The Warrior fights because he believes that he is fighting for something good, something positive, something that will improve the quality of the world around him. The warrior never forgets that he is an example and so will always act accordingly. He is a leader, and when there is no one else to lead, the warrior must lead himself forward to a different, higher standard.
Unleashing the Warrior Within, Richard J. Machowicz
As I travel around North America speaking on the topics of The Winning Mind, The Warrior Spirit, The Pursuit of Excellence and Lessons From Life’s Most Powerful Question – What’s Important Now? I am concerned about the apparent misunderstanding of the Warrior Spirit philosophy. It seems that some officers misinterpret the message about the warrior spirit, or take away only part of the message.
It seems some officers mistakenly believe:
- That being a warrior is just about the martial skills.
- That being a warrior is just about kicking ass and taking names.
- That being a warrior is about starting fights to show how tough they are.
- That being a warrior is about bullying those in the law enforcement profession that they see as weak, not being like them or not having ‘what it takes’.
- That if you are not part of a ‘high speed, low drag’ unit, or in an ‘operational’ capacity that you are not a warrior.
Developing fighting skills is certainly part of being a warrior, but only one part. Humility, commitment to learning, commitment to training, commitment to our brother and sister officers, treating everyone with respect, professionalism, fitness, commitment to always be better tomorrow that you are today, integrity, honour, empathy, courage (physical and moral), service, and leadership are also critical elements of the true warrior spirit.
As Richard Machowicz points out in the opening quote warriors are examples and so must also act accordingly and warriors are leaders. True warriors are committed to making a difference and they are committed to personal growth and development by leading themselves forward to a different, higher standard. Leadership trainer and mentor Bill Westfall addresses this issue with his philosophy Reader, Writer, Thinker, fighter. There is a reason he puts the word fighter last and it is not capitalized. Fighting is part of what warriors do, but a small part of what they do as law enforcement professionals.
The challenge to all of us in the training community is to ensure officers understand the true meaning of the Warrior Spirit. We need to remind them of their cause and the people for whom they fight and by fight I do not just mean the physical fights. They must fight against injustice, ignorance, and mediocrity.They must fight for justice, for excellence and for those who cannot fight for themselves.
Take care.
Brian Willis
Trainer, thought leader, author and a man with many questions
At Winning Mind Training we are driven by our dedication to inspiring the pursuit of personal excellence and our belief that every law enforcement officer deserves to experience awesome training.
If you like the Excellence in Training philosophy make sure you attend the comprehensive and one of a kind Excellence in Training Course. Check out our website at www.winningmindtraining.com for a list of upcoming dates and locations for the Excellence in Training Course.
To book Brian to speak at your event or to your officers contact him at winningmind@mac.com.
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