Taming the beast - just enough
True movements are wild and chaotic - and need leaders who help keep them healthy
Last week I spoke to two classes of eleventh graders learning about movements. Their teacher, a friend, invited me knowing about my upcoming book and my journey to help chart a New Way in our politics. I’m not sure what exactly I expected, but what I found was refreshing and hopeful. The students were engaged, curious, and very interested in what it would look like to be a part of a movement for something different.
One student in particular stood out to me. He listened carefully, asked a few questions throughout and then, as I asked them each to consider what type of leader they might be, I could tell he was really pondering it. I had walked them through my framework of the eight types of leaders every movement needs to grow and thrive, giving them the highlights. Many students said they were a Visionary or Curator, perhaps projecting their desired positions in life. But this young man said he was a Sheriff.
This type of leader isn’t the sexiest or the most prominent - and can even be seen as the wet blanket. So when he self-identified as a Sheriff I wanted to know more. What followed was an even more inspiring explanation with him sharing with the class his heart for justice, for doing things the right way and for not losing sight of what really matters. I could see him envisioning himself in a movement of peers, passionate about doing the right thing and not only content, but excited, about playing a role that was not out front.
As you think about your place in the movements for change that you care about, or specifically in the movement for a New Way in our politics, I want to continue sharing more in-depth looks at each the eight types. My goal in writing this book has been to help movement leaders understand your place, find others who complement your strengths and ultimately succeed in bringing about the lasting change you desire.
Today, we’ll look at Sheriffs. Give it a quick read and if you think you might be a Sheriff I’d love to hear from you. Or forward this along to a friend who you think might be Sheriff, or might benefit from learning more about how to effectively lead in the movements they care about.
What is a movement Sheriff?
Sheriffs monitor and enforce the guidelines and boundaries of the movement, carefully ensuring the mission stays focused and movement leaders are serving the greater good.
By definition, many movements are boundary-pushing or boundary-breaking endeavors. Movements are often wild, chaotic places. People trying to change things will disrupt a lot of systems and expectations. This is necessary. But any movement that lacks internal discipline and justice will ultimately fail. You need just enough taming of the beast to keep it healthy, but not so much that you domesticate it.
This is where Sheriffs come in. Sheriffs in a movement are not so much like modern law enforcement officers as they are like the old west caricatures we see in the movies.
Old West sheriffs were both lenient in some senses and brutal in others. They couldn’t possibly police every infraction of the law in that vast and wild place. So they had to accept that a lot of things were going to just happen. They also knew that some amount of chaos just came with the territory. Bar brawls were going to happen. Cows were going to get stolen. People were going to get shot in the street. They were less concerned with preventing and policing every infraction of the law than preserving an over-arching sense of order. They also knew there were certain “natural” laws of the land – cultural and contextual norms that had as much power as their vested authority.
At the same time, though, they could be brutal when they felt the broader order and purpose of the place were under threat – especially as it related to those norms. Are you going around shooting up saloons and threatening the ladies? You might get shot in the street and the “judge,” who will show up later in the month, will quickly close the case. The presence of the Sheriff ensured that egregious violations of the law were not ignored, and that the general well-being of the territory was advanced. This required a savvy combination of wisdom and justice. These old west Sheriffs also had to balance patience with action.
I should note here – this metaphor isn’t perfect and the brutality of the American West in the late 1800’s certainly isn’t an ethos to which we should aspire. Another way to think about Sheriffs would be to envision a modern day strength coach for a sports team. A great one knows how our bodies work, keeps us focused on a plan and isn’t afraid to be tough and enforce the “rules” they know it will take to achieve our goals – be they personal or team goals. If we’re eating junk food every day – they’ll call us out. If we’re not showing up for workouts, they’ll find out why.
So what does a Sheriff do?
A great Sheriff knows the rules of the game and the natural laws which govern human behavior. They understand that the movement must always remember these rules and laws and when they break them, even if it’s deemed necessary, that they will have to deal with the consequences.
Sometimes this comes in the form of very specific guidance, creation and enforcement of standards, rules and regulations. Any movement for change is going to be operating within a cultural, legal and financial context. There will be things to be mindful of – compliance, existing laws, reporting. A Sheriff may play the role of keeping the other movement leaders “in bounds” and ensuring, especially, that fatal mistakes aren’t made. And when mistakes of this sort are made, Sheriffs will help figure out the path forward.
Sometimes this comes in the form of keeping a close eye on the relational, management and ecosystem norms – the “natural laws” that are at play. A great Sheriff will be attuned to these dynamics as much as the functional legal ones. They can sense when things aren’t quite right within a leadership structure, or an org chart, or the broader movement ecosystem. And they will have constructive ideas for how to adjust those dynamics.
Just yesterday I was on a call with about 40 movement leaders and one wise Sheriff (at least in that moment) took time to call out the fact that until we, as movement leaders, can deal with the disconnection and lack of unity between us, we should not expect the broader American community to look to us as a true movement. He was pointing out a critical short-fall of the New Way movement right now - it’s splintered, diffuse and lacks a core message. It’s one reason I’m so excited about the launch of Storybrand Political which I announced yesterday and the work of the Inter Movement Impact Project led by Walt Roberts. We still need to discover our core message and be able to communicate it clearly - and we need a more and more cohesive group of leaders working together.
Sheriffs also keep a keen eye on all the other leaders – not in an unhealthy and suspicious way – but looking for potential problems and improvements. They make sure the movement is not so blatantly violating the natural or imposed rules that it will endanger the deeper goals while also monitoring interpersonal relationships.
When problems arise, Sheriffs help to discern what the right course of action should be. They have the wisdom to know when an issue needs to be ignored, needs a light remedy, or needs swift and firm correction.
Sheriffs can sit in a variety of different seats in the movement. There’s not one role or type of work that this type of leader does. They may have a strong streak of another type, like a Reformer or Builder & Maker, which informs their day to day work. But their presence in meetings and with all the other leaders helps to identify and deal with challenges and problems before and as they arise.
Sometimes those challenges are in the processes. Sheriffs aren’t always bringing discipline in the punitive sense. Sometimes they’re expert project managers who ensure that the systems and approaches that are being built for the movement to function are being followed. In these ways, Sheriffs may find themselves working very closely with Builders & Makers.
Sheriffs aren’t afraid of the hard stuff
By definition, movements are trying to change things that don’t want to be changed – and that’s really hard. Sheriffs can help to minimize unforced errors and inefficiencies by enforcing discipline around systems and approaches whether that’s at large scale, like what the Forward Party is trying to do, or at small scale, like how your neighborhood meetings are run. A Sheriff will proactively help the group think through things like meeting norms, compliance, and best practices.
Sheriffs can also play a “justice” role in a movement – ensuring that the weak, disadvantaged and unheard are not trampled. I like here that I’m stealing and repurposing the image of the old west sheriff who may not have cared much for the weak. But if we’re honest, the very best Sheriffs don’t just enforce the existing rules, they ensure those for whom the rules are not written have justice too.
So, a Sheriff may speak up for those communities in meetings, ensure diverse viewpoints are heard and incorporated and point out where the movement is falling short in those areas. In this way, Sheriffs are often very justice-minded. If you are the type of leader who finds yourself often thinking about how to include minority voices and viewpoints, or whose heart burns with anger when injustice is present – these might be signs you’re a Sheriff.
Sheriffs will often say things like, “have we thought about how this impacts X group?” Or, “have we included the voices of Y types of people in this decision?” And when necessary, they will actively seek out these voices and bring them to the conversation.
A Sheriff may also say something like, “is this in line with our values?” Or, more aggressively, “the way we’re doing this is not aligned with our values. We need to adjust.” Sheriffs aren’t afraid to say hard, uncomfortable things. They intuitively know that any movement which tramples on key voices or violates its own values will be weaker - and they commit themselves to guarding against that.
In this light, I think of a leader I worked with at the Forward Party named Leslie Villegas. Leslie was a constant voice for “the people” and was never afraid to speak up when she felt that a decision or direction was not fully incorporating the heart of the movement. This could sometimes come in the form of directly challenging certain leader’s ideas or directives. Let’s be honest for a minute: this can be uncomfortable. Particularly if you’re a leader who is being challenged by a Sheriff, you can bristle at their pushback. But the alternative - silencing or ignoring those voices - will kill the movement. Sheriffs know it, and they passionately protect the boundaries and values. I so value Leslie’s grit and commitment in this area, and I think she has all the qualities of a great Sheriff, with a strong Builder & Maker streak.
Without Sheriffs, your movement will have huge blind spots. It will suffer for both efficiency and equity. Key voices will be left out. Fatal mistakes could be made. This is a movement leader that can be overlooked as you build, or easily pushed out to avoid uncomfortable conversations. Don’t let that happen. Every movement needs Sheriffs.
I’d love to hear your experiences with Sheriffs, your thoughts on how to incorporate them or your own discovery that you might be a movement Sheriff. Comment, share and reach out!
We have an emerging leader who we could describe as a Sheriff. She is no-nonsense and focused, not afraid to push leadership in a course correction. Protecting and raising the voice of new members. Moving people off the bus who are taking up seats but not contributing to its forward progress. Compassionate toughness.
Thanks for the feature, Joel, and for putting into words a lot of the feelings I've experienced while working within the new politics space!