The Levels, Stages, and Interrelationships of Police Leadership

I had been a sergeant for about 18 months when I was transferred back to the patrol division I was promoted out of. I was looking forward to returning home to the division where I had cut my teeth as an officer. In fact, I was feeling comfortable and confident that I would not only get a warm reception but that I would slip right back into being one of the guys. However, I was not met with the homecoming I had anticipated. Instead, I was treated with the same restraint as the other sergeants in the division were. After several weeks of this cautious relationship with my subordinates, I approached a trusted officer friend and asked him if I had done something to make everyone so anxious around me. He smiled and said: “You know how it is. We are all waiting to see if you have changed.” I asked him, “Changed what?” His reply was delivered with a sly smile: “Into a sergeant.”