My 41 years in the police profession have taught me that a secret to enhancing effective policing is hiding in plain sight. It aligns with the ethos of elite achievers throughout history. I want to share with you a concept of serving with a purposeful vision by way of well-defined ideals — those envisioned standards of excellence that drive personal development, professional service and achievement.

Early in my career, likely just like yourself, I became defined by my cynicism. “Things are the way they are, and nothing’s ever going to change for the better — everything is bull …” By learning to turn my cynicism into a more practical, hopeful skepticism, I eventually discovered cynicism was born from constant frustration and disappointment that left me feeling hopeless and defeated. On the other hand, a practical, hopeful skepticism sees the reality of how things are and continues to question everything, yet maintains a desire to never give up on trying to improve those things we have control over — like the type of officer and leader we can become. That’s where well-defined ideals come into play.

Nearly all successful high achievers have had ideals that inspired and guided their actions. Ideals are necessary even for the most hardened cynics because they offer a way of hope and create opportunities to avoid becoming our own worst enemies through a defeatist attitude.

While cynicism acts as a protective shield against disappointment, ideals remain necessary to navigate the landmines of the profession and to provide the motivation for practical actions that lead to professional development and effectiveness. Well-defined ideals are crucial to get the most from your career. They help define your professional purpose and enhance ability and job satisfaction.

Every call for service and interaction is an opportunity to do more, be more and give more.

Defining your ideals

Ideals are standards or a vision of excellence. Without well-defined ideals to guide our professional service, one lacks purpose. An ideal is a personal or a professional archetype of what one hopes to achieve. Ideals are defined by our character, what we value most and what we hope to do with our careers. The most powerful ideals are motivated by selflessness — a desire to do the most good and make a positive difference.

Law enforcement is a profession that demands the pursuit of excellence, which includes both personal and professional development. Ideals guide the effort toward self-improvement and professional service while keeping one adaptive and responsive to what is most needed.

Contemplate the kind of leader and officer you admire and want to become. Consider
ideals that will enhance your overall abilities. Follow strategies to foster improvement that align with your purpose.

Ideals for policing

Why did you want to become a police officer? Why have you sought positions of leadership and supervision? Your answers form the ideal for how you will serve.

For most of us, it was wanting to protect people and make a meaningful difference. It was wanting to be in a position to help create opportunities for other officers to be their best. Police work is just a job unless you have ideals that lead you to make it a meaningful profession of service.

Think of the experiences that mattered most to you in your career. Think of those times when you wish you had responded differently or could have done more. Think of the possibilities for your work if you discover how to synthesize your ideals with who you are and why you serve. Every call for service and interaction is an opportunity to do more, be more and give more — all of which results in getting more from your work.

Ways to achieve ideals

Achieving an ideal requires defining a clear vision, breaking it into actionable strategies and practical steps, and maintaining consistent effort despite challenges. It involves aligning daily habits with long-term goals, cultivating a growth mindset and sustaining the desire to achieve. Practical steps include meditation, visualization and mindfulness.

Meditation is a form of mental training that aims to improve an individual’s core psychological capacities and emotional self-regulation. It opens the door to one’s intuition, allowing insights and ideas to emerge that bring inspiration and constructive steps toward attaining a goal. Meditation can take as little as 10 minutes and involves slow, centered breathing with focused attention on an idea, goal or problem.

Visualization is the use of one’s imagination to “see” a desired outcome. It is a very powerful way to envision a result, which in turn allows your thoughts and actions to manifest the outcome you seek.

Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on the present, using current experiences to get the most from them. Combining the practice of mindfulness with visualization and meditation creates a powerful strategy to realize your ideal.

Conclusion

The most powerful guide for achievement is an ideal. Use well-defined ideals to guide your actions, while maintaining a practical, hopeful skepticism.