gator. In 1986, her department started a Crisis Negotiations Team
(CNT) where she spent 10 years as team commander. In 1996, she
left CNT and became the Commander for the department’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), only the second woman
in the state of California to achieve the position.
“Typically people on SWAT are natural-born leaders—they’re
assertive and problem solvers and they’re action-oriented people,” she said. “They know the importance of team dynamics and
inspiring others to become the best they can be.” Through this
experience she learned that situations change very quickly in law
enforcement, especially during a crisis.
“To be successful in negotiations and conflict resolution, you
have to rapidly assess your response and remain very flexible,”
she said.
The leadership qualities she learned during her tenure in
CNT and SWAT translated well to all other areas of law enforcement. She learned how to stay calm under pressure, rapidly
assess situations, and confidently make decisions about how to
best deploy people and resources. She learned how being an effective communicator and how to engage in active listening, both
of which are both paramount to good leadership. She also learned
the importance of providing a work environment that motivates
staff toward professional and personal growth, and the importance of recognizing individual accomplishments.
In 2002, she was promoted to Captain and left SWAT the
following year. “My time in both tactical units made me a better
and well-rounded manager and I tried to incorporate the things I
had learned into my new position,” she said.
The Value of Education in Leadership Development
In addition to her career achievements, Setzer also participated in formal education to further develop her leadership skills.
She graduated from the California Police Officer Standards of
Training (POST) Supervisory Leadership Institute (SLI), where
she developed additional leadership skills and became a more
effective manager.
Setzer also attended the FBI National Academy (FBINAA)
where she received additional opportunities for training. After
retirement, she reconnected with some FBINAA colleagues who
introduced her to American Military University (AMU) where she
is currently serving as a kaw enforcement education coordinator.
She remains committed to developing law enforcement leaders
and promoting education to enhance professionalism in the public safety industry.
She is pleased to see a growing number of universities
and professional organizations offering educational programs
designed specifically for law enforcement leadership development. For example, AMU recently launched a Law Enforcement
Executive Leadership Certificate Program to provide chiefs of
police and their command staff with training for assuming greater
leadership roles. These certificates are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate level and focus on everything from human
resources management to leadership and motivation.
As the field of law enforcement evolves, officers must
prepare themselves to meet these complex leadership challenges
through a combination of diverse assignments as well as formal
education and training. ■
Here are some
of the important
leadership
lessons Setzer
learned on
the job and in
the classroom
during her 30year career:
Learn How to Listen. Remember you don’t know
everything and you don’t always have all the answers.
A good leader actively listens to people in order to
understand their point of view and helps leaders capitalize
on subordinate and peer expertise.
Don’t Project your Value System onto Others. “Learn
to appreciate that we all come from different experiences
and backgrounds and other people aren’t always going to
see things the way you do,” she said.
Be Hard on the Issue, but Easy on the Person. There
will be many times leaders find themselves in conflict with
others. It is important to hold your people accountable for
their actions, but it is as equally important to never make
it personal. “Once an issue has been addressed, let it go
and move forward and do not hold it against the person,”
she advised.
Be Honest. You can’t always give people all of the
information about decisions made in every situation, but
it’s important to make an effort to explain as much as
possible. “I’ve always believed that people can deal with
any decision if you’re honest with them,” she said. “Look
people in the eye and be sincere.”
Give Credit Where Credit is Due. “Never take credit
for something that someone else has done,” she said.
Leaders work hard to ensure those around them succeed.
Recognize Accomplishments Often. “It is important
to thank people and recognize their work,” she said. In
particular, Setzer always stressed to her officers the
importance of recognizing the ݽɬ