Be The Bad Cop

You need the good cop and the bad cop at work to balance things out.

It happens in parenting and in the workplace.

The temptation to be liked as a leader will bring you down.

Because your responsibility isn’t to be their friend, it’s to do what’s best for the team.

You see the bad cop isn’t actually bad at all, but instead makes the decision that isn’t popular.

The reality is you can choose to be: liked or respected.

• Choose to be liked and rarely will you be respected.

• Choose to be respected and there’s a chance people may like you.

The bad cop could care less about being famous.

(Being popular is more about you.)

They actually show more care by their decisions that benefit others.

There is a time and place to be the good cop at work.

• Be loyal, listen well and support your teammates.

Yet most leaders refuse to play the bad cop role.

Why?

Fear of rejection.

The aim of being a bad cop isn’t to be a micromanager.

It’s to act with integrity by doing the right thing even when people dislike it.

Easier said than done, but essential nonetheless.

One helpful tip is to start thinking strategically about the organization you work for.

Regardless of position, if you’re over someone you’re a leader.

Thinking strategically is focusing on growth - which usually includes pruning.

The same type of pruning that plants need in order to blossom.

But that process is painful and most want to avoid it.

Sometimes delivering tough feedback looks like cutting off dead parts of a branch.

That’s where taking a step back and prioritizing people development is important.

One of reasons why most leaders default to controlling others is because it takes longer to teach or supervise someone than to do it yourself.

Understand, that is part of the cost when deciding to invest in people.

I hope this post has shifted your perception of what being a bad cop really is - a willing leader.

The greatest admiration is for a sacrificial leader, one who serves their team’s needs versus their own.

Over time I’ve realized the importance of playing the bad cop role:

• being the mediator during conflict management

• rejecting the political game at work

• making decisions that cause others to dislike you

As a leader, you don’t always have to play the bad cop role.

But the question remains: are you willing to?

If you need help with that mental shift, contact me here.

Keep leading and God Bless,

Scott

If you found this helpful and you’re looking to improve your soft skills as a leader, here are ways to work with me directly:

• 🗣 Hire me to speak at your company or next event (watch my speaking reel here)

• 🎤 Invite me to lead an interactive training workshop, remotely or in-person (depending on location)

• 🤝 Start 1:1 coaching with me as a new manager, current leader or executive (I once managed 30 people 1:1 weekly❗️)

Also, you can help me out by forwarding this to friends whom would benefit from it! Thank you!