In the following letter to Esher Fifteen leader, James Dubois, Esher Fifteen member Chief Superintendent Mike Veale acknowledges how much he owes Footdown, in particular James Dubois and CEO Mike Roe, for helping him towards achieving his ambition of becoming a Chief Constable. As Mike explains in his letter, his current participation in the Strategic Command Course is recognition of how far he has progressed towards his goal.
Mr James Dubois
Body Dubois
The Belbourne
103 High Street
Esher
Surrey KT10 9QE
Date: 25 February 2011
Dear James
I have been reflecting upon my professional and personal development and experiences during the last two years and realise I owe Footdown a huge debt of gratitude. Not only have I been afforded a great opportunity to receive one to one coaching from yourself and Mike Roe but, under your leadership, I joined a fantastic team which gave me the opportunity to meet some great people, all with the same desire to improve their leadership. The whole concept of Footdown was originally sold to me as “working with the Board you could never afford”. Looking back now, I realise that was certainly the case but actually it has given me so much more.
As you know, when I joined the Footdown team I was setting out on my journey to become a Chief Officer within the Police Service. I was in an incredibly challenging environment where I had to deliver consistent and challenging high performance, deliver significant change to the operating model within Protective Services and CID, as well as building a new senior management team around me. If that was not enough, I was trying to develop my own leadership style so that I could achieve my personal aspiration to be the best I can be, become a better leader and inspire the people around me.
Despite early knock backs, with your support, I have managed to maintain my personal resilience, improve my emotional intelligence and go some way to becoming a better leader. Without your guidance, and that of the team, I am absolutely certain I would not have enjoyed the recent success of passing the Senior Police National Assessment Centre which has enabled me to now participate in the Strategic Command Course, which in itself is a huge achievement.
With your help I have matured as a senior leader. I now have a greater understanding of the importance of vision and values, a greater insight into the private sector, an improved knowledge of how to run a business and, most of all, have benefitted from the experience of helping others solve the business, leadership and personal problems we have all experienced during this time.
What has been so beneficial to me and the team is your leadership of the Esher Fifteen. Obviously by the very nature of our team meetings, and the level and depth of our discussions, the relationships have needed nurturing and, on occasions, careful handling. With your encouraging style, we have developed and thrived, been challenged and enjoyed ourselves. You have created an environment where it was safe to learn and push boundaries to a level where perhaps we would not go with others, which for me has maximised the whole experience.
Thank you for your patience, dignity, incisive and wise counsel, sensitivity and your own determination to help others achieve and succeed. It has been very much appreciated.
I would also like to mention Mike Roe who, with your support, has provided me with coaching which has complemented the great time I have enjoyed with the team. As I have previously mentioned, the learning I have received with all of the relationships we have developed has been so invaluable. Be assured that all of the knowledge and learning I have acquired has shamelessly been passed on to colleagues, who have also benefitted from my time with Footdown and enriched the experience even further.
Please can you also pass on my heartfelt thanks to the rest of the team, hopefully they may have benefitted from some of my offerings as much as I have theirs.
Yours sincerely
Mike Veale
Chief Superintendent
Wiltshire Police