Official Role Models

We’ve heard a lot about Role Modeling in connection with Authentic Leadership. In short, this crucial quality of authentic leaders refers to the ability to act in accordance with the values they communicate. The integrity, energy and braveness that leaders need to act upon their principles make them authentic. If they follow their own rules with consistency and passion, their behaviors will inspire others, resulting in a role model effect.

Now, there is plenty of room for discussion in regards to the demand to acting on strong values. For example, how far should a leader go by insisting on certain principles, despite potential pressure from their environment? Or, you could ask: was Hitler an authentic leader because he strictly followed his twisted principles? The list of possible challenging questions about this issue could go on, but let’s save this discussion for another time. The premise I’m making is this: authentic leadership involves having strong values about certain issues, communicating them and acting upon them. And by doing so, leaders set examples for their followers, to do the same. They become Role Models.

This time I’d like to bring this philosophical question closer to life and focus on a simple example. To start with, I’m asking why only hierarchically recognized leaders could be role models. What about teachers? Or doctors? Or, to get the story rolling – police officers?

Police Officers and Road Safety

I am in a love-hate relationship with my cell phone. It’s an ancient model that only survives for the lack of use and is tolerated in my handbag for its potential role as savior in an emergency situation. I have yet to find out more about the nature of the crucial discussions that many people (Americans mainly, sorry!) have on their cell phones whilst walking their dogs, riding bikes, strolling with their kids or, the worst of all, driving their cars. Put the question of content aside I don’t think driving and being on the cell phone is a healthy combination. Apart from the fact that it looks dangerous to me, other people seem to agree.

My argument/question is this: assuming that it is true that ‘cell phone driving’ is dangerous, and further assuming that police officers enforce (road) safety, can we conclude that police officers should definitely not be on the cell phone whilst driving? And second: do police officers have a certain position in our society that would render them role models, which would mean in this context that in order to enforce road safety they should not be caught by ordinary citizens on the phone whilst driving? That would at least be my expectation, an expectation that clashes with reality on a daily basis. I see police officers on the road and talking cheerily on their cell phones on a regular basis. Now you are asking yourself “Well, where does she live? Maybe the job of police officers requires them to have important telephone conversations whilst they are driving?” To answer your question: No, I don’t live in Chicago where officers are in the middle of a high-profile mafia operation and their ‘cell phone driving’ helps them find the bad guys. And no, I also don’t live in Los Angeles, where police officers are fighting dangerous gangs and ‘cell phone driving’ is a matter of life and death. I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a wonderfully low crime statistic.

Role Models, Offically

Bottom line: even people that are in no classical leadership position can and should view themselves as role models. In the above mentioned case I’m referring to those members of society that (at least in my eyes) enjoy the respect of citizens because they have a hard job keeping us relatively safe and secure. I like the police, and never had a problem with them. But I wish more officers in our town would see themselves as role models by not driving and talking on the cell phone at the same time. If they view their job as important as most ordinary citizens do, then they should be able to feel pride in their job and the awareness of their responsibility as role models.

And I’m sure that those police officers, who feel like that about their job, do exactly that. They know what’s safe and what isn’t and they will not just preach water and drink wine (an unfortunate saying in the context, I know). If they act authentically and genuinely believe that cell phone driving is dangerous (I hope they do), they can make the most of their position to keep the rest of us safer by behaving like real role models. Officially, so to speak.

You consider this notion as problematic? Then I look especially forward to your comment. You can also send me an email to andrea@derlercoaching.com. Thank you!