Leading Specialized Operations

A leader’s job at every level is to close the gap between meeting organizational goals while

supporting the development of those they supervise as a whole person, not just as an

employee who makes a job contribution. Simultaneously, leaders must also develop the

capacity of the organization to adapt to rapid change brought about by new environments and

missions and to perform at higher levels in more complex future situations.

Specialized public safety units can vary from drug task forces to K9 and SWAT teams, with each

one focused on a particular mission or duty. Often, young leaders are thrust into command

with few tools to prepare them for the heavy expectations and responsibilities to not only

answer to their executives but to their subordinates. Understanding the subtleties of human

behavior, maneuvering through the intricacies of layered command structures, the burden of

safety and liability, and keeping the team focused on their mission can be daunting and

overwhelming.

Leading Specialized Operations is a 3-day course which takes the student from a journey of

understanding themselves and others, to coaching and motivating teams through a variety of

problem solving and leadership perspectives. Sharing stories from lessons-learned to historic

events that changed our country, students will enhance their leadership and command skills to

better serve specialized units. The course requires outside reading and includes class discussion

to fully develop the leader with the required skills to manage and lead others.