Modern police leadership: How the next generation of chiefs will lead departments forward

KEY IDEAS:

• Modern police chiefs must navigate political and operational landmines in an increasingly charged environment.
• Leaders must continue driving a cultural shift that embraces wellness, authenticity, and balance.
• Modern chiefs don’t just default to promoting internally; they expand the candidate pool to support their agencies’ long-term goals.
• Aspiring leaders should get outside of their comfort zones, challenge themselves, and take initiative.

Policing has never been simple, but modern police chiefs face an especially complex set of issues. Forward-thinking leaders must address ongoing retention challenges by enhancing officer wellness, increasing safety, and advocating for additional funding. At the same time, they’re forced to navigate an increasingly politicized environment in which any local incident might be thrust onto the international stage.

But at every level of policing, ambitious leaders are rising to the challenge. Future-focused individuals are ripe with fresh perspectives and inventive solutions to lead their peers and communities. To understand what sets these emerging leaders apart, we asked a panel of innovative chiefs at this year’s International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference. Our panelists were:

• Chief Stephen Redfearn, Boulder Police Department
• Chief Enea Hempelmann, Broomfield Police Department
• Chief Daniel Thompson, Waukesha Police Department

Keep reading to learn how a mission-oriented mindset, diverse skillset, and reliable work ethic will help you lead the next generation of law enforcement.

What political and cultural challenges do modern police chiefs face?

“Take that second second. In the first second, you take a deep breath. When you take that deep breath, what you’re doing is taking yourself out of that fight mode so you don’t react and say something stupid. You take that second deep breath and you respond, and things go much better.” —Chief Daniel Thompson, Waukesha Police Department

Incoming chiefs are stepping into a charged environment filled with political and operational landmines. They must proactively invest in internal and external relationships, laying the groundwork to effectively navigate complex situations later on, said Chief Redfearn.

In June 2025, when an individual attacked Jewish demonstrators with Molotov cocktails and an improvised flamethrower, the Boulder community looked to Redfearn to set the tone. As the event gained international attention, he started receiving hate mail. But he had to drown out the noise, prioritize his department’s well-being, and gear up to ensure safety at an upcoming Jewish community festival.

“That’s the reality of being a chief these days,” Redfearn said. “You’re one phone call away from being on the international scene, and you have to be ready to navigate all the priorities while also taking care of your men and women.”

Chief Thompson added that police chiefs have to stay centered in heated situations. Waukesha faced its own tragic incident in November 2021, when a man drove through the city’s Christmas parade, killing six people and injuring more than 60 others. As the story gained traction in national news, Thompson navigated false narratives, hate mail, and other acts of violence. He needed to give himself extra space to respond.

“Take that second second,” Thompson said. “In the first second, you take a deep breath. When you take that deep breath, what you’re doing is taking yourself out of that fight mode so you don’t react and say something stupid. You take that second deep breath and you respond, and things go much better.”

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How can police chiefs build a culture of wellness and safety?

Modern law enforcement agencies are investing in resources, technology, and physical spaces to reduce burnout among personnel. But that work is far from over; the next generation of police leaders must continue the cultural shift.

💡 KEY FACTS ABOUT OFFICER WELLNESS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT:

• Police officers experience high rates of fatigue and burnout, with 77% reporting poor sleep quality and nearly 26% reporting excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Where the average person experiences 2–3 critical incidents in their lifetime, police officers often witness more than 150.
• Law enforcement officers experience a higher risk of post-traumatic stress disorder than other workers.

Top wellness considerations for police chiefs

An agency’s culture will naturally change based on its leadership, Thompson said. And when you foster a healthy department, officers’ everyday interactions will reflect that.

“You have to be engaged internally with your people,” Thompson said. “And when you build those relationships internally, you’re going to have that model externally with your community. That’s how it starts. But you have to get out of your comfort zone.”

Thompson prioritizes four pillars of wellness: authenticity, emotional intelligence, work-life balance, and relational transparency. Though these essential skills might not come naturally to police leaders, they are critical to creating a balanced culture that supports wellness, he said.

🌿 4 PILLARS OF WELLNESS FOR POLICE LEADERS

• Be authentic. Be honest about your own strengths and weaknesses, and hire wisely to bridge those gaps.
• Sharpen your emotional intelligence. Listen, be engaged, and take time to actually learn about your people.
• Live a balanced life. Give 100% at work, then be fully present at home. When chiefs model this behavior, it sets a good precedent for their teams.
• Practice relational transparency. Have the courage to initiate tough conversations when something isn’t right.

Implementing an employee wellness program

Change might be uncomfortable for your employees, but if your department’s wellness program helps even one person, it’s worth it, said Chief Hempelmann. When the Broomfield Police Department experienced its first officer-involved shooting in nine years, the agency accelerated its investment in a wellness coordinator. Despite initial resistance, officers now appreciate the wellness coordinator.

Broomfield’s program also includes training, mentorship, peer support, and a police chaplain program. Last year, Hempelmann mandated psychological visits. It was an unpopular policy at first, but employees make good use of the service: The agency’s psych budget has since doubled.

”Wellness has to be the key to what’s coming internally to our organization and what’s going externally to the community,” Hempelmann said.

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What does effective succession planning look like in law enforcement?

”Do not promote buddies just for the sake of promoting them, and don’t promote like-minded people. You want to have diversity. When I say diversity, I mean in the mind. I mean different ideas. Create a culture where they’re not afraid to actually call you out on things and have those discussions." —Chief Daniel Thompson, Waukesha Police Department

Succession strategy is evolving, Hempelmann said. To captain a new era of policing, forward-focused leaders might have to make unpopular choices to cultivate a well-balanced team.

💡 WHAT IS SUCCESSION PLANNING IN POLICING? In law enforcement, ‘succession planning’ refers to a structured process for selecting and preparing future leaders by developing skills, diversifying experience, and selecting candidates aligned to agency mission.

Survey all your options

Where previous generations typically looked internally to promote personnel, modern leaders know the best hire might be outside the agency, Hempelmann said. To keep pushing forward, you need a cohesive, complementary leadership team in which each person approaches the role with curiosity and commits to upholding the agency’s values. In the long run, agencies benefit from external candidates’ fresh perspective and diverse skills.

“I am looking for someone who’s going to be loyal to me as a chief,” Hempelmann said. “What that means is someone who’s truly pushing the vision, the mission I want to accomplish, who has my back.”

Set up officers for success

Thompson echoed Hempelmann’s sentiments. If you promote someone who isn’t equipped for a leadership position, he said, you’re setting them up to fail. Instead, help each person use their natural skills to drive the agency’s mission forward. For example, maybe an officer is passionate about investigations, IT advancements, or wellness initiatives. When given the trust and tools to succeed in their areas of interest, personnel will be more motivated and champion new initiatives.

“When you identify champions of mental health, for example, there’s not a lot of officers who want to be engaged in that type of work,” Thompson said. “When you find those champions, magic happens.”

Hire for diverse perspectives

When you expand your hiring pool, you move away from the status quo. Hire individuals who challenge you to think outside your typical parameters and contribute to a culture of open communication, Thompson said.

”Do not promote buddies just for the sake of promoting them, and don’t promote like-minded people,” Thompson said. “You want to have diversity. When I say diversity, I mean in the mind. I mean different ideas. Create a culture where they’re not afraid to actually call you out on things and have those discussions."

Create a culture that welcomes feedback

One of the biggest issues in policing is that individuals lack the courage to initiate difficult conversations, Thompson said. When your command staff models healthy communication and teamwork, your personnel can find the sweet spot between support and accountability. Ideally, issues don’t even make it to management; peers at all levels hold each other accountable.

SUCCESSION PLANNING CHECKLIST FOR MODERN POLICE LEADERS:

✅ Survey all your options instead of defaulting to internal promotions

✅ Set up new leaders for success by playing to their strengths and interests

✅ Build a leadership team with diverse perspectives and backgrounds

✅ Create a feedback-friendly culture in your department

How can chiefs strengthen community trust and engagement?

“The community has absolutely different expectations now with our police department, and we’ve got to hear those. It’s no longer, ‘Hey, we’re the cops. We’re going to tell you how you’re going to be policed.’ You’ve got to have a ton of community involvement and engagement.” —Chief Stephen Redfearn, Boulder Police Department

Developing a healthy internal culture ultimately contributes to more productive relationships with community members. Personnel can build good rapport through proactive, empathetic engagement.

“It is about putting that work in when it’s what they call a ‘blue sky day,’” Redfearn said. “Everything’s good. You’re getting out and you’re making those connections. It pays dividends when something bad happens.”

Addressing high-profile incidents

When Redfearn served as the interim chief at the Boulder Police Department, he had to address high-profile incidents that occurred at his previous organization. While facing scrutiny over negative narratives, he worked to maintain a big-picture perspective, focus on what he could control, and embody agency values.

Redfearn invited himself anywhere he could go, focusing on creating meaningful face-to-face interactions with community members. It was a slow progression, but channeling energy into the community eventually paid off.

“You’re going to have tough conversations,” Redfearn said. “You’re going to get yelled at. You’re going to get screamed at. You’re going to get doxxed on social media. You’ve got to do it. Public safety shouldn’t be political, but let’s be honest, everything changed in 2020. It is political, and you’ve got to just take that breath and dig in. It’s not about you, it’s about your folks, and it’s about the community.”

Make yourself accessible

That’s what communities expect today. Police chiefs must discard the old top-down approach, instead embracing a collaborative model that builds bridges while reducing negative tensions. Modern leaders need to be open to new ways of doing things, Redfearn said.

“The community has absolutely different expectations now with our police department, and we’ve got to hear those,” Redfearn said. “It’s no longer, ‘Hey, we’re the cops. We’re going to tell you how you’re going to be policed.’ You’ve got to have a ton of community involvement and engagement.”

Balance responsibilities

Being a police chief is all about balance: balancing community desires with agency goals, balancing innovation with resource limitations, balancing internal engagement with external obligations. To avoid overlooking key responsibilities, set up recurring check-in opportunities with your team and community leaders. For example, Redfearn does monthly ride-alongs to get facetime with his officers. That’s a realistic way to balance internal and external engagement — and he said it’s often the best part of his month.

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What advice do experienced chiefs have for aspiring leaders?

“If you’re tired, you don’t feel like doing something, look in the mirror, remember your ‘why.’ You’ve got to be engaged even when you don’t feel like it, because you never know how you’re going to impact people.” —Chief Daniel Thompson, Waukesha Police Department

Thompson’s biggest piece of advice is simple: “Be comfortable being uncomfortable.” To excel in leadership, you have to do what’s right, even if it breaks tradition. That mindset underpins all three chiefs’ advice.

Challenge yourself

Don’t just wait for direction, Hempelmann advises. You know how to do your job, so instead of seeking permission, take initiative and brainstorm new projects. And make sure you actually follow through; your chief will notice whether you rise to the challenge, she said.

“If your leader is allowing you to move, move,” Hempelmann said. “Take the reins and go. Don't stop.”

Stay engaged (even when you’re tired)

Police chiefs carry a heavy mental load, but they have to compartmentalize those emotions. Leaders set the tone, Thompson said: “We are thermostats. If we go in hot, the team will feed on that.” Instead, remember to take that “second second” to ground yourself and deliver a measured response.

“If you’re tired, you don’t feel like doing something, look in the mirror, remember your ‘why,’” Thompson said. “You’ve got to be engaged even when you don’t feel like it, because you never know how you’re going to impact people.”

Take the assignments you don’t want

Looking back on his career, Redfearn wishes he took more varied assignments. He loved working in operations for drug and auto theft task forces, so he passed on getting more administrative experience. Now, he feels like he’s at a disadvantage.

“Put in for the assignments that you think suck,” Redfearn said. “Everything’s temporary. Get that experience. It will help you, and it’ll help the agency.”