Editor’s note: In “Ask Tung,” Commander Eric Tung shares practical insights on fitness, wellness and leadership to help officers succeed on and off duty. Have a question? Contact Tung on Instagram @bluegritwellness or bluegritwellness@gmail.com.
In today’s police industry, we seem younger than ever (and many active LEOs will attest that their internal data proves it)! More and more officers, of all experience levels, recognize they have insight and experience that can (and should) be shared.
As growth-minded individuals, we can learn something from everyone. Beyond that, it doesn’t take much experience to provide valuable insights to another. A new hire can mentor an applicant. An academy recruit can mentor a new hire. A field training student can mentor an academy recruit, and the newly solo officer can mentor the student on what worked, what didn’t, and save them some firsthand accounts.
Thus, given the above, if you are asking yourself if you have something of value to share — the answer is likely a resounding “YES!” Coupled with that, the fact you’re wondering shows the right intent, attitude and investment in the future of our teams and profession.
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Mentoring isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about showing up consistently, modeling good habits and creating space for growth and honest dialogue. If you’re wondering where to start, focus on building yourself in these five areas. They’ll help you guide others in a way that’s real, relevant and lasting.
1. To lead others, you must lead yourself
But wait, you didn’t ask about “leadership?” Mentoring is helping someone find their way, learn adaptively and recognize their potential. In this vein, the two concepts are quite synonymous. Mentoring, coaching, teaching and guiding are some of the most prolific and genuine ways to lead. Further, the best way to lead others is to dial in your own life, methods and practices.
If you can instill discipline, growth and humility to keep learning in yourself for your life and career, then you are more adept to be able to encourage the same in others. The best teachers are students themselves, and the best mentors are leaders who draw from a vast array of constructive influences and feedback sources.
🚀 Action item: Lead yourself
🧭 Know your direction
Take a moment and take inventory — whether it’s recognizing your personal mission, writing down your values or discussing your impact with one of your own mentors. (My Get Gritty course helps you define your mission and build routines that elevate your career and off-duty life holistically.)
2. Listen more than you lecture
Younger officers don’t need a sermon — they need someone who listens. From the academy to the field trainer to the supervisor, they may have been frequently told what to do and told how they are performing. Find opportunities to check in and see how they think they’re doing.
Build trust through genuine curiosity. Ask them how they’re doing, what they’re struggling with and what their goals are. Mentorship starts with connection. When you understand their world, you’ll know when to offer perspective — and they’ll actually want to hear it.
👂 Action item: Build trust
💬 Listening > Lecturing
Sit down with the newest person on your squad or shift. Go carside or grab a coffee. Ask what they think they could improve on, how you can support them and what that might look like. Set a calendar reminder for a follow-up — and keep it.
3. Teaching moments beat telling stories
Think back to when you were brand-new. War stories were awesome. The old guard from yesteryear talking about the good old days. Fast forward a bit, and those unsolicited walks down memory lane were tired (and left you feeling the same). This was especially true when it was the command staff member who dropped into roll call ONLY to tell those stories as the CAD screen started piling up with holding calls…
However, some of my most impactful lessons were shared when someone took the time to listen to a challenging incident, problem or experience I was working on and through. Stories from those I looked up to, sharing similarities in their own thought processes, questions, missteps and hard lessons have been chiseled into my brain. These have left clear references to draw from, which have endured many years later.
When people take the time and show their humanity and humility, those are the types of stories that truly make a difference; they are the lessons that form legitimate wisdom — not just fodder for high fives, eye rolls or obligatory laughter.
Tell them about the hard lessons. The “wish I knew betters” and the ones that go beyond procedure, melding the art and science of policing. The ones that give them a roadmap to their own professional development and personal resilience. That’s mentorship — translating your scars into their armor.
📚 Action item: Share with purpose
🔍 Teach, don’t preach
Before telling a story, ask yourself: What’s the purpose? Pause to focus your message. If it is a vulnerable moment, make sure the timing and context are appropriate. Lastly, consider asking if you can share a personal account you are reminded of due to the commonality. Asking permission primes the setting and helps reduce the chance you fall into war-story mode.
4. Modeling behavior: “Be it, so they can see it”
In connection with leading yourself, detailed in #1, you can’t give what you don’t have.
Younger officers are watching, even when you don’t realize it. How you carry yourself — your attitude, your discipline, your presence — sets the tone. Take care of your own mindset, habits and emotional regulation. Show what it means to be grounded and accountable. This is the bedrock of mentorship: not just telling, but showing.
Speak plainly, directly and with respect. Don’t sugarcoat, but don’t destroy. Teach them how to give and receive feedback. Challenge them — but in a way that helps them grow, not shrink. Policing can be brutal enough. Your job is to make them sharper, stronger and more self-aware, not more cynical.
Own your role, even when no one’s watching (often, people are watching whether we recognize it or not). It’s not just what you say, but what you don’t say. It’s not only what you do, but what you don’t do. Affectionately called “baby cops,” new officers are always avidly taking proverbial notes on how to do police work, so how we show up and perform (or don’t) speaks volumes and initiates the next generation’s habits, attitudes and culture.
🛠️ Action item: Model the work
🎯 Be the example
Practice the prompts:
– “What if they were going to make an SOP based on how I perform on this call?”
– “What if academy instructors were going to make a training module from how I write this case report?”
– “What if my patrol shift was going to be broadcast nationally? How would it shape how the public looks at this profession? Would it instill confidence and respect?”
By “acting as if,” we can motivate and inspire ourselves to demonstrate ideal modeling, even when battling fatigue, cynicism and other stressors inherent in our career at times.
5. Invest in people, not positions
At my department, a new contract boasting a stellar medical package in retirement was recently rolled out. The upside was it was so impressive to most that retirements halted in order for individuals to vest into the program, which solidified retention in significant ways.
The downstream, potentially negative impact — as most calculated — was that a bulk of officers at all ranks and roles would be vested at the same time. A large pool has thus been projected to retire all at once, leaving a big hole in our staffing and operational ability.
This impending “cliff” became the sky that was falling… not right away, but in a specified amount of time. Everyone was chattering about it and wondering what “we” would do.
I told them we would do exactly what we have been doing — but with more intention. Investment through development. Training our replacements. Chiefs mentoring command, command mentoring sergeants and sergeants mentoring officers. Through directed, focused training and experiential opportunities, we would not happen upon being ready, but ensure it.
🌱 Action item: Build your bench
🤝 Invest in people, not positions
Check in regularly. Ask how they’re doing. Set growth goals. Assign tasks or projects that stretch their skills. Challenge limiting beliefs — and give them opportunities to lead before they hold the title.
Final thoughts
Mentoring isn’t about titles or roles — it’s about care and influence with intention. Showing up with humility, demonstrating a willingness to grow and encouraging other officers to do the same. It’s about helping them uplevel beyond the uniform and into better all-around people. It’s about inspiring and nudging them to lead.
If everyone can learn to lead themselves, invest in others through mentoring and encourage a culture of growth and positivity, then any organization can thrive to its fullest potential.
NEXT: Whether you’re a rookie or a 20-year veteran, you have knowledge worth sharing. In today’s tip, Gordon Graham breaks down why mentoring matters at every level of public safety — and how it helps build a stronger, smarter team.
