Hold the Door Open: 7 Lessons for Leaders Who Lift Others

Somebody held the door open for you.

Maybe it was a training officer who saw something in you before you saw it in yourself. Maybe it was a sergeant, lieutenant or captain who put your name forward when you weren't in the room. Maybe it was a woman who came before you and took the hits so you wouldn't have to.

Leadership in law enforcement isn't only about how high you rise. It's about who rises with you. That's the heart of my free quick start guide, Hold the Door Open: 7 Essential Lessons for Leaders Who Lift Others. Here is a short version of each lesson, plus one action you can take this week.

1. Your Presence Is Power

When you show up as your most professional, authentic self, especially in rooms where people like you haven't always had a seat, you create accountability, inspire others and open doors for those coming behind you. But a seat at the table isn't enough. You have to use your voice once you're there. People who share nothing in common with you may be inspired by you too. A young recruit may not remember what you said in the meeting, but she will remember that you were there, and that she can get there too one day.

This week: show up fully in one difficult space and speak up, then write down how your presence and your voice changed the room.

2. Find Your Ada Wright

Every one of us stands on the shoulders of trailblazers who fought battles we will never have to fight.

One of the trailblazers who inspired me was Ada Wright. In 1975, she joined the Milwaukee Police Department as its first female police officer to patrol the city's streets, take the same assignments and do the same work as the men. Early in my career, I had the rare opportunity to interview Ada. After hearing what she had experienced, it was clear she was not only a trailblazer but also someone I could look to when facing my own challenges.

I looked to her for inspiration to keep going, and I looked to others who had succeeded in different areas.

The wisdom of trailblazers can save you years of pain. Retirees, the first women promoted in your agency and leaders in professional associations are often waiting for someone to ask.

This week: name three trailblazers and send one of them a message. Be specific: "I admire how you handled ___. Could I buy you coffee and ask you two questions?"

3. The Double Whammy

If you carry more than one barrier into work, whether race, gender, class or orientation, you need mentors who understand your specific path. One mentor is rarely enough. Build a small circle: someone who shares your background, someone who knows your organization's politics and someone two steps ahead of where you want to be.

This week: name your three-person mentor circle and schedule a conversation with one of them.

4. Bring Up the Next You

Mentorship is reciprocal. The door was held open for you, and now you hold it for someone else. See potential and say it out loud, share your story, give honest feedback, make introductions and hold people accountable. One sentence like "I see leadership in you, and I'll help you study for the exam" can change a career.

This week: tell one person you see leadership potential in them, and tell them exactly why.

5. Get in Good Trouble

Congressman John Lewis called it "good trouble, necessary trouble." Good trouble is principled, documented and aimed at the problem, not the person. Bring the facts, bring a proposed fix and pick the right audience. Start where you have influence. Small, well-run fixes build the credibility you'll need for the bigger fights.

This week: write a one-page outline of one systemic problem you could help solve: the problem, the impact and your fix.

6. Harvest Anger, Not Bitterness

You will face weak people, haters and jealousy. Don't internalize their insecurity. Name the anger, aim it at a goal, document the facts and release the rest, because bitterness lets the other person live rent-free in your head. And protect your wellbeing: talking with peer support, a counselor, a chaplain or a trusted friend is wisdom, not weakness.

This week: write down one frustration and turn it into one concrete goal with a deadline.

7. Hold the Door Open

Trailblazer Ada Wright put it this way: "Stand and hold the door open, even if you can't walk through it." Leadership isn't measured by degrees or titles. It's measured by recognizing your power, staying true to yourself and making the path easier for the people coming behind you.

This week: ask yourself whose door you can open this month with one phone call, one recommendation or one introduction.

The bottom line

You don't need a title to lead, and you don't need permission to lift someone else. Show up, find your trailblazers, build your circle, bring up the next you, make good trouble, turn frustration into fuel and keep holding the door.

Get the free guide

The full guide includes reflection questions, real examples from 24 years in law enforcement and a weekly challenge for every lesson. It's free.

Download Hold the Door Open here, and it will arrive in your inbox.

You are strong enough.

Sheronda Grant, We Are Strong Enough