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Running head: INTERNSHIP FHSU11

Internship/Capstone Experience

For

Jim Dalley

Fort Hays State University

Dr. Brent Goertzen

Internship Report and Documentation

LDRS 890

July 20th, 2018



Summary

Over the last six months, I have been involved in a leadership internship at the Bannock County

Sheriff’s Office in Pocatello, Idaho, to fulfill the requirement of Fort Hays State University Leadership

Program. The focus of my internship has been to work with the senior staff, consisting of; the Sheriff,

Division Commanders, Division Lieutenants and other senior members of the organization. I also worked

with mid-level leaders, consisting of; Sergeants, Corporals and new supervisors. The goal of the

internship was to teach, train and help to develop key leaders so they have the knowledge and skills to

have a positive impact on those they lead. The mission statement of the Sheriff’s Office has served as a

guide for leadership intervention in this internship.

Now, probably more so than any other time in history, law enforcement needs to have great

leadership. On a daily basis, the news and social media criticize some police action. Sometimes the story

may have credibility; frequently the facts are taken out of context. The 2017 FBI report on law

enforcement officers killed and assaulted (2018) shows 93 police officers were killed in the line of duty,

thousands of others were assaulted.

The nature of policing in America has changed over the years. The problems of the future,

cannot be solved with what has worked in the past.

In their book, A Leaders Legacy, Kouze and Pozner (2006, p.117 ) address the concept of

leadership being learned. They write “The truth is that leadership is an observable set of skills and

abilities that are useful whether one is in the executive suite or on the front line, on Wall Street or Main


Street. And any skill can be strengthened, honed, and enhanced if we have the motivation and desire,

practice, and get coaching and feedback.” Later on in the book, the authors also write:

It’s very curious—and revealing—that no one has ever asked us, “Can management be learned? Are

managers born or made?” Why is it that management is viewed as a set of skills and abilities, while

leadership is typically seen as a set of innate personality characteristics? It’s simple. People assume

management can be learned. Because they do, hundreds of business schools have been established, and

each year thousands of management courses are taught. By assuming that people can learn the

attitudes, skills, and knowledge associated with good management practices, schools and companies

have raised the caliber of managers. They’ve also contributed to the idea that good management skills

are attainable.

Unfortunately, too many people, organizations and institutions don’t see, or recognize the value

of making leadership training and development a part of their culture. It’s been my experience that law

enforcement falls into this category. I have frequent contact with Sheriff’s Office’s in Southeastern

Idaho, and only three agencies out of fifteen, have regular in-house leadership training. Most Sheriff’s

Offices send one or two supervisors a year to a seminar type of leadership training.

One of the main purposes of the leadership training and development program at the Bannock

County Sheriff’s Office has been to change the culture. Too often hit and miss approach to leadership is

the norm. Continuity of leadership training, participant contributions, finding practical applications and

feedback are all-important to changing the organizational culture.

As with most professions in the world it has become apparent with the advent of time and the

changes in society, law enforcement must adapt. The face of crime has changed. Violence, the illegal


drug trade, gangs, school shootings, use of force and changes in the public perception of law

enforcement is requiring a paradigm shift in how the police deal with the challenges they face.

I’ve been in police officer for 35 years. Up until just a few years ago the Bannock County Sheriff’s

Office had only been involved in one shooting. The past five years have been different. During that time

the Sheriff’s Office has been involved in four different officer involved shootings where suspects have

been killed, and one other where the suspect was shot and survived.

It has become apparent that the strategies and solutions of the past have become less effective

in dealing with the challenges of the now, and in the future. The greatest law enforcement tool is the

effectiveness of the individual police officer. Keeping that in mind, getting the most out of each officer is

going to require leadership, who has the knowledge, skills and foresight to get the very best out of those

they have a stewardship to lead.

My leadership internship over the past six months has been with the Bannock County Sheriff’s

Office. The scope of the internship has been two fold:

1. The Bannock County Leadership Academy.

2. The executive leadership development program.

The purpose of the leadership academy has been to develop mid-level supervisors into effective

leaders. The executive leadership development program has been to help senior staff members to

enhance their understanding of key leadership concepts, discuss the concepts in a group setting and find

application of what they have learned into the day-to-day operations of the organization.

Training Rosters


The Sheriff’s Office Training Division has a format to record any ongoing training. The first page

is a training roster with the name, official identification number, current division assignment, hours of

training and the name of the instructor teaching the course. Page two of the roster is the Sheriff’s Office

in-house training synopsis. Included in this document are, the title of instruction, course length, course

summary, instructional goals, location of training and the instructor teaching the course.

Training rosters were kept for both the leadership academy and the executive leadership training. In

Idaho the Peace Officers Standards and Training require certified personnel to attend at least 40 hours

of in-service training for those who are certified to do criminal work every year. Those certified to work

in the detention (jail) division are required to attend 40 hours of training every two years. A copy of

training rosters accumulated during the internship are attached to the report.

Leadership Academy

The purpose of the Bannock County Leadership Academy is to provide relevant on-going

leadership training to leaders and potential leaders from within the organization.

The group of supervisors who have the most interactions with the frontline employees at the

Sheriff’s Office are the mid-level leaders. The mid-level supervisors are the Corporals and Sergeants. The

Corporals makes the initial job transition from being line staff, to become a supervisor. The mid-level

supervisors oversee the day-to-day work of front line officers who deliver the public services to the

public. Example of services are; patrol services, detective services, detention services, civil services and

driver’s license.

02-01-18


The initial training was an introduction to leadership and how it is defined. Definitions of

leadership, or lack thereof, are as diverse as organizations and the people who work there. A distinction

was made between leadership and management. Stephen Covey taught that “leadership is about

people, and management is about things.” Too often well intended “leaders” get off track when they

think they can treat people like things. Leadership is all about helping people reach their potential. For

the purposes of the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office Leadership Academy leadership is defined as, the

process of influencing others in a way that they can reach their potential and make a positive

contribution to the organization.

I spent a segment of time talking about my journey and perspective on leadership. Over a period

of 35 years in the law enforcement business I had learned a lot and made more than my share of

mistakes. At times I had been a manager, expected those I supervised to know what I expected of them

and to act accordingly. Mistakes resulted in frustration, to both me and those I interacted with.

Video Presentation Summary

Two video segments were used to demonstrate good leadership under difficult circumstances.

The first video was on Dick Winters. His story was made famous by the HBO Mini Series, Band of

Brothers. Dick started out as a 1st Lieutenant in the 101st Airborne Division training jump into occupied

France during World War Two. The mini-series highlights the ongoing leadership demonstrated from the

initial training to the end of World War 2.

The second video examined the leadership of Colonel Joshua Chamberlin of the 2 Maine during

the Civil War battle of Gettysburg. Colonel Chamberlin demonstrated the ability to listen to soldiers who

had been accused of cowardice because of the way other officers had treated them. Instead of

condemning the unhappy soldier, he made sure they had somethings to eat, listened to their complaints


respectfully and talked to them why he felt the war was just. Later, during the battle, Colonel

Chamberlin and his troops held the far South end of the Union line. The rebel army attacked the line

again and again but was repulsed by the Union soldiers under Chamberlin’s leadership. In the end the

Union troops won the battle. Later, Colonel Chamberlin would be awarded the medal of valor for what

he did, and the leadership he provided in defended the far end of the line on Little Round Top South of

Gettysburg.

The videos were discussed as to how each leader demonstrated, practical, compassionate and inspiring

leadership to those they lead.

03-01-18

The topic of discussion for the leadership academy on this date was the role of, and the application

of leadership in the law enforcement profession. The primary purpose of this training block was to

encourage discussion from class members, and find leaderships applications such as:

The role of the leader in day to day operations

The importance of mid-level supervisors, Corporals and Sergeants in the organization

The value of progressive leadership training and development to mid-level leaders

Leadership is not about position, rank or status

Leadership and employee discipline

The importance of setting an example of leadership excellence

04-05-18

The presentation and discussion for the class today was on principles of leadership

What is a principle?


The Principle of Effective Communication

The Principle of being an Example

The Principle of Ethics (Code of Conduct), Used a power point presentation from an assignment

in LDRS Leadership Ethics (attached to the paper)

05-03-18

The topic of discussion was the principle of trust. The dictionary defines trust as “firm belief in

the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” Wealthy businessman Warren

Buffet has said "TRUST is like the air we breathe. When it's present, nobody notices. But when it's

absent, everybody notices." The 13 behaviors of high-trust (Covey, S.R. xxxx) were discussed with the

group.

Executive Leadership Training and Development

02-21-18 Two Hours of Instruction and Discussion

The training today consisted of talking the value of collaboration in leadership and decision-making.

One of the Detention Lt.’s gave a leadership presentation on excellence. Finally a leadership model

developed by Dick Ayers and David Corderman (p.6, 2009) was presented and discussed. The discussion

covered:


By collaborating in decision-making, leaders are more likely to make better decisions. It also

likely the leader will have outcomes that are more positive.

The point and purpose of leadership is about helping others succeed

How using a leadership model can ensure effective give direction as to the process of leadership

and ensuring necessary steps are happening.



Source, Ayers, R.M., Corderman, D.A., Ethical, Character Driven Leadership, National Executive Institute

Associates, 2009.

03-21-18

The instruction was on Ethical Leadership. A power point presentation I developed on Ethical Leadership

in my Organizational Ethics class was used. Some of the highlights of the power point presentation were:

The Bathsheba Syndrome-how one ethical indiscretion can lead to another and can ultimately

result in horrific consequences (king David of Israel became not only an adulterer but a

murdered).

How Bernie Madoff and General Petreus fell from grace by engaging in unethical conduct

The Idaho Peace Officer Code of Ethics

As a Law Enforcement Officer, my fundamental duty is to serve the community; to safeguard

lives and property; to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or

intimidation, and the peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect the Constitutional rights of all

to liberty, equality and justice.

I will keep my private life unsullied as an example to all and will behave in a manner that does

not bring discredit to me or to my agency. I will maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn,

or ridicule; develop self-restraint; and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. Honest in thought

and deed in both my personal and official life, I will be exemplary in obeying the law and the regulations

of my department. Whatever I see or hear of a confidential nature or that is confided to me in my official

capacity will be kept ever secret unless revelation is necessary in the performance of my duty.


I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, political beliefs, aspirations,

animosities or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise for crime and the relentless

prosecution of criminals, I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor,

malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force or violence and never accepting gratuities.

I recognize the badge of my office as a symbol of public faith, and I accept it as a public trust to

be held so long as I am true to the ethics of law enforcement service. I will never engage in acts of

corruption or bribery, nor will I condone such acts by other law enforcement officers. I will cooperate

with all legally authorized agencies and their representatives in the pursuit of justice.

I know that I alone am responsible for my own standard of professional performance and will

take every reasonable opportunity to enhance and improve my level of knowledge and competence. I

will constantly strive to achieve these objectives and ideals, dedicating myself with sincere and

unfaltering commitment to my chosen profession…law enforcement.

04-18-18 Two Hours

The executive staff watched a leadership profile video on Dick Winters. Dick was an officer with

the 101st Airborne Division during World War 2. The leadership of Winter’s was emphasized in the HBO

Mini Series, Band of Brothers. Dick grew up in Pennsylvania and joined the U.S. Army in 1941, just prior

to the attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. Eventually, Winters joined the para-troopers and went to

England to prepare for the invasion of France to push back German occupation of Western Europe. Dick

Winters started as a 1st Lieutenant in the Army and eventually earned the rank of Major as the war in

Europe concluded. Since the series debuted, the leadership of Dick Winters has been written about,

discussed, and portrayed in documentaries.


Following the video the following items were discussed:

Why Dick Winter’s was such an effective leader

How Dick Winter’s example made a difference

How living and practicing a principle centered life is a must to be a good leader

My internship proved to be a positive experience. One of the main purposes was to establish the

Bannock County Leadership Academy. The Academy was designed to train and develop leaders in mid-

level supervisory positions. For the most part the main objectives of the Leadership Academy was to

introduce basic leadership fundamentals.

The primary delivery method for the Leadership Academy was lecture, using PowerPoint

presentations and discussions. It has been my experience in teaching a wide variety of law enforcement

topics, to police officers, is that they are hesitant to engage in discussion. They would rather be spoon

fed information. I made it clear that in both the leadership academy and the executive Leadership

participants would be challenged to answer questions, express their points of view

The second objective of my internship was to provide a platform for command staff supervisors

(Sheriff, Chief Deputy, Division Commanders and Lieutenants) to continue with ongoing leadership

training and development.

The executive staff met on the third Wednesday of the month for two hours of leadership

instruction and discussion. The format consisted of the introduction of a topic by lecture, and then a

discussion among staff members as to the way to apply the topic into every day Leadership situations.


My internship proved to be a positive experience.

Evaluation

Over the course of the internship I have sought out feedback from individual participants in

program. Most of the feedback has been good, but there has been feedback offering suggestions as to

what might be more helpful. Some of the participants of have expressed having concerns over teaching

in blocks of time over two hours. Other participants would like to spend more time in discussing

application of leadership theory in the real world. For the most part the feedback was good. The

participants liked having instruction come from more than just lecture.

On July, 18th, 2018 I met with the senior staff for two hours on feedback they might have to offer

on our executive leadership training. The following are questions I asked, and the responses:

What can be done to make the leadership training more meaningful?

From this point on do leadership training on a quarterly basis.

Try to encourage more discussion from participants.

Bring in some outside experts, different point of views.

Is there a format better suited to improve the quality of the training?

Most participants felt good about the format.

Introduce a topic, have a discussion and collectively find applications.

Are there other topics related to leadership you want to see addressed?

Provide more information on leadership using law enforcement examples.


More time spent on law enforcement leadership topics such as; empowerment, and how to

change the culture, leadership and discipline.

Other:

Send out leadership newsletter with new and useful leadership information.

Have instruction in one-hour blocks of time.

Culminating Experience

As it has become abundantly clear, the focus of my leadership work at Fort Hays State has been

on law enforcement leadership. I have spent the past 35 years of my life working as a police officer and

sheriff's deputy. Over that time period I have worked in a wide variety of positions, including

assignments with leadership responsibility. My experience over time has helped me recognize come the

importance of leadership in public safety service.

It has been my objective from the very beginning of my formal studies at FHSU to learn more

about leadership from an academic perspective and then find application into the day to day

organizational culture. The leadership courses I’ve participated in and completed, have laid a solid

foundation for me to be a better leader. The insight from seeing leadership from a number of different

perspectives has broadened my understanding. I have a better knowledge of how to apply leadership in

different applications and settings. Collaborating with other students, reading their posts and learning

from them has been enlightening.

The course work in the leadership program has helped me understand the importance of critical

thinking. In a leadership setting critical thinking is so important. If the leader has tunnel vision, or a

narrow point of view, their ability to practice sound leadership is limited.


On more than one occasion when I was teaching leadership during my internship, I’ve had

students disagree me, or take exception with what I was saying. Now, I had could have responded in any

number of ways. I could get angry or frustrated. It would have been easy to discount what the students

said. There may have a point in my career when I would have gotten defensive. All these responses

would most likely have shut down the learning process, not only for the students, but for me.

Instead of reacting, I’ve learned to listen, to seek clarification, and learn from what the student

had to say. My experiences, my informal education, and what I have learned at Fort Hays State

University, has taught me the importance of learning from others. Each of us have different

perspectives, based on our own individual journeys. Only by listening to others can I learn, and perhaps

be a better leader, and more importantly, a better teacher.

When a student recently told me she disagreed with me, I told her I was okay with that. I

explained to her, I was offering a point of view based on what I had learned and experienced. I then

asked her to help me understand what she was thinking? I then listened and learned from the student.

She explained why she felt the way she did and then asked me to give her some input on her concerns in

a future class. The interaction proved to be positive and he let her know I would return, prepared to

address the concerns she had.

Its my opinion that when students or class members feel comfortable enough to challenge, or

disagree with me, progress is being made. I know people are thinking, they are becoming active

participants in the learning process. Hopefully, they are finding application from what they’ve learned in

their everyday world. If they do, then trying to make a difference, to be some kind of positive influence,

has made it worth it.


What my internship has taught me is, real leaders are passionate about helping others succeed.

If the leader can make some kind of positive difference, no matter how small, they’ve succeeded. I’m not

sure where I heard it, but someone once said “If you succeed, I succeed”. On occasion, I’ve talked to

individual participants from the leadership-training program, they tell me that what they learned has

helped them, then in some small way I know I have succeeded.

Acknowledgments

I want to thank Sheriff Nielsen from the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office for agreeing to, and

supporting my leadership internship. The participants in the training have been awesome and patient.

Hopefully they learned a little from the instruction.

Documents

eportfoliofhsujimd.weebly.com€¦ · Web viewThe leadership of Winter’s was emphasized in the HBO Mini Series, Band of Brothers. Dick grew up in Pennsylvania and joined the U.S