As both an author and speaker on leadership issues, my personal belief remains that true leaders should always make decisions based on what is best for the clients they serve, closely followed by what is best for those they lead, and never in favour of their own best interests or personal agenda. That axiom should be the foundation on which public service, private sector, not-for-profit and political leaders function. For many, I’m sure that it is.
From a policing perspective, police leaders should always make decisions that are in the best interests of the public they are sworn to serve first and foremost. They then must consider what is best for the personnel they so proudly lead and lastly how will it impact them. It should never be the other way around. Honesty is paramount to retaining the trust of the public and the police service. We have recently seen good examples of that in both Peel Regional and Hamilton Police Services, where the chiefs are challenging the direction of their boards, based on what they feel is best for their communities and their members, despite what may be career-limiting moves for them from contract renewal perspectives.
For elected officials however, this is a double-edged – or even triple-edged sword. Our elected political leaders – particularly at the provincial and federal levels, are faced with additional and unique dimensions, that being their own political futures and partisanship. What may truly be the best decision for the public may not be good for their party and perhaps the kiss of death for them as individuals in the future elections.
During our current federal election, as we have typically seen throughout the years, party leaders continue to make promises to the voting public and decry the promises made by others – whether they are in fact good ideas or not. It seems it is never appropriate for one leader to smile and announce that the promise made by another leader is a wonderful idea and truly the best thing for Canadians. But in their hearts, do they not sometimes agree? Is it the best thing for the public they serve to denounce an idea that is quite valid because of partisan issues?
I was once sitting with the seasoned Ontario Solicitor General of the day, when he read a newspaper article that quoted the opposition leader, in the heat of a provincial election. He told me, “He just lost the election because of that. I agree with him on the issue, but I’ll never admit it publicly.” He was right – on both counts.
The Opposition always disagrees with the governing party and vice-versa. Then when votes are held in the House, they almost exclusively vote along party lines. Well you know what? Sometimes the other party gets it right. I always respect those that vote against the party position, regardless of my own political leanings. It says a lot about the individual involved.
As OPP Commissioner, I sought and had Deputy Commissioners and Commanders that would tell me the truth on issues. To blindly agree with me only because I was the Commissioner would not best serve the people of Ontario or the men and women of the OPP. I owed it to the public and to our members to listen to all of their views and then make what I felt was the right decision – for them. If the decision went bad, it was then my responsibility to wear it.
Many politicians think if they walk down the dangerous path of doing what they truly know to be right but perhaps might upset some voters due to the tax implications or because it would align them with an enemy party, they won't get elected. Perhaps they are correct, but is that right? Conversely, some might promise the world during a campaign, knowing full well that they can never keep those promises, or will carry them out as promised despite knowing they are not the right thing to do. In my view, if they aren't always going with their hearts, promising and doing what they feel is right for those they serve, maybe they shouldn't be elected at all. Nobody said that leadership would be easy but a basic premise of leadership should not change when one is seeking or striving to retain an elected positon of leadership.
We need leaders that will always do what is right for the people – not just what will get them and their party the votes of those they serve. They should give the public some credit – they may actually be able to see that they are doing what is right, and that will build their credibility and voter trust in them as leaders. That is leadership.
Chris Lewis served as Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police from 2010 until he retired in 2014. He can be seen regularly on CTV and CP24 giving his opinion as a public safety analyst.
