FITNESS-THE HIDDEN LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Why Fit Trainers Have a Huge Impact

By John Wills, Law Enforcement Trainer

Published January 2006, Law Enforcement Trainer

As trainers, we have an opportunity that many of our colleagues do not. We have the responsibility of ensuring that our entire department or agency receives the training they need to accomplish the mission. That means that we impact each member, from the lowliest newbie, to the most senior manager. Not many others can experience that kind of potential for influencing an entire group of people.

That being said, we need to be "on our game" 100% of the time. When we conduct training, we are leading people in a process meant to achieve an end. During this process, we exhibit certain traits inherent in leadership. Some of those traits found in leaders can be described as:
One who unites people to achieve a common objective
One who creates strength in people by creating unity
One who empowers, motivates, and organizes people to achieve a common goal and provide moral guidance.

How do we define this intangible quality we call leadership? Leadership is a complex process by which a person influences others to accomplish a mission, task, or objective, and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Warren Bennis, PhD, in his book On Becoming a Leader, said that "Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing.

Once we understand what Leadership is, we can then see what leadership is not:
Not a position
Not a personality cult
Not being indispensable
Not about blaming others

One of my favorite quotes comes from former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Colin Powell, who said "Mediocre people are always at their best." As trainers, we strive to be the best we can be each day. I like to say "It's easy to be a member of the herd; it's difficult to be a leader." Why? Because leaders stand out, they are on stage all the time. Mediocre people only do the bare minimum, never aspire to succeed and achieve, and are apathetic.

Our society today is more comfortable with lowering standards rather than raising them. Heaven forbid we should ever make someone uncomfortable. I sense there is an air of inclusion in which everyone should be able to succeed, if we will only lower the bar. The emphasis is placed on making people feel good about themselves, rather than meeting standards.

Inasmuch as we are in front of people that look to us to lead the way, we know that we lead best by example, and by being a role model. Compare and contrast two trainers. The first is overweight, sloppily dressed, in need of a haircut and shave. The second trainer is fit and confident, clothes are tailored and he is well groomed. Both know the material equally well. Which one would you tend to follow and have more confidence in? I know my answer.

So what does a leader look like? His appearance commands respect, meaning he is fit, his clothes are clean and pressed, and he is well groomed. He has a proven track record of success and credibility. His enthusiasm is contagious, which draws others to him. He is self-disciplined and highly motivated. He gives praise and encouragement. His character is beyond reproach. A leader doesn't hold a rank or a position. A leader causes others to follow his example, and want what he has.

I know that each of you can recall someone in your own life that met the above criteria, someone that had a lasting impression on you. One of those outstanding trainers that immediately comes to my mind is former Marine and FBI Special Agent, Bob Rogers. For years Bob taught Physical Training and Defensive Tactics to hundreds of new agents at the FBI Academy. Toward the end of his career, he was assigned to the FBI National Academy Unit, where his enthusiasm for training, and his love of country, was infectious. Command rank officers from police departments and agencies world-wide, went home from Quantico with stories about this dynamo of a trainer. Bob met and exceeded all the aforementioned attributes. Ask any National Academy Associate about Bob Rogers, and they will have a story to tell about a particular run that Bob led them on, or an exhausting workout he administered. Bob was fit, trim, and passionate about training. We lost Bob to cancer several years ago, but each of us carries our own vision of Bob with us whenever we train.

One other key component of Leadership is character. Character is determined by one person-you. Others determine your reputation, which is what you fall for, but character is based on what you stand for. As trainers, we should always do the right thing, never taking advantage of people or situations. We have opportunities to certainly "teach someone a lesson", or "set someone up for failure". But if we want to be the type of trainer that is well respected and admired, we will act morally. Morals and ethics form the foundation for leadership. What then is the litmus test for doing the "right thing"? Ask the question-"Would my family and friends agree with my actions?" This is the simplest moral compass to follow.

So how does this whole fitness element fit into the Leadership equation? Well, the bottom line is that fit leaders are more effective. Those of us that can not only "talk the talk", but also "walk the walk", are the people that become leaders. As far as the old adage is concerned-leaders are born, not made, I submit that needs to be revised. I believe that leaders are made. How does this happen? Simply put, those of us that are fit trainers, connect much easier and quicker with the people we train. By being highly motivated, enthusiastic, and involving ourselves in the training, rather than watching, we engender respect and a desire in our students to achieve.

When we see the results we get, it causes us to require even more of ourselves. Success is infectious, it causes the endorphins in our body to be released, which causes us to want to achieve more and more. We get a natural high from successful training. Remember how you felt at the conclusion of a particularly successful training session? One in which you were hitting on every cylinder, and your students were doing everything right. Remember how quickly the time flew by, and how you were sad when the class ended? How about when the students came up to you afterward to praise your methods and delivery? That's leadership-that's causing people to want to achieve and succeed. When success is achieved, everyone shares in the victory. Those trainers that are not fit can't maintain the high level of enthusiasm and activity that fit trainers exhibit.

Are fit leaders more effective? A study conducted in 2003 by Professor Michael Goldsby at Ball State University, Muncie, IN, concluded that fit business owners are more successful than their unfit counterparts. In fact, those that ran or weight trained a few times per week, were 4% more likely to make more money. Those that exercised daily were 14% more likely to make more money. The fit business owners had more endurance, which allowed them to work longer hours and reduced depression. Moreover, those that were fit made a better first impression on customers.

How does this business study relate to me as a trainer? In exactly the same way, i.e., my first impression on my students will mean I will achieve more success, and cause them to more easily follow instruction. I will have more success and a lower failure rate with my students. And, I will be able to work longer hours and not suffer depression and anxiety, because my fitness routine ameliorates those negative factors.

Okay, we have seen the advantages of being fit, and how fit trainers just naturally become leaders. So now it becomes our personal mission to either become fit, or maintain our existing fitness. I won't define what fitness is in this article, since fitness is as unique to individuals as finger prints. My level of fitness may or may not meet your standard, but suffice it to say, you will know it when you see it. Conversely, you will know immediately when a person is not fit.

I like to say there are three things in life that are certain-birth, death, and change. If you change the way that you look at things, the things that you look at will change. If you change the way that you look at your approach as a trainer, your approach will probably change. Good leaders know change happens and that it can be beneficial. You have a tremendous opportunity to become a leader by virtue of your ability to train all types of people. Your potential to influence people, which means your ability to lead, is huge. By being a fit trainer, you increase that potential, and you discover a leader with the ability to impact hundreds of people. That's the hidden leadership opportunity that all of us have.

John M. Wills

John spent 2 years in the U.S. Army before serving 12 years with the Chicago Police Department (CPD). He served in patrol, Special Operations, SWAT, Mayoral Body Guard, and crime lab. He left the CPD to become a Special Agent with the FBI, where he worked organized crime, violent crime, and drugs, working undercover for over 2 years. John served as the Principal Firearms Instructor, Training Coordinator, and sniper team leader in the Detroit Division for 10 years. Before retiring from the FBI, he spent 7 years teaching at the FBI Academy at Quantico, Virginia. He has taught Street Survival domestically and internationally, as well as supervised new agent training at the academy. John is presently a Field Manager in the Training Division with Advanced Interactive Systems. He also own his own business-LivSafe, teaching Personal Safety Classes.

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