Curtis Klingle

The following was ran as four part series in the Meteor. 3/5/25-4/16/25 (alternating publication weeks)

I have been thinking of writing an article or two on the topic of Leadership for some time now. It is my belief that it is imperative that we know what a true leader looks like.

You may consider me an avid student on the subject of leadership. For what it’s worth, I graduated Suma Cum Laude with a double major in biblical studies and leadership. A piece of required reading that should be mandatory for all in leadership roles is, “The Leadership Challenge,” written by Kouzes and Posner. This volume is considered by many to be the “bible” on leadership. I recall a quote I gleaned from its pages that impacted me and has continued to influence me throughout my career and well, my life. The authors quoted Warren Bennis, an authority on contemporary leadership:

“Managers do things right; leaders do the right things.”

As one can readily discern there is a difference between a manager and a leader. Since first coming across Warren Bennis’ words, I have studied some of his beliefs, which are a declaration of what true leadership is and what all leaders should strive for. I have included a few more of Bennis’ quotes regarding this topic:

“The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.” “The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.” “The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.”

I want to stress that there are people in managerial positions who are true leaders. These are the managers that are “…doing things right,” but they have yet to arise to a position that empowers them to “…do the right things.” Rather than focus on the differences between a manager and a leader though, I want to take it a step further and go right to the heart of the problem. As we look around us, we already know what a false leader looks like with all of his posturing, ineptness, and indecisiveness, so I will try my best to give you a more accurate depiction of what a leader is, and of course, what he is not.

With the exception of the first quote, I believe that we can infer what Bennis is really referring to is not a leader in a managerial position, but a false leader, what could be termed a “charlatan.” This is someone in a leadership role that is not a leader, but acts and even claims that they are, often using guile and deception to the degree they too may even come to believe their own falsehoods. That being said, for the purposes of this writing I will be using the term, “charlatan” to describe those in leadership positions that are not true leaders. Also, I will be utilizing the word “men” as inclusive of both sexes. I forewarn you that I have very strong sentiments and opinions on this subject, and I have utter disdain for political correctness and an abhorrence for sugar coating.   

I will begin by setting the stage with a statement that I have made for many years, and it is based upon my studies as well as life experiences regarding this subject:

Leaders are born; they cannot be made.

I will turn 62 years of age very soon and I like to think that my Creator did not allow me to get this old by being stupid; well, it’s either that, or Darwinism simply failed in my case. With this age has come at least some wisdom, a healthy serving of discernment, and very keen observation skills. Even before these attributes had become honed I, like you, had the ability to readily discern if a person was an authentic leader.

I have known very few leaders in my life, and it is these men I would unhesitatingly go into battle with. They are the type of men who, as Bennis described, can and “…do the right things,” and they are extremely rare. To name a few, Travis Neeley, retired Madison County Sheriff, Milton Jung, retired Gillespie County Sheriff, Mike Hallmark, retired Captain, Grimes County Sheriff’s Office, and last, but far from least, Captain John Greer, U.S. Army (Airborne). Each of these men earned my respect, as well as my admiration. They did so by their character, integrity, and their abilities. Contrasting these men are those others, the charlatans, who I would not follow anywhere, including across the street. We have all experienced a charlatan and the fact is, they fall far short of what a leader should be. They charm their way into positions of power and are as pernicious as a cancer, consuming the organization from the inside. The methodologies they typically utilize are a way to soothe the symptoms of a variety of personal maladies, insecurity and envy are two that readily come to mind, while the root is always pride. Hubris has no place in leadership.

You can find leaders in all organizations, but they are most conspicuous in military and paramilitary organizations. The reason these individuals stand out more than leaders in other businesses is the decisions they make run the gamut from the mundane to life and death situations. The latter I would deem high stress and requires the utmost in trust. Those that follow these leaders have placed their trust in them, and with that trust comes the faith that the leader has their best interest always in mind. That trust has nothing to do with the rank they hold, but everything to do with the leader himself.

“Leaders are dealers in hope.” Napoleon Bonaparte

A leader inspires trust; without trust there is no hope. A man always knows another man, and what I mean by that is the man’s character, and we are all gifted with the capacity for discernment. Each of us emits something which either inspires trust or the lack thereof in others. Each of us can and usually do determine within seconds if a person is trustworthy. Let me stress, liking someone and trusting someone are not the same thing. There are many charlatans who are likeable, but they are not trustworthy. Just because a man is a good storyteller or a humorist, does not make him one to put your trust in.

As in the military, law enforcement officers will only be led by those in whom they trust. The element of trust is paramount and if there is no trust, there is no leadership. Those under the rule of a charlatan will do as called upon, but simply because of respect for the charlatan’s position; there is no respect for the man himself. I will add that those under his rule will never perform their role to the best of their ability. You might question “why,” and the answer is, they have no trust or faith to do so. They are fully aware that the charlatan is concerned only for himself. Organizations under the guidance of a charlatan experience poor morale, low productivity, and there is often a higher than normal turnover rate. However, I will add that even if an organization is under the rule of a charlatan, if there is a true leader present in the chain of command, the organization may have the appearance of being under optimum leadership. That is because that lower-level leader is the true leader who the men are following and answering to. He is the saving grace for those he leads. Just be mindful, this does give the illusion that the charlatan is doing a good job when in reality, he is not. Oh, and believe me, the charlatan will take full credit for it too.  

Law enforcement officers have a great amount of autonomy, as it is a necessity. They are relied upon to make hard decisions on a daily basis and some of those decisions will have to be made in a split second. If those men are under the supervision of a charlatan, they will often hesitate for fear of making the wrong decision and the accompanying repercussions. Remember, they have no trust or confidence in the charlatan. This hesitation could bring about dire consequences not only for the officer, but those he happens to be dealing with in that situation. I do sometimes wonder how many peace officers have been seriously injured or even killed because of that very thing.

A leader will always “back the play” of his men. Remember, his men trust him and will follow him. They know and are confident that their leader has their back. He has set the example for them to follow, and they will do so with integrity. The leader inspires his men to not only want to do his bidding, but in addition, they will have a great desire to do so. A leader seeks to guide and challenge his people to a higher plane within their organization. He will also seek to surround himself with others who he deems wiser than himself. He is never threatened by another’s intelligence or talents but helps to further develop those attributes in those he identifies as future leaders. He recognizes his own weaknesses and shortcomings, and he will seek out others who do not share these negative attributes in order to augment his leadership role. He delegates authority and empowers those he recognizes as co-leaders, and he allows them to exercise that bestowed power to lead those who follow him. Furthermore, a leader will always cast the spotlight onto others, and never shower himself in accolades.  

“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” Alexander the Great

As we have already seen, the differences between a charlatan and a leader are stark. I will provide a few more examples which, if you reflect for a moment, you will likely recall that you have encountered them too.

The charlatan is often a micro manager. He must have his hands in every action taken within his organization. Those following him are made impotent and demoralized. His tendency to micromanage is related to inflated pride and insecurities. He does not empower his employees for fear of losing control over them as well as the spotlight shifting from himself to them.   

There is another version of the charlatan that is quite possibly the worst. This would be the absentee leader who is only present for the title. This latter version is most prevalent in public offices where the position is gained through the electoral process. We must remember that most candidates win elections, especially on a local level, because they are popular, they are the most liked. What the voters don’t see, at least initially that is, is their lack of integrity and character. The reason for this is that most voters do not have the opportunity to speak to a candidate in person, thus, they are never able to discern for themselves whether the person is a leader or not. From the White House down to local government, we can all think of positions which, sadly, charlatans have held or currently hold. The absentee leader will always be the political creature whose sole concern is his appearance; he must look good in the public eye. He will be found to be pusillanimous in virtually all confrontations. He will be prone to knee jerk reactions, and capriciousness when confronted with issues, and is typically guilty of inaction, because, well, he doesn’t want the job, only the notoriety associated with the position. He is credulous and amenable, hence, the afore mentioned knee jerk reactions. While he is a charmer himself, he is also easily “charmed” by others, being swayed with the latest tidbit of information. He does not have the spine to make the hard decisions, is given to inaction, and does nothing to better his employees or organization. His lack of leadership destroys people and his decisions will invariably bring about the destruction of the organization. He is obsequious to the pressures of the few with special interest agendas, and he will acquiesce to the whims of the naysayers. Charlatans truly do drift about whichever way the wind blows. This particular version of the charlatan is the cause of the maladies I previously referred to like poor morale, low productivity, and a higher than normal turnover rate.

The charlatan’s meretricious nature is never more evident than in meetings or in simple conversation. He is the one who continuously interrupts to convey his own opinion, or provide an anecdote which elevates himself. The charlatan will incessantly provide these unwarranted or unsolicited anecdotes to any given situation to bolster his own ego. Remember, his main concern his own image. What is curious about the charlatan is that he rarely recognizes his own faults. I believe the reasons why are numerous, but I offer a few I have witnessed. He tends to be so focused upon his own image that he believes nothing is wrong: Narcissism. He may have even formed a false belief that because people like him, he must be a good leader. In a word, he has “deluded” himself. Also, though I cannot prove it, I thoroughly believe that he is either incapable of or avoids deep thought or introspection. The results of this insight would not only encourage but would enable him to affect changes in himself. However, doing so would lead to the discovery that he was indeed flawed. This in turn would disturb his delusion, the falsehood he has developed for himself. To embrace his issues would cause nothing short of a disturbance in his psyche resulting in the development of cognitive dissonance, thus, avoidance is the rule.  

The true leader rarely seeks a leadership role, often times they are appointed and reluctantly take on the task. It is not because they are not interested in leading or lacking in the ability to do so, it is simply that they do not seek the power associated with the position. This is the polar opposite of the charlatan who covets power, anything that will bolster his self-image is what he is after, and power can be a fast track in accomplishing that very thing. The leader is not overly concerned with public perception because he understands that people are fickle. He tends to ponder issues that arise and if there is good reason to address something brought to his attention, he will do so, but he doesn’t do so flippantly. A leader must be “man” enough to “…do the right things,” and sometimes that entails going against the grain of public opinion or the wants of the few. Doing the right thing can cause friction, at least initially, but a leader gets the job done, and in the end, we are all the better for it.

In closing, it is my hope that I have conveyed enough information describing what a leader is, as well as what he is not that you will recognize and endorse those who are in fact, leaders. Rely upon your discernment, and always remember that just because you like someone, doesn’t mean they are a leader.

To you charlatans out there, if you are in a leadership position and these words have pierced you, convicted you, or affected you in such a way that you recognize that you are indeed a charlatan, then I challenge you to do the right thing.

The right thing is for you to step down and let a true leader assume the role you obviously cannot fulfill.

C. Klingle