Edward Brown, M.S.
If you can remember the police TV show “Kojak,” starring
Telly Savalas, that says two things about you. One, you have been around for a while.
And two, you have accumulated a great deal of experience, personally and
professionally. But, for those who may not know, who and what
Kojak was, here’s a brief history lesson. “Kojak” aired 1973-1978 and captured
the imagination of the nation because the character was the ultimate Alpha male
with an understated compassion for the underdog. Kojak represented the uber male that was characterized in the 1970s. This
was the era of Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood and Jim Brown. These testosterone
filled characters celebrated the strength and bravado of manhood at that time. Of course, these characters were flawed, but loved,
because despite the circumstance, you always knew where they stood and where
the line was drawn.
Kojak exhibited a type of charisma by which police supervisors could benefit. Three
lessons police supervisors can learn from Kojak’s charisma are:
Cultivate a commanding presence. Lieutenant
Theodore (“Theo”) Kojak was always nattily dressed with a complimentary fedora
to accentuate his attire. When he said “Who loves ya baby,” or called Detective
Bobby Crocker (“Crockaaaa”), it was always with a sense of purpose for
achieving a specific goal. Kojak didn’t
mince words and everyone knew that his communication stemmed from deeply held beliefs
that were formulated long before he joined the New York City Police Department.
Kojak created a family of detectives,
where it was clear that he was in control, but the love and respect he had for
his men wasn’t necessarily stated, but understood. Consequently, his detectives modeled the
excellence reflected within Kojak’s leadership style.
Adapt to any environment. Kojak exhibited a
self-confidence that was reflected within his interactions with diverse
communities. A great deal of this self-assurance came from his Greek
background. Telly Savalas’ Greek
heritage was emblematic of New York City as a melting pot. It wasn’t only
natural for Kojak to feel comfortable among diverse ethnicities, but various political
and business circles. This cosmopolitan flair permeated throughout his
detective squad, which would make closed-minded attitudes oppositional to that department’s
culture.
Demonstrate a high degree of intellect. Kojak
was a smart cop. He was a combination of intellectual insight, analysis and
wit. It’s easier to buy into a leader whose intelligence you respect. Also, you can gain employee compliance and
loyalty when they respect the critical thinking skills of the leader. Did Kojak
have all the answers? Of course not. The
beauty of the show was that it was an ensemble, made up of men who were leaders
within their own right. After serving
under Lt. Kojak, those detectives could have led any division within the
department.
Kojak may reflect and era that’s bygone, but his leadership qualities
are timeless. You may not have the swagger, finesse and charisma of Kojak, but
by cultivating a commanding presence, adapting to any environment and
demonstrating a high degree of intellect, you can increase employee engagement
and productivity within your department.
Edward Brown, M.S., is a content marketer and researcher
for Core Edge Police Pro (a subsidiary of Core Edge Image &
Charisma Institute, Inc.), which develops web copy and digital products for law
enforcement agencies.
He has advanced legal training from the University of Dayton
School of Law and a master’s degree from Mercer University in Public Safety
Leadership.
Ed is the author of over 30 books including: Police
Leadership: The Morale Driven Police Department and The A-Team: How to Be a Top
Police Department in Recruiting, Training and Retaining Employees available at
Amazon Kindle.
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