Misdemeanors

I occasionally watch Sergeant Curtis on YouTube. Each episode is compiled footage (body cams, dash cams, and other video) of a policing interaction. Sergeant Curtis comments on police and civilian behavior (good and not so good) and educates his audience on tactical and situational procedures. I find it very interesting. A phrase that he repeats often is, “Take care of the misdemeanors, and the felonies will take care of themselves.”

In the context of the videos, people often get contacted by the police over a minor issue, and then, during the engagement, things escalate into much more serious charges. However, the principle holds up well beyond policing. If you take care of the little things, you will have fewer big things to deal with.

The application in leadership is significant.

Start small. Often these videos start with a traffic stop over a minor infraction, and then a much larger issue is uncovered. Leaders should make the effort to handle small missteps before they become habits or develop into something a person gets disciplined for. You don’t have to hand out tickets or arrest people, but you should clearly explain what the expected behavior is and what the consequences will be if it continues. This is actually kinder than letting things go until they build into a serious issue.

Be kind and respectful. Sergeant Curtis always points out when a police officer is being calm, kind, and respectful—even while they have their hand on their gun. Having authority and power does not mean you have the right to trample on people. It costs nothing to be kind, and it can completely change the outcome. The motive for your interaction with a person will have a significant impact on the way that moment lands. If you want to punish or control people, it will show. If you truly want people to be successful, that comes through too.

Have a plan. The best police interactions follow a plan. Often, this means the officer has slowed things down and taken the time to think through what will happen next and where the engagement should go. Before we begin a discussion with a team member about something that needs to change, we should always have a plan. It should start with getting that person in private so any correction can be between you and them, not the whole team. Then have a clear idea about what you want the outcome to be. It’s not hard, but it means taking the time to think it through.

Follow your intuition. I can’t count how many times in these videos the officer has a gut feeling about what is going on. Acting on that intuition is usually beneficial, while ignoring it often results in things going off the rails. Leaders can become reluctant to listen to their intuition. We like things to be backed by data and analysis. People are not easily summarized by numbers, and if you have a feeling about something, trust your instinct and follow up. This is true for both concerns and positive observations. If you see something positive in someone else, encourage it!

Know when to put them in cuffs. It is common for officers to put people in cuffs while they finish investigating. This is for the safety of the officer and the individual; however, it often comes as a surprise to the person. In leadership, we tend to wait too long to create guardrails for someone who is struggling to understand or commit to the values, mission, vision, or strategy of the organization. Sooner is safer. Also, sometimes the right move is to remove.

Leadership requires a careful balance between the needs of an individual and the needs of the team. When we address things early and the person is cooperative, we can prevent small disturbances from becoming major issues. Letting things go and then eventually having to come down hard is both disrespectful to the person and disruptive to the team.

Creating a culture where everyone can feel valued, cared for, and safe means handling the little things with kindness and respect, having a plan for the person’s success, trusting your intuition, and being ready to make the hard decisions. Taking care of the misdemeanors before they become felonies is the Bison Way.