Written by Wayne South (BIO)
I remember the moment vividly, even though it was twenty-nine years ago. I was a patrol officer at a small agency. It was Thursday morning, and I was patrolling my assigned area. The radio crackled, and the dispatcher said to return to the station and report to the Chief’s office. Naturally, I did what we all do. I replayed every encounter with a citizen, every traffic stop, and every call I had responded to over the last few days to figure out where a complaint came from. I walked in, and the Chief didn’t even look up from his desk and said, “Sit.” The chief was a retired Army Colonel, I thought, “colonels don’t tell people to have a seat, this is bad, I’m getting fired.” The Chief looked up and held out a pair of sergeant’s chevrons. He proceeded to tell me, “You have been doing a good job, and I am promoting you to sergeant, report to the midnight shift on Saturday.”
Was I prepared? Mentally, no. Preparedness is not a simple matter of memorized procedures, equipment checks, or years of experience. It is a leadership discipline, and nowhere is this more evident than in the leadership influence of our training officers. Training officers must be ready for two things at once: the challenge in front of them and the responsibility beside them. Training officers lead from their influence rather than their formal position. This requires a level of preparation that goes far beyond technical skill. What I didn’t realize then was that this feeling of sudden responsibility is the same moment many field training officers experience the first time they receive a trainee: leadership finds you before you are ready for it.
Preparedness is built long before critical incidents occur. It is a blend of competence, mindset, habits, training, and ethical grounding. You simply cannot fake preparation. When that moment arrives, and you get your first trainee, you realize they are relying on you, your judgment, and your ability to train and lead; your preparation is exposed. Trainers should ask themselves, “Am I prepared to not only perform, but to teach, guide, and influence under pressure?”
I believe there are four dimensions of being prepared. They are technical preparedness, mental and emotional preparedness, situational preparedness, and ethical preparedness.
Technical preparedness is the foundation of any high-risk profession. This consists of policies, procedures, tactics, and the ability to communicate effectively. But for the FTO leader, technical skills alone are not enough. A trainee will watch your every move, absorbing your habits long before they understand your explanations. FTO leaders are sending a message, intentionally or not, about what “right” looks like. Technical preparedness is modeling mastery and humility at the same time: “I know my job, and I am committed to learning more.”
Stress does strange things to people. It narrows vision, accelerates our heartbeat, and often drives impulsive decisions that are not technically sound. FTO leaders must be mentally and emotionally prepared to operate under pressure. The trainer must also be able to teach new officers how to survive in this environment. Mental preparedness could include staying calm when others can’t, knowing what your triggers are, and making decisions rather than reacting. Leadership is emotional work. The way you regulate yourself is often more influential than the words you speak.
Situational preparedness is the ability to read a scene, anticipate what’s next, and make decisions based on what you see. Great training officers excel at this. They run mental rehearsals, mentally preparing for multiple outcomes before they occur. The trainer must reinforce these skills in new officers through after-action reviews, situational awareness habits, and asking the “what if” questions. Training is not about producing a perfect response but developing a prepared mind.
Ethical preparedness is where real leadership begins. The public trusts us because they expect us to do the right thing even when nobody is watching or shortcuts are tempting. As a trainer/leader, you should know your “why” and your values. Recognizing when lines start to blur and model integrity daily. This is where trainees begin to learn what kind of professional they will be and where leaders show whether they are truly prepared to lead.
So, I ask you the same question I asked myself twenty-nine years ago, sitting in the Chief’s office, “Am I ready for this?” In case you are wondering, I reported on the night shift and at our first briefing, I told them the same story. I added the fact that I did not feel prepared, but if we worked as a team, we would be okay. The team accepted my humility and made me a successful sergeant.
So, you may be asking what my first step is in improving my preparedness? Everything discussed in this article, technical competence, mental readiness, situational awareness, ethical decision making, and the ability to lead through influence, is at the heart of what we have built into the Master FTO Program. This program recognizes that FTOs are not just trainers but rather leaders first. They are the first leader a trainee ever follows. Trainers shape culture, teach expectations, and model professionalism in real time, often in moments where preparation makes all the difference.
The Master FTO program is designed to strengthen:
- Leadership readiness: Helping trainers understand their influence and use it intentionally.
- Coaching and communication: Building the skills to guide and develop, not simply evaluate.
- Ethical leadership: Reinforcing the responsibility that comes with shaping the next generation.
- Preparedness habits: Creating leaders who train for the moment before the moment arrives.
If you are ready to take the next step, check out the Master FTO program at https://waynesouth.com/master-fto and get started on your journey.
Wayne South is a retired law enforcement lieutenant with 30 years of service and over 25 years of experience as an instructor at both the executive and line levels. He is a nationally recognized leadership and Field Training Officer (FTO) instructor and speaker, serving organizations such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Advanced Police Concepts, and the Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Academy. Wayne provides leadership development, instructor training, and performance coaching that helps officers, supervisors, and executives reach their full potential.
He is the author of multiple publications on modern policing and leadership, including his recently released book Training to Lead, as well as A Lifetime of Service. Wayne holds a Master of Business Administration degree as well as a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice. Wayne serves on the Board of Directors for the Southeastern Field Training Officers Association.
