Leadership Evolution: A Journey of Transformation

It’s inevitable that in our leadership journey, there will be times when we are required to shift who we believe we are as a leader. We may find ourselves in uncharted territory where our well-tested responses and skillsets may no longer serve us. How do we navigate when a situation tests everything we thought we knew about holding a leadership position and serving those who look to you?

How do we experience ourselves in those moments?

During a CBS This Morning interview, Captain Ron Johnson shared his leadership journey as captured in the CBS documentary, 13 Days in Ferguson, based on his book of the same title. Captain Johnson recounts his day-to-day quandaries, revelations, and decisions to quell the tumultuous community upheaval after the killing of eighteen-year-old Michael Brown. And so began a transformative leadership journey that required spiritual, emotional, and professional contemplation.

Accepting the shift in his role: When Captain Johnson attended the initial Ferguson press conference, he thought that his officers were there to assist Ferguson officers. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, announced that the Missouri State Highway Patrol, led by Ron Johnson, would take the lead. He was stunned to learn during a press conference that the volatile Ferguson situation was now his responsibility. Undeterred, Johnson determined that his approach would be for everyone to work together. His wife asked him why the Governor picked him. He didn’t have an answer—just that he had a God-given task at hand.

Embracing the complexity of his identity.  As a black man in the community and a 30-year police officer, Johnson asked himself: Who was he and where did he belong? Emotions were raw as residents tried to deal with the killing of Michael Brown and the indignity of his body lying in the street for four hours. Captain Johnson walked nightly among the residents, shaking hands, hugging, and praying with residents. As he walked with a megaphone in hand, he told community members, “I love y‘all.” He meant it.

Captain Johnson told the march organizer that he wanted to march with the protest group. She said no. Her denial humbled him and brought him to tears. She recognized the fine line he was walking between those two identities—a black man and a police officer. She changed her mind and let him march. Johnson’s decision to march was challenged by his follow officers and his command.

Re-assertion of his values to inform his decisions. Johnson believed that he had failed because he didn’t express empathy to the family immediately after Brown’s death. As a leader, he felt that should have been the first thing he did. He was afraid for the community. Because he believed there would be peace, he had no fear for himself. And as he looked at community residents, he said: “I can’t fear myself.” He was a member of the community.

When people began looting a store, his first inclination was to order the SWAT team to go in. Upon further reflection, he felt that doing so would be the mark of a selfish leader—making him look good but putting residents at risk. He told the SWAT commander to stand down because he didn’t want to have blood on his hands.

Listening to the truth of his inner voice. Whether it was the Ferguson police chief releasing the convenience store video, intimating that Michael Brown was a suspect in the store robbery, or the Governor instituting a curfew, Johnson spoke out and let his opinions be known, even though he was not consulted.

On Day 9, a rally was held at Greater Grace Church. There, Captain Johnson was inspired “to reveal his soul.” He found the courage to say sorry to Michael Brown’s parents. To the congregation he said, “I am you” and shared thoughts about his own son. He wanted them to know who he was. His fellow officers told him that he had chosen a side. For Johnson, it was the right choice.

When the National Guard was brought in, Johnson decided to not wear his bulletproof vest. He went with his intuition, which told him that if he wore the vest, he would lose the trust he had built with community residents.

We may not be tested in the myriad ways Captain Johson was over a thirteen-day period. The power of his story demonstrates the kind of seismic leadership shifts that require profound self-awareness and deep soul-searching. Captain Johnson’s story is a testament to the evolution of a leader. He figured it out one day at a time because, as he said, there was no manual. His guiding light to move forward was for the community and for his son.

Captain Johnson has since retired and is the Founder and CEO of Lodestone Solutions Group. The mission of Lodestone and its signature training program, Worthy Leadership, is to “inspire leaders to use a moral compass of empathy, compassion, and selflessness to discover personal sustainable strength in leading others confidently, whether no one is watching or the whole world is watching.” Bravo, Captain Johnson!