Ruler or Leader?

Why is it that when units are unfocused problems start? Even agency wide, we can be busy but still find time for problems. As a young cop in Battle Creek, Michigan, I learned this lesson. A senior officer told me they were going to raid a gambling house. Coming from the farmlands of Michigan this sounded fun. A new cop getting to kick doors and take crooks to jail, what could go wrong? This was the same crew that drove through slush puddles spraying pimps with melted snow. I think the record was spraying one guy three times in one block.

It was early in the morning, complete darkness surrounded the small team of cops, and of course no sergeants went along back then. The door was kicked with a mighty thunder. Tables got turned over; dope, guns and dice hit the floor. Everyone went to jail. It was a good night! Until.

Until we drove proudly into the sally port from our big game hunt. We may as well have tied the prisoners on the hood of our patrol cars like a slain deer with huge antlers. Immediately the watch commander, a lieutenant who spent most of his time reading Playboy, came running into the booking center. You “Sons-of Bitches” get them out of here; let them go. The outburst of curses continued unabated throughout the booking process.

Afterward the senior guys told me that that sergeant protected the house and they hit it just to mess with him. That sergeant dared not discipline them. He was a ruler, but not a leader. Over the years I have worked for leaders, rulers and some in between. I have worked for and with people I adored and others I loathed. Some I had to work around as obstacles to good policing and others I would have run through a wall/fence for…literally.

In 2 Samuel 5 we read the following: “While Saul was king…you (David) led.” Saul had positional power but David got the mission done. The men respected him for it. Follow him into battle, you bet.

David had a righteous mission, a clearly defined mission worthy of dying for. He wanted to take Jerusalem for the Jewish nation. For God. It ended up being his legacy even until today. It was his first mission after being anointed king. He marched the men to attack the Jebusites. They were to take Jerusalem.

Jebusites were most likely a Canaanite clan who worshiped Zedek. It is similar to the wording used for Melchizedek. (Heb 7:10) and Adoni-Zedek in Joshua 10. It means lord-king and denotes worship of one who is both priest and king. Something the Jews were forbidden from doing. (I Sam 13) and was the reason Saul had his kingdom taken from him.

From behind the walls the Jebusites mocked David and his army. “Even the blind and lame” can ward you off. This was most likely a reference to the patriarchs of Israel, Isaac and Jacob. One rabbinical scholar states there were statues in Jebu of Isaac and Jacob showing them blind and lame. David used that as his key. He focused in like a laser on the mocking and used it to motivate his men. “Use the water shaft to reach those lame and blind who are David’s enemies.” Vs. 10 the Lord Almighty was with him (David). God gave David the vision, trigger points for leverage and ability to motivate men for battle. With each victory he grew stronger and stronger as a leader.

The Jews easily won the battle, but the mission was not over.

As soon as they took the city they built up its natural defenses. They built a wall from those who would attack. He built up the supporting terraces after he took residence. Its one of the first historical mentions of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. (CPTED). There was a mission, a righteous mission, a clear objective the men were willing to fight for it.

As I look back at leaders I respect and was willing to go to battle with and for were those who had a clear mission that made sense. It was a righteous mission I was willing to vest myself in. More importantly it was a mission worth doing. Those leaders identified trigger points to motivate and we got the job done! A righteous mission that made the community better, safer and stronger.