By Zach Stephens and Doreen Jokerst
“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” — Steven Spielberg
Leadership is one of the most important factors in any successful organization. Great leaders do so much more than lead. They inspire, influence and guide people and teams in creative ways that achieve the mission and reach the goals necessary for overall organizational success. Leaders truly shape the trajectory of an organization by fostering a collaborative and partner-style approach that motivates talent and ensures long-term growth and progress.
At the heart of effective leadership lies mentorship — the ability to develop others by providing support, direction and confidence. Mentorship is like handing our mentees a compass and not just a map. In our field, the terrain is always changing, paths winding through that terrain usually leading us into uncharted waters. While leadership sets the direction and course, mentorship ensures the team is equipped with the tools and resources needed to navigate the path. The two — leadership and mentorship — are deeply intertwined and woven together, each reinforcing the other to create strong teams that leave a sustaining, positive impact.
At the Overland Park Police Department (OPPD), we recognized a trend as we emerged from the COVID-19 crisis. We were not fielding enough qualified candidates to fill the ranks of our first-line supervisors. In addition, there was the absence of an overall leadership and staff development strategy. To address these concerns, the Leadership Forge Program was created. We wanted something more than just another leadership training program; through leadership development, we wanted to establish a system that would shape the future of the organization.
Imagine a forge — the instrument by which raw materials are transformed as they endure intense heat and pressure, then emerge reborn as finely crafted tools. This is exactly what Leadership Forge was intended to do. Leadership does not happen by accident. Sometimes heat, pressure and a little bit of well-placed hammering are necessary in order to create exceptional results. Leadership Forge was designed to develop quality leadership inside the Police Department.
The program is currently built on three modules: mentorship, structured academic leadership training and experiential on-the-job training. Each module was designed with the goal of developing officers into ethical, confident and effective leaders. While Leadership Forge is only two years old, it should be noted its foundation was built around evidence-based leadership principles.
Mentorship
Leadership Forge is built on a foundation of mentorship, and all three components (mentorship, structured academic leadership training and experiential on-the-job training) attempt to incorporate various aspects of mentoring into them, as well as offer individualized consideration to those we are developing.
Leadership Forge has two levels of intentional mentorship. The first level focuses on new employees. The second pairs newly promoted supervisors with an executive mentor (command staff member). This second level is based on the ideas taken from the successful NOBLE (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives) Mentoring program.
At both levels, mentors provide guidance, help staff navigate organizational challenges and build confidence in their roles. Although mentorship in an organization is not a new concept, it remains elusive in law enforcement organizations. [1] Additionally, research supports the idea that mentorship has a positive effect on career progression, acceptance and overall job satisfaction. [2] Lastly, Leadership Forge uses mentorship as a foundation ultimately because research shows individuals have better professional outcomes than their non-mentored counterparts. [3]
Structured Academic Leadership Training (STEEL)
Before the implementation of Leadership Forge, we struggled with a shortage of qualified staff interested in supervisory roles. Some newly promoted individuals lacked the interpersonal skills needed for success. STEEL, which stands for Strengths, Training, Ethics, Excellence and Leadership, was introduced to develop officers into stronger leaders by equipping them with a deeper understanding of both organizational and personal leadership challenges. After all, becoming a sergeant involves more than just getting a new badge and an extra email folder full of challenges.
Therefore, the second part of the Leadership Forge program includes the structured academic leadership program, STEEL. The STEEL format is structured around scheduled meetings where topics are discussed in a facilitated format. The goal of STEEL is to develop officers into capable leaders in their current roles and help them feel confident in their leadership capabilities. In this way, they will feel encouraged to apply for promotion.
During the STEEL meetings, topics such as ethical decision-making, communication, resilience and operational excellence are covered. STEEL strongly emphasizes transformation as its ultimate objective. Our facilitated discussions are viewed through the prism of various leadership books and academic research. We attempt to incorporate the lessons learned into our efforts to become better transformational leaders for our community. Ultimately, it is an intrinsic look at how we can better ourselves, better the organization and ultimately those we serve.
Current research has shown that structured leadership programs, such as the ones studied in the “International Public Management Journal,” have a positive impact on enhancing leadership behaviors and improving leadership outcomes in public sector organizations, [4] and this is incorporated in the STEEL curriculum. Through STEEL, participants learn to navigate difficult decisions with professionalism and integrity.
Onboarding: Experiential leadership training
Our final module, which is one of the more unique efforts, is the onboarding module of Leadership Forge. Onboarding for promotional positions offers numerous benefits, ensuring a smooth transition into leadership roles and setting newly promoted employees up for success. It accelerates role readiness by providing structured training, allowing individuals to quickly adapt to new responsibilities and contribute to the organization effectively. Additionally, well-prepared leaders are more likely to remain in their roles, which reduces department turnover, improves retention and improves overall job satisfaction.
Using this as our foundation, our supervisory onboarding program is a four-week on-the-job training experience for officers who have been placed on the sergeant eligibility list that is established annually. Those officers are then scheduled to begin their journey in understanding the responsibilities of leadership and the additional administrative responsibilities that go along with it.
When we initially designed the program, we envisioned it as a simple job-shadowing experience. However, we quickly recognized an opportunity to create a more impactful learning process. Instead of merely observing, officers took on the role of Acting Sergeant, which allowed them to actively perform the job, make mistakes and grow through real-world experience, all under the guidance of a seasoned frontline supervisor. To further enhance the development process, we refined the program to include mentorship sessions at both the beginning and end of onboarding. Now, these sessions with a patrol captain provide officers with a clearer understanding of both the organization’s expectations and the community’s needs, ensuring that they are better prepared for leadership responsibilities.
We know experiential learning works and has been shown to be highly effective in developing leadership skills. [5] Leadership Forge Sergeant Trainers engage the sergeant candidates in the experiential learning process, which includes the approach, action and reflection phases to enhance their skills. [6] During the four-week training period, we learned it is important for our sergeant candidates to foster a growth mindset by experiencing challenges as they occur and seeking feedback as they work through the problems, thus significantly improving leadership development. [7] Creating a safe psychological environment where the sergeant candidate feels comfortable taking risks in command decisions and learning from those mistakes is a crucial component of experiential learning. [8]
Before Leadership Forge, officers often described their initial experiences in supervision as being thrown into the deep end or trial by fire. This resulted in inconsistencies in leadership and struggles among new sergeants. This onboarding module provides officers with real-world experience before they take on the critically important role of a police sergeant.
Conclusion
The long-term goal of Leadership Forge is to shape the Overland Park Police Department by developing a sustainable pipeline of well-prepared leaders who can confidently step into supervisory roles. Leadership is not just about holding a title or a certain rank. It requires a deep understanding of organizational dynamics, effective decision-making and the ability to inspire and support others. Recent research highlights that higher levels of trust in police leadership, personal wellness and comprehensive leadership training are key factors in officer retention and overall job satisfaction. [9]
By prioritizing these elements, Leadership Forge aims to enhance both individual career growth and the department’s long-term continuity and forward progress. Leadership Forge was established in response to a pressing need within our agency — a shortage of qualified first-line supervisors and a lack of structured leadership development programs. Without a clear path for officers to cultivate the skills necessary for supervisory positions, the department faced challenges in preparing the next generation of leaders.
Leadership Forge seeks to bridge this gap by providing officers with a structured, evidence-driven training initiative that equips them with essential leadership competencies, including communication, decision-making, emotional intelligence and conflict resolution.
Leadership Forge also strengthens our organizational culture by building a workforce that is engaged, motivated and ready to lead. Effective leadership influences how officers interact with colleagues, the community and handle complex situations in the field. Through mentorship, on-the-job training and continuous learning opportunities, Leadership Forge empowers participants to lead with integrity, resilience and confidence — benefiting not only individual careers but the entire agency.
While still in its early stages — and we definitely are learning and growing — the success of Leadership Forge has demonstrated the need for it to be expanded department-wide and for it to include sound opportunities for our professional staff members. Leadership is not confined to rank or role — every member of our agency contributes to its success, and developing leadership skills across all levels strengthens the organization as a whole.
By offering Leadership Forge to both commissioned and professional staff, we create a unified approach to leadership development, which in turn fosters collaboration, innovation and a shared commitment to excellence. Leadership Forge represents a strategic investment in the future of public safety leadership for our agency. This initiative sends a clear message to our employees: we recognize their potential, we are invested in their future and we provide the tools they need to excel.
As the program evolves, it will play a crucial role in strengthening the department’s leadership structure, improving officer and staff retention and reinforcing a culture of trust, psychological safety and excellence. By proactively developing and investing in our future leaders, we are not only preparing for the challenges of today but also building a more resilient, adaptable and collaborative workforce for the future.
Expanding leadership development opportunities ensures that every member of our organization has the tools, confidence and support to grow, lead and contribute to the department’s long-term success. Leadership doesn’t happen by accident — it’s forged. At OPPD, we are keeping the fires burning.
References
- Lavender L, Todak N. Exploring the value of mentorship for women police officers. Policing: An International Journal. 2022;45(6):1064–1081.
- Allen TD, Eby LT, Poteet ML, Lentz E, Lima L. Career benefits associated with mentoring for proteges: A meta-analysis. J Appl Psychol. 2004;89(1):127–136.
- Eby LT, Lockwood AL, Butts M. Perceived support for mentoring: A multiple perspectives approach. J Vocat Behav. 2006;68(2):267–291.
- An SH, Meier KJ, Bøllingtoft A, Andersen LB. Employee perceived effect of leadership training: Comparing public and private organizations. Int Public Manag J. 2019;22(1):2–28.
- Maxwell WD, Fierke KK. Leadership case consultations as an experiential learning tool for leadership development in the classroom. Am J Pharm Educ. 2024;88:100791.
- Ashford SJ, DeRue DS. Developing as a leader: The power of mindful engagement. Organ Dyn. 2012;41(2):146–154.
- Heslin PA, Latham GP, VandeWalle D. The effect of implicit person theory on performance appraisals. J Appl Psychol. 2005;90(5):842–856.
- Edmondson A. Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Adm Sci Q. 1999;44(2):350–383.
- Wilson JM, Grammich CA, Cherry T, Gibson A. Police retention: A systematic review of the research. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice. 2023;17:1–20.
