Your Team's Well-Being Should Be Your Top Priority
Here’s an interesting SWAT story time for you. Leadership isn’t just about charging ahead and calling the shots. Sometimes, it’s about stepping back, reassessing your priorities, and putting others first - even when the stakes are high.
In the world of SWAT, decisions can be life or death, and those priorities become crystal clear. But these same principles can apply to leadership in business, at home, and in life. Let’s get into a story that illustrates how we, as leaders, need to rethink where we place our focus and why it matters.
The Mission
During a high-risk search warrant execution, we were tasked with taking down a repeat violent felon. It was early in the morning, around 4:30 a.m., and we hoped to catch the suspect off guard, ideally still asleep. We knew the house had other occupants - a woman and two children - so this added an extra layer of complexity. The goal? Get in, neutralize the threat, and protect the innocent, all with minimal disruption.
In a typical SWAT operation, the top few operators are often the most skilled veterans of the team. On this day, I was third in the stack, tasked with quickly entering and clearing the house. Everything seemed to be going according to plan. But as we breached the door, something caught my attention: the mother and two children were already up and walking toward the living room coming to the kitchen to start getting ready for the school day. Seeing these innocent bystanders in the middle of a tactical operation shifted my priorities in an instant.
Prioritizing Life Over Mission
This is where it gets interesting. My primary focus immediately shifted from getting the suspect to protecting the family, as we had planned on the children being separated from the violent suspect, who very well might fight or shoot. I deviated from my pre-planned role in the stack, moved toward the mother and children, and shielded them with my body down on the ground in case of gunfire. I had to turn my back toward the known threat and trust my team to execute the mission. My goal? Protect them at all costs, even if that meant putting myself in harm’s way. In law enforcement, we have something called the Priorities of Life scale. Simply put, innocent lives come first, far above our own.
At that moment, my mind wasn’t on the suspect or the “tactical” mission anymore. It was to ensure these innocent people were safe: a far greater mission. As I crouched down over them, I began talking to the mother and kids, and did everything I could to de-escalate the situation and offer distraction to the children and comfort to the mother. By shifting the focus away from the chaos around them and engaging them in a calm conversation, I was able to turn a high-tension moment into one where they felt protected.
Protecting Your People
As leaders, we often focus on the task at hand - the goals, the numbers, the mission. But here’s the truth: if you aren’t prioritizing the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of your team, you’re out of alignment.
There are going to be times when you need to step out of the traditional "leader mode" and look around to see what your team really needs. Are they overwhelmed? Are they struggling with personal issues that are affecting their performance? The same way I shielded that family in the heat of a tactical operation, you may need to shield your team from unnecessary stress, criticism or burnout.
Your people should always come first. When you prioritize their well-being, they’ll be more engaged, more motivated, and more loyal. And just like in SWAT, when your people feel safe and supported, they can focus on doing their job at a higher level.
The Importance of Reassessing Priorities
Here’s where we, as leaders, sometimes get it wrong. We focus too much on the task and not enough on the person. Maybe a team member isn’t performing well, and our first instinct is to correct their performance or skill set. But what if the root issue isn’t their ability, but something deeper?
This is where the Priorities of Life scale applies outside of law enforcement. Simply put, people come before stuff or money. Just as I had to reassess my priorities during the search warrant, you need to regularly check in on your team’s well-being. Are they in a good place mentally? Do they feel supported? If not, no amount of skill development or performance tweaking will fix the problem.
When you focus on the person first, the symptoms (poor performance, disengagement, forgetfulness or sluggishness) often correct themselves. You’ll have a team that feels valued and appreciated, and that’s when real progress happens.
Balancing Leadership and Empathy
Being a strong leader doesn’t mean being distant or detached. It means knowing when to lead from the front and when to step back and empathize with those around you. In the SWAT story, I had to shift from tactical operator to protector, from enforcing the mission to safeguarding the innocent. It wasn’t about me - it was about them.
In business, you’ll have moments where your team needs you to shift roles too. Maybe it’s stepping in to help them through a tough project or giving them the support they need to balance work and personal life. The ability to adapt your leadership style to meet the needs of your people is what sets great leaders apart.
Taking the SWAT Approach to Leadership
So, what can you take away from this SWAT story? The lesson is clear: always be ready to reassess your priorities. Are you focusing too much on results and not enough on the well-being of your team, the people? Are you pushing too hard without considering the personal toll it’s taking on those around you?
As you move forward in your leadership journey, ask yourself these questions:
Where are my priorities?
Am I putting the well-being of my team first?
How can I better support my people emotionally, mentally, and physically?
Just as I stepped out of the stack to protect that family, you need to be willing to step out of the daily grind and make sure your team is in a good place. Leadership isn’t just about driving performance - it’s about caring for your people.
Reassess and Realign
In life you’ll face moments where you need to stop and reassess your priorities. Don’t wait until it’s too late. The decision to place innocent lives above my own was made long before I ever went through that door. Put your leadership in SWAT mode. Take the time to evaluate where you’re placing your focus, and make sure the well-being of your team is at the top of the list. When your people feel safe, supported, and valued, the results will follow.
