Leadership — Being an offensive linemen’s quarterback and a law enforcement agent’s prosecutor

I got my greatest compliments around the time of my retirement party.

“You were an agent’s prosecutor.”

In the world of law enforcement and criminal prosecutions, excellent teamwork is non-negotiable. Agents and prosecutors work together to build the case and prosecute it.

Agents rarely get public credit for their efforts, however. They generally stay out of the limelight. They have a blue-collar hard hat “get-the-job-done” mentality.

The prosecutor becomes the leader and public face of the effort once the investigation is done and the case is charged.

We make the decisions.

Whether to charge?

Who to charge?

What to charge?

What evidence to use?

Which witnesses to call?

What questions to ask?

What arguments to make?

It can give us an inflated sense of self-importance. Make everyone else bend to our whims and do our bidding.

An agent’s prosecutor doesn’t do that. He works collaboratively. Is sensitive to the efforts and demands on the LE agents. Seeks their input and guidance. Recognizes and praises their value. Consults them and listens to their wise counsel before making decisions.

An agent’s prosecutor. That praise humbled me. I recognize that any successes that came from my career were attributable to the great people God put around me. People who made me look good and who went the extra mile for me. Great agents. A Prosecutor’s agents.

In football, excellent teamwork is non-negotiable. Offensive linemen and quarterbacks work together to build scoring drives. The QB is the leader and public face of the effort when his team gets the ball and the drive starts.

Linemen are the QB’s anonymous protectors. They rarely get credit for their efforts. They generally stay out of the limelight. They have a blue-collar hard hat “get-the-job-done” mentality.

A lineman’s QB recognizes their value. Is sensitive to the efforts and demands on the linemen. Praises them in public. Consults them and gets their input. Takes care of them on and off the field.

There is a reason the word “servant” comes before the word “leadership” in popular vernacular. That’s the order it should occur.

2018: I was talking to one of my son’s assistant high school football coaches. He told me, “I have enormous respect for him. He’s a great leader. I saw it immediately. He was calm, composed, humble, confident, and had integrity. His teammates knew that as long as he was there, they always had a chance to win.”

He never publicly criticized his offensive line. He did publicly praise them. He took them for Waffle House breakfasts. He was a lineman’s QB. Of all his on-field accomplishments, that made me the proudest.

Pics: Matthew Neff, EIT, leading the huddle. Shots of his linemen protecting him for team success.