Very early in my SWAT career I was promoted into a senior leadership position.
I had less than three years on the team but I was the most experienced team member (yes, the team was in shambles) and there was no one of higher rank that was a better choice.
In a very short period of time I learned a lot about leading and managing a team in a dynamic, sometimes unforgiving environment.
Below are some of the lessons I learned.
1. Don’t Be a Micro-manager
On my first training evolution as the team leader I realized that I wanted to control everything; it made me uncomfortable to let others do things. Fortunately, I took a breath and let my guys do their job without my interference/micromanagement.
Micromanagement can lead to resentment and lack of trust in a team environment; micromanagement can destroy a SWAT Team.
Show your team that you trust them and let them make their own decisions.
2. Solicit Ideas
Don’t act like you know what you are doing if you don’t.
I once watched another new team leader try to tell the veteran members of his team that they were executing a tactic incorrectly. The situation might have been comical had the new TL not been dead serious.
Just because you are the boss does not mean you have to know everything. Your team has or can help you come up with the appropriate solution (there are wrong solutions in SWAT work).
If you don’t know, be frank and ask your team for options.
3. No Task Is Beneath You
I would PT with my guys, take the dirtiest job and assignments, or work things out for them when they needed to time take care of their home life.
In return when I asked them to do something, there were never issues.
By showing your guys that there is no job or assignment beneath you, you are demonstrating your respect for them and the job they do. You are also getting a better understanding of what it takes to do their job.
My guys know that when I assign them something what my expectations are. They know their assigned task is important no matter how menial it appears, and I am trusting them to take it seriously.
4. Ask Other Leaders
I talked to every credible experienced SWAT team leader that I could find. I wanted to know how they lead their teams during operations.
It was eye opening what I learned. That education helped me develop my own style of leadership and create a training model that I still use to this day.
If you are starting from scratch like I did, I suggest you do the same.
5. Train Your Team, Then Get Out of the Way!
The single most important thing I learned about leading during operations is to stay out of the way. Train your team members to the best of their abilities; push them to be better and better. When it is ‘execution time’, get out of the way!
Delegating work, making strategic decisions, and keeping the team on task is the team leader’s assigned job.
You are not paying attention to how the entire team is doing if you are working an individual door. Your assigned task is the big picture. Stay on task.
6. You Are Responsible
Leading a SWAT team is an awesome responsibility; you should feel the weight of that responsibility.
Remember whose safety you are responsible and liable for during operations:
- The officers on your team
- People involved in the situation (that includes the suspect)
- The immediate surrounding community
You need to consider the safety and the danger you are putting all of these people. If you are unnecessarily putting someone at risk you are wrong.
7. Professionalism & Calm
Don’t stand for team members who can’t put on their game face and do a professional job when appropriate. Putting on a plate carrier and a helmet doesn’t suddenly mean you loose any of your professional demeanor or conduct.
On my team during operations there is no yelling, screaming, or cursing. It is unprofessional, it caters to the stereotype of SWAT cops, and takes you out of the cool, calm, and, collected focus you should have during operations.
8. Make a Decision
Right or wrong, sometimes you have to make a decision so that the team can move forward. If you are caught off guard about what to do, make the best choice you can.
If you are unhappy with the choice you made or the end result, do not let yourself be preoccupied about it during the operation.
Focus on what you need to do to improve the situation and beat yourself up about it later.
In The End
New and veteran team leaders alike learn some hard lessons. Hopefully in reading this you will not have to learn so many.