegally possessed guns? He
chose to remain silent, but his motives eventually became apparent.
An alert jailor noticed he resembled an artist’s rendering of a
dangerous criminal wanted for kidnapping, rape and attempted murder.
He was later convicted for those crimes.
We all have motives. Knowing a suspect’s motive for their actions is
often the key to solving crimes. Knowing your own motives for
seeking and exercising leadership is also very important. Many
pursue leadership out of pride and selfish ambition. They see a
leadership role as leading to recognition, accolades and praise.
Some seek leadership to push a personal agenda. Often the motive is
simply power. To some people, power is everything.
The motives underlying a leader’s actions and decisions eventually
become known. It’s possible to conceal one’s motives only
temporarily. Generally the size of the group being led has a
relationship to the length of time it takes for a leader’s motives
to become known. Where the group being led is small and has daily
contact with the leader, the exposure time is usually short. In a
situation where the group being led is large and few have close
contact with the leader, the exposure time can be lengthy.
Nevertheless, in either case the leader’s motives will eventually
emerge.
Followers are more likely to follow a leader when they believe that
the motives of the leader are noble and in their best interests.
They appreciate decisions and actions based upon motives of
integrity, fairness, professionalism, loyalty and morality.
Conversely, they despise leaders who make decisions based solely
upon what will make the leader look good. They detest leaders who
“throw followers under the bus” in order to advance their own
career.
Two thousand years ago, the Apostle Paul wrote about the importance
of motives in defending his own leadership: “. . . wait until the
Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the
darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts” (1 Corinthians
4:5).
Followers expend themselves to produce good results for a leader
whose motives are selfless. Ultimately a leader whose motives are
self-sacrificing will get the recognition, praise and rewards they
richly deserve—on point.
Bob Vernon retired from the Los Angeles Police Department after 37 years on the force. He earned an MBA at Pepperdine University and is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s Managerial Policy Institute and the FBI’s National Executive Institute. After retirement, Vernon founded The Pointman Leadership Institute (visit http://pointmanleadership.org), which provides principle-based ethics seminars around the world for police agencies, parliament members, military leaders and a variety of other groups.