I frequently talk about leadership, what it is, and how to cultivate it in ourselves and others.  Leadership is modeling.  It is being honest.  Being clear.  Being demonstrative.  Being vulnerable. Showing and proving your virtues through your words and actions. Your spirit. Your heart.

For years, I reviewed Police1 articles as a young officer, learning about tactics, mindset, and leadership.  Chris Littrell’s name would pop up as an author from Kennewick, the “Tri Cities” in WA state, just a few hours drive.  There was a reverence to the name, which was bolstered through my meeting people who knew and respected him appropriately- as a cop, tactician, and human.

In recent years, we became acquainted directly through our missions at work.  We both had swiftly changing roles between community issues and recruiting, with an ever-present veil on peer support coordination and advocacy.  We connected on all of these topics, to collaborate and share struggles.  

Chris has, for years, been extremely vulnerable in sharing his story and struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Injury and its tidal waves permeating into both his professional and personal life.  Recently, the struggles led him to a place of crisis, followed by a place of courage, where he recognized a chapter was ending and he retired from police work.  

In our conversation, we talk the State of the Profession, with wellness and mental health, question our own impacts and efforts, and talk about where the greater WE need to go from here.  It is a distinct pleasure to have his example and peer relationship as we tackle crises in first responder culture, one day at a time.

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Christopher Littrell is a retired law enforcement leader from Washington State. With almost 25 years of public service, he had the opportunity to serve as an Air Force security forces sergeant, patrol officer, gang detective, child crime detective, CISM peer support group counselor, SWAT member, school resource officer, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant and community services sergeant. Christopher is a survivor of job-related PTSD. He is a leadership instructor for

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*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

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