I just found “The Closer” on Amazon Prime and thought – ah, another crime show. I LOVE crime shows and enjoy trying to figure out who-done-it. But with The Closer I found something else. How NOT to be a leader…
For those that haven’t seen the show, Georgian Brenda Lee Johnson has just joined the LAPD as their new Deputy Chief in charge of the High-Profile Homicide squad. Her new boss – Assistant Chief Pope – had a previous relationship with Brenda, while he was married and they were working together. Deputy Chief Johnson has an innate ability to read people and obtain confessions.
When Deputy Chief Johnson starts, her biggest distraction is Captain Taylor. He is in charge of Robbery/Homicide and was previously responsible for the High-Profile Homicide squad. Captain Taylor is understandably upset, but how he undermines the new Deputy Chief should never be allowed.
In the first season, every show has Captain Taylor or one of his “people” in Assistant Chief Pope’s office complaining about Deputy Chief Johnson. Here’s where the NOT Leadership Skills comes in. Instead of telling these people to give Brenda a chance, or backing up her skills (he has full knowledge of how good she is), he just sighs and says, “OK, I’ll talk to her.” This validates Captain Taylor’s position that Deputy Chief Johnson is unfit for the position.
If you have a good (or in this case, Great) employee, I believe you should support them – to their face and behind their back. It can be hard when the people you know and trust try to push you against someone else. There is a way to mediate the these competing feelings. Be authentic. Be honest. Be yourself.
Here are some resources to learn how to do these things: