“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it.” – Margaret Fuller
Are you lighting candles, or holding the flame close?
I see too many trainers that believe knowledge is power and want to hold onto the power. Knowledge is not power. Knowledge is potential. The potential to empower others. Knowledge is of little value if you do not share it. You need to light the candles of others with the knowledge you possess.
Do you share information on the books you read? This can be a discussion at role call, at the start of a training session, by writing a book review for ILEETA or for your agency newsletter or association magazine or simply by providing a recommended reading list at your courses.
When you return from a conference do you share information on the presentations you attended? This can be at a staff meeting or by doing a series of short presentation on the highlights from each session over a series of days or weeks.
When you attend a course do you sit down with your fellow trainers and share what you learned and how it might be utilized to enhance the programs you are teaching?
Do you make a point of seeking others out to find out what they are reading, or what they took away from a course or conference?
You are not the guardian of the flame. Your job is to feed your flame with knowledge and then light the candles of others with it.
On that topic I just finished a great book that should be recommended reading for everyone in law enforcement and the military. The book is called Surviving the Shadows: A Journey of Hope Into Post Traumatic Stress By Bob Delaney and Dave Scheiber. Bob Delaney was a new Jersey State Trooper who went undercover for nearly three years to infiltrate the Mafia. After his time as a trooper Bob went on to become an NBA referee. He now travels the world speaking to law enforcement and military personnel about the issue of Post Traumatic Stress. This is a powerful book. I started the book on the flight from Calgary to Halifax and finished it at my hotel the same night.
Take care.
Brian Willis
Excellence in Training is a philosophy. It is also a one day seminar and a four day professional development course designed specifically for law enforcement trainers. For a list of dates and locations for upcoming Excellence in Training Courses go to www.brianw260.sg-host.com and click on the Training Schedule Link.
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