Ever Onward Podcast

You Don’t Need a Title to Lead - Ked Wills | Ever Onward - Ep. 77

• Ahlquist. • Season 1 • Episode 77

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What does it really mean to lead—at work, in your community, or in your own life—when no one’s handing you a title or giving you authority? True leadership isn’t about rank or recognition; it’s about character, consistency, and the impact you make when no one’s watching.

Colonel Ked Wills, who spent 30 years in law enforcement with his final seven years as Director of the Idaho State Police, knows this firsthand. For him, leadership was never about the badge – it was about who you are when the badge comes off.

Born and raised in Glenns Ferry as the son of a state trooper, Wills absorbed crucial life lessons that would shape his leadership journey. His father demonstrated how to make even difficult jobs seem like play while maintaining multiple responsibilities. His mother showed the value of lifelong learning by earning her master’s degree in her 40s while Wills was still in high school. These influences instilled a work ethic and curiosity that carried him through a distinguished career.

Wills takes us inside Idaho’s unique law enforcement culture, where collaboration and public trust create what he calls “the blurring of the badges.” Unlike neighboring states facing anti-police sentiment, Idaho’s law enforcement agencies enjoy remarkable public support – something Willis attributes to trust built over generations. “The public will only support law enforcement in so much as they trust law enforcement,” he explains, highlighting why maintaining that trust remained his top priority as director.

Perhaps most compelling is Wills’ candid discussion of officer wellness. With police officers experiencing between 400–700 traumatic incidents throughout their careers (compared to 2–5 for average citizens), the toll on mental health can be devastating. Wills reveals this sobering statistic: for every officer killed in the line of duty, approximately three take their own lives due to job-related stress.

His book, Lead Now: No Title Required, captures his leadership philosophy perfectly – true leadership begins long before promotion. “If you start acting like a leader, you don’t need the title,” Willis explains, “because if we’re promoting right, we’re promoting the person who already is a leader.”

Now in retirement, Wills hasn’t slowed down. Working internationally in South America with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, he’s helping transform road safety initiatives in Ecuador, Colombia, and Argentina – bringing Idaho’s collaborative approach to countries where law enforcement has traditionally operated in silos.

Ready to unlock your own leadership potential—no title necessary? Listen now and learn how becoming the best version of yourself allows you to help others become their best.

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Speaker 1:

Today on the Ever Onward podcast we have a good friend, ked Willis. He was the colonel of the Idaho State Police Department. He spent 30 years in law enforcement, with the last seven years before his retirement serving as the director of the Idaho State Police. He is most famously from Glens Ferry. We'll talk a little bit about that and hear about his storied career, about what he's doing now and about his new book Lead Now. No Title Required. Prior to hearing from Ked Wills today, we are going to hear from Kekoa Nawahine and Mark Cleverley for an Allquist update.

Speaker 2:

Good morning, mark Cleverley, with Allquist. I'm Chief Leasing Officer here with Kekoa, yeah.

Speaker 3:

Kekoa Nawahine, also on the leasing team over at Allquist.

Speaker 2:

So I don't know that we've ever given an update on a project that is not widely known and we haven't done a ton of marketing on it. We're just kind of trying to figure it out right now, but I thought we would give an update on it. So it's ground that the city of Boise owns. We won, along with Adler, we won the RFP and so we have the rights to develop it. The city will continue to own it. So it's really a we can't sell anything. It's a for lease product that's out there.

Speaker 2:

But wanted to give an update. So it's Rockridge. It's on Victory, victory, and it's great location, close to the airport, close to the interchange on Cole Road and and then the one over on Curtis, kind of in between there, and we're planning to do a flex product out there and we've you've just kind of started getting after it out there and there's actually been some pretty good interest, and so we thought let's just give an update. So if you wouldn't mind spending a few minutes and just kind of give us an update on Rock Ridge and where we're at, yeah, really exciting location.

Speaker 3:

It's just kind of in that great path of growth, easy access to the freeway, close to the airport like you're talking about, which is really attractive to a lot of users.

Speaker 3:

So on that south side of victory road, yeah, in between coal and orchard, really getting started on kicking off kind of site planning and getting building one going and designed and planned for a lot of users out there.

Speaker 3:

And we found that you know, we've done a flex building also along victory road, victory and Meridian and we'll start our second one out there. But we found that there's a lot of demand in this light industrial, slash flex for a little bit of the smaller users, like anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 square feet. A lot of demand and not as much product in that area. And so when we start to bring that out and we talk with different users and they're seeing that we have a flex or light industrial, especially in that area on Victory, like you said, it generates a lot of interest. And so working through that process of okay, we got dock doors, we got roll-up doors, how do we make sure that truck turning radius is all fit, and all the base level questions that we need to be able to establish for flex or light industrial. Going through that and the project of rock ridge, it's gonna be awesome. We're excited to get rolling on that and workplace a few of the users that are. They have heavy interest out there yeah.

Speaker 2:

So we've been working closely with Brad, our in-house architect, brad Smith, and then Corey Hall, who's president of construction, trying to just nail down the right size, the right look, the right feel, where it sits on the property, and I think we have determined where that's at. So our marketing materials are like we're just kind of honing those in and we're going to start marketing this like crazy. But you've already met with a group that's out that that potentially wants to be out there. You know we're working through that process with them, but it looks like it looks really good and it feels good and it's. I think it's going to be talk to us quickly, I know. I mean there's four or five buildings that we can fit out there, a couple hundred thousand square feet.

Speaker 3:

Give us some, some updates on on kind of where brad's at with the whole site plan and development of it. Yeah, so right now we've got um overall site plan about four buildings, roughly 30 to 40,000 square feet anywhere in that range total, and the ability to demise it spaces down to 3,000 square feet, and so a lot of flexibility from that end. And the nice part is, when you're talking about, you know Brad and Corey on our team having everything internally at AllQuest makes it really easy to be able to cater to a tenant. So we've got a group like you said that I've met with and say, hey, here's our needs, here's what we need, and we've got concepts of what we want to do for a site plan.

Speaker 3:

Okay, where's building one?

Speaker 3:

Where can we place you guys?

Speaker 3:

We're able to quickly enough because everybody's in-house and because we can all collaborate together in real time, we can go through these changes really quickly of like okay, here's how we can make this work for this user in building one and kind of cater it to their needs and develop a plan Sorry, yeah, got a little frog-gested and develop a plan that fits what they need really quickly, instead of just taking a few months and say we can get back to you in a week, two weeks of this is how our site plan can fit your building and make it a lot more convenient for the users that we're working with.

Speaker 3:

And so having all of that in-house and the ability to say, hey, here's our building one we're kind of designing it around the first group or a couple of groups that'll come in and take it, what does that leave us with? How do we fit our site plan in the grand scheme of things to make sure it's a cohesive business park, cohesive, light, industrial flex area where it's all making sense and is really catering to the users that are going to be there? And so this first building I think it'll be close to 30,000 square feet right on the front of Victory Road and making sure that the right things are being done to cater to the users out there, yeah, so, just real quickly, we talk a lot about the power of relationships, um, and this particular user that's that's looking out there.

Speaker 2:

It's a relationship that goes back, uh, almost 10 years, right, and a company that we were introduced to a long, long time ago and has done really well in our market and we've always just stay engaged with them, right, I mean, it's always, you know, checking in with them, making sure, seeing how they're doing, and then, at the right time, when they're ready to continue to grow, right, they think of us, they think of oh, I need to talk to these guys and see what they have available for me. So it's going back to that. It's the power of relationships, it's the power of just staying on top of our game and what we're doing and knowing who the people are and who the players are, but just really being interested and invested in each one of these groups that we come in contact with and staying in touch with them. So it's just a testament to that and really for all of our projects right, I mean, that's how we're successful is the power of relationships in what we do.

Speaker 3:

A hundred percent, and I was talking to a group earlier this week and they're like well, what sets you guys apart?

Speaker 3:

And I think a big thing for us is how many people in our company are local, born and raised in this area. And so you know, in the life cycle of development or commercial real estate especially, maybe it is something a relationship that you had 10 years ago, a relationship that you've had for a while, that comes back around, but it just shows that the care, the passion that this team has in developing the right products and making sure that your reputation, your community profile and all these things are upheld the right way.

Speaker 3:

So when opportunities do come around, people want to work with you. They have a good relationship with you and see what you're doing in the market is something that they want to be a part of and know that when they go to you they can be trusted and taken care of. And so I think for us it's important to also let groups know and feel that we're all from here, we all want our families to be raised in a certain community you know, have opportunities and experiences, because this is where we were born and raised and where we're raising our families as well, and so it's really important to have those relationships be able to make sure that they're taken care of and can trust, when they come to us, they're going to go through the process in the right way and be part of something that they can be proud of.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, okay, great update. Thank, you Look for more information real quickly on Rockridge as we continue to develop that site. It's going to be awesome. Yeah, thanks, man, all right.

Speaker 4:

Cad, it's good to see you. It's so good to be here.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for the invite.

Speaker 4:

I can't wait to hear how a guy like you is doing a little retirement. Yeah, it's good, is it good? It is good, life is good.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I noticed getting ready for this that you haven't slowed down, so retirement's probably a loose term here with you.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I think retirement is Latin for find a new job for me, right, but it's been awesome. It's a great time of life yeah, oh, good for you.

Speaker 1:

I can't wait to hear. I was down in Glenn's Ferry yesterday oh no, Really. I was down in Glens Ferry yesterday oh no, Really. Yeah, we should have done it from there. Yeah, I know we should have. So let's start there. I mean Glens Ferry. There's a lot of great people from Glens Ferry.

Speaker 4:

Amazing people. Yes, incredible people, and I'm so glad that you spend time down there because, yeah, and I think every small town has that this just happens to be mine.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, because, yeah, small, and I think every small town has that. This just happens to be mine.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. So what was it like growing up there. You know when. It's interesting. The reason I was there my folks aren't from there, I'm a second-generation state trooper and the state police sent my dad there and they're from the Treasure Valley. And when they sent my folks there my mother just cried and cried and the state said if you'll just stay for one year, we'll get you out of there in a year. And my mother was pregnant with me when I went. In fact I am proof positive that in 1972, the state police academy had weekends off so I was bored after the academy. My mother says that's crude, that I'm only proof positive that they finally got a job with benefits, but anyway. So after a year they said we're ready to move you out of there. And they said no, we don't want to go anywhere. My dad spent his whole 30 year career there. He's been retired for 20 some. Now my mother was the mayor. They've got their cemetery plots. I don't think they're going anywhere. So it was great, it was just fantastic.

Speaker 1:

So tell me a little bit about your dad.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, so he spent 30 years in the state police and then retired and spent 14 in the legislature and that's right. After he retired he was in the legislature for 14 years, mostly in judiciary and rules. He was a chairman of that on the house side for a lot of years and and then they bought a theater, an old theater there in glens ferry, and ran that for 25 years and did plays, dinner, theater and stuff like that. Our kids all grew up acting in the theater and we all helped cook and do the things that the in the kitchens and yeah, so it was great, it was, it was, it was. What incredible what's your mom like um.

Speaker 4:

So she was a kindergarten teacher and then went back, got a master's degree when, when she was in her 40s, I was a height in high school. So she's a great example being a lifelong learner. Every time I talk to her I just had lunch with him on monday every time I talk to her, she tells me something she just learned about a flower or something, something she's reading. She's 80. Their health's still good. Yeah, they're doing good. Yeah, they're doing great. I could not be more blessed to have just amazing parents.

Speaker 1:

What was it like growing up with your dad being in the state police? You obviously followed in his footsteps, but ever worried about him. Was it cool?

Speaker 4:

He always made any job he did, he always made it look like it wasn't a job, like it was play. Any job he did, even drive in heavy construction, heavy equipment as a, you know he would draw as a road grader operator and on his off time, you know he always had a second job and or piling beats. He sat. He sat at the beat piler at Glenn's Ferry every season for years no-transcript example.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, isn't that incredible. Like what you said, like in a very quick two sentences, was like multiple jobs, state police, but always had another job. Always made every job look fun yeah, and he still does.

Speaker 4:

he's just amazing like that. So when I joined the state police, I thought, well, where's the job that he had, cause that looks so fun? And yet some of this is work.

Speaker 1:

Some of it is fun, but some of it is work, yeah, but what I think I think in today's world, how many times, how many times would someone say that about their? You know well they're, they love it, they're having fun or they're making any job fun.

Speaker 4:

I'm sure doing the beat job and grading roads was not always fun, but this guy made it fun, but he made it fun and he took his kids with him. I remember sitting next to him on a road grader and standing at the beat piler and the other thing that he taught and I'm not sure he realized he was teaching this then was the work ethic, the importance of hard work. Which was probably one of the greatest things I learned from my parents was the importance of hard work and a small town.

Speaker 1:

Well, and then I'm not letting you get off this easy. I'm learning all this for the first time, so I love all that. And then they're running a theater for 25 years. Yeah, that's not easy.

Speaker 4:

No, no, and they bought that and, uh, and and it really helped a lot of local kids and our kids all acted in it and and it and it. They grew that and it was really fun for our kids and it was fun to watch our kids blossom and they always did like melodramas and so our, our girls would start as a little tiny role and then eventually all of our daughters were the heroine and you know, eventually. But the family togetherness, it was always doing it with the family and doing it together was fun and just fun to watch. So my parents met in drama in high school. That's how they met, so that was kind of their thing and so they did that for 25 seasons at Glenn's Ferry and they sold the theater. It's still running. They don't have it now, but it's still running. Wow, it's still running. They don't have it now, but it's still running, wow, yeah, so it's fun. Wow, a great place to live.

Speaker 1:

Great place to be raised. It took me a while to get invited there. I told you the story Because that's where Corey does his branding every year and I'd beg to go. He's like, oh, you're not ready for Dan Hall. I'm like what, you're not ready for Dan Hall. And so, like, after a couple years of asking him, he's like, all right, you can come, but I don't know, we'll see how this thing goes. And then we get about halfway in the brand and I'm like I got what he was. I understood what he was saying Dan's awesome. Oh, they're wonderful people.

Speaker 4:

Corey's. Another one that came from good stock, dan and Karen are amazing people, they're the very best.

Speaker 1:

They're like the absolutely very best people.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, wonderful people If I could tell a funny story about Dan. He, he, dan was. They are, you know. You know they're Karen's the only one that cut my hair till I went to college. But anyway, and I've known Corey all his life, but Dan, the game and I think it was, I think it was against Oregon or Oregon State and right before halftime Boise State wasn't looking too good. It was here, corey was playing and Corey got a pick six right before halftime and totally changed the tide of the game and we went out at I think I was working the game with the state police. My brother and I went out at halftime to their tailgate or whatever Dan was. We're like oh my gosh, corey got a pick six. It gosh, corey got a pick six. It was such a great, great play and he's playing really, really well.

Speaker 2:

And Dan just in Dan's way he needs to hit harder, and he's serious, oh, totally serious, totally serious.

Speaker 4:

The dude is like hard as nails serious, oh yeah, oh yeah, completely intense, oh yeah, just an awesome man, though.

Speaker 1:

Just great but intense. And you know Like it is a testament to the fact that God lets like miracles happen, that Corey is able to grow up and like survive that guy, and like he's tough.

Speaker 4:

Oh, he is tough, tough, tough. Yeah, but he'd do anything for you, but he'd do anything for you, I'll tell you quick.

Speaker 1:

Here's another quick Dan Hall story. So Corey was in. Corey and Dakota are going to rope team rope in the last year in the rodeo, glenn's Ferry. So I mean we're all excited, everyone from work wants to see this right and so we go down there and I love being around, dan and Karen Just love it. So we're sitting there in the rodeo and because hometown kind of hero coming home roping the team roping was at the end and then he was the very last one, so with Old Road we're sitting there for a long time.

Speaker 1:

Well, during the bronc riding I'm sitting by Dan and he's like, yeah, watch this kid, he's from here and he tells me a little bit about the kid just had a baby. So I get the inside scoop of this kid that's going to be on the bronco coming out right, new baby and the whole thing. Karen's like, oh, yeah, we know him, no-transcript, okay, cold. And so we're sitting, you know we're sitting like probably 50 yards away from where this kid's knocked out cold, and I'm like, okay, you know, you see him getting hurt before. But so first thing, I'm ready to go and and and and and I'm worried and he's like, ah, he'll be okay, oh, there'll be someone to get. So I didn't run down there.

Speaker 1:

And then it was. It was a little bit of delayed response to Anglin's Ferret Sure. So when you get bucked off a horse and get knocked out, you probably want to be. You know they weren't running out real quick, yeah, but I'm getting ready to go and I'm like Dad, I'm going to go down there. He's like, ah, he'll be all right. He's like he's kind of like flopping like some of those damn soccer players and flopping he, I'm sure, oh my gosh, I'm sure Corey, I'm sure Corey, that's why he's so tough yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just the way he was raised Just amazing people, great family. His sisters are just like him. Just amazing people, you know, you know the family.

Speaker 1:

They're fantastic. So tell us a little bit about your choice to go in, and then your time at State Police, and then your last seven years. You led the whole thing.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, so I joined the State Police. I met my wife in college over in Eastern Idaho, rick's college well, it was in Rick's college and then served an LDS mission and came home and she finished up at Rick's in Argentina. Where'd you go on your mission?

Speaker 3:

Oh, that's a great mission.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, and our in ecuador right now. I was just there last week, um, not with our son, but working. We can talk about that too, but, um, anyway, so my, my wife finished up rick's while I was gone and then finished up utah state and we got married and I joined nampa police. First they were hiring spanish-speaking officers, so I went to work for nampa police, um, spent a lot of time there or my time there I spent a lot of it with Spanish-speaking folks because that was kind of what I had.

Speaker 4:

My English isn't great, but my Spanish isn't too bad, so I'd always wanted to work for the state police. It was always my goal since I was about three and I joined the state police and was assigned to Burley-Rupert area. I loved it. We were there for seven years and then you know how the state works If you want to move up, you have to move around, and so, as the education increased and the bachelor and master's degree came, after I joined the state police, went back to school at Idaho State and got both those degrees and moved around quite a bit around the state and a lot of people saw stuff in me that maybe I didn't even see myself at the time. So I had great opportunities. I worked with Governor Kempthorne on his executive protection detail and got to know him really well and see how the state government works at that level.

Speaker 1:

Did you enjoy that?

Speaker 4:

I did. I loved working with him. The travel schedule was a little tough. We had a young family at the time. The travel schedule was tough on the family, but working with him was amazing and to be around a leader of that level was just great. Just great to learn that, just great to learn that.

Speaker 4:

And then came back and had a couple years in forensics, which was really good for me to learn how forensics works and really paid dividends later in my career when I was running the organization to see forensic stuff. And then Ralph Powell was the colonel who asked me to be his lieutenant colonel deputy director, and then, when he retired, governor Otter appointed me to be the colonel of the state police, director of the state police, and then Governor Little asked me to be the Colonel of the state police director of the state police and then governor little asked me to stay when governor little was elected. So, um, uh, yeah, it's been a just a, and I served for seven years there and felt like it was time to go. And, um, I had, uh, had my points in where I could retire in the state system and felt like it was time for some different challenges. And, and so it's, I left, I retired in.

Speaker 1:

August. Talk a little bit about one of the well. I've known you for a long time but one of the things that you have to appreciate in Idaho is law enforcement here. Do you feel the respect and love and appreciation here? Is that something that's always been part of being law enforcement in Idaho state police level, and how does that differ from your colleagues in other states? It's a pretty special place when it comes to that isn't it.

Speaker 4:

It really is and that's one of the reasons that drew me to Idaho. I didn't have any interest in going to the federal level or anywhere other state because I wanted to raise my family here. The same thing that drives everybody here. I wanted to raise my family in Idaho and, you're right, especially in the last five or six years it's been more pronounced in law enforcement, the anti-law enforcement sentiment and all those things.

Speaker 4:

My counterparts that are on the west side of us Chief Batiste that runs the Washington State Patrol and Superintendent Cotting that runs Oregon State Police both of them have had some really unique challenges that we haven't had in Idaho because we're supported here.

Speaker 4:

But there's a balance. The public will only support law enforcement in so much as they trust law enforcement and so that balance and quite frankly, they trust the Idaho State Police. The majority of Idahoans trust the Idaho State Police because the people that went before us and I felt that heavy on that mantle that I got in running the organization it wasn't me, that why they trusted us then, it was the people that went before me and I wanted to make sure I kept that and didn't do anything that would erode the public trust, because that is a very delicate balance, but I couldn't tell you how many times in in Idaho, especially in small towns, but even in Boise, where the lunch, when you're in uniform, somebody would come over and say your lunch has been paid for, but they don't want you to know who. Yeah, you know, and just incredible, incredible experiences throughout Idaho.

Speaker 1:

I think tremendous respect and it's got to be strange. Well, it's got to be strange because we do have friends and colleagues that are outside of the state and hearing their stories is just such a different deal. It would be hard, it is. It would be hard to serve and put your life on the line, which I want to ask you a couple questions about that and know that there's not that support there, and know that there's not that support there. I also, like when I express appreciation to guys like you, I did 10 years of night shifts in the ER, so I was around law enforcement almost every night I mean almost every night and multiple sets of state or Boise police, meridian police, because I worked at both locations and in all my years doing it, the entire time doing it, I never saw anything that wasn't 100% professional, caring, part of the you know what I mean the collaboration and just it was just always the best, frankly, the best in in some of the hardest situations.

Speaker 1:

I mean cause you had really difficult situations sometimes with people and situations of people that were arrested and not the nicest people in the world and what they were doing and interacting with staff and with everything else and the professionalism was always like, not once, so it's pretty cool.

Speaker 4:

I appreciate you sharing that, because we don't always get that feedback right From an ER physician. We don't always get that feedback. But you're right, you are dealing on a regular basis in some tough, tough situations and that's interesting. I'm so thankful that's your perspective and I hope for Idahoans, if they have something they feel it is less than what they want, that they bring that to somebody's attention, Because of course they're humans and and what they want. That they bring that to somebody's attention Because of course they're humans and of course they make mistakes. But gosh, give us a chance to fix it if there's a mistake. But yeah, we really.

Speaker 1:

I'm thankful that was your experience because throughout my career, regardless of what uniform they wore, they're always willing to help. Again, I'm going to ask you a bunch of stuff, but speak to the collaboration in our state, because the other thing that was always, um, always felt just right was the interaction between state. Local police seemed to be at least from a user's perspective in the ER kind of thing just tons of collaboration and good, good interactions.

Speaker 4:

Yeah so I'm thankful to talk, to be able to talk about that. We early on in my career that I I felt like that wasn't always a case in Idaho. There were some rubs with city and county and state and I remember doored up with my friends about that. Early on in my career I felt like that wasn't always the case in Idaho. There were some rubs with city and county and state and I remember doored up with my friends who were city officers or county deputies and saying why can't our bosses get along? Boy, if we're ever the bosses, we're not going to screw this up. And I'm thankful now that we have people that are leading law enforcement organizations in Idaho that are so collaborative because we're so rural.

Speaker 4:

The Idaho State Police is a good size organization but we're spread so thin across the state we can't do everything. We can't do it all, of course, and so we have to lean on each other. We call it the blurring of the badges, because I'm convinced of this If I really need help, if I'm on the side of the road or I'm in an incident where I really need help, I don't much care what the badge says, I just want help. And if we get wrapped up in what the badge says, then bad on us because the public doesn't care. They just want help and it's on us to provide that service and work together to do it. And so I'm really proud we're from a state where we do that. I would regularly attend meetings with colonels from other states. They meet and I would hear horror stories from other states and I'd just come back to Idaho and go oh Mike, I'm so thankful we're in Idaho, we have public support, we work well together. It's just different here.

Speaker 1:

Okay now, moving to kind of my next thought. You think about what makes our state so great. I mean, and it's great, it is public safety and it is the trust that the public has in law enforcement. It is thankful that the public has in law enforcement. It is thankful We've got a legislature that values public safety. I think we've got local jurisdictions and state and counties that value funding our law enforcement.

Speaker 1:

But then the other side of that is you're the guys that are in danger, right, because we are surrounded by other states that don't have those same sentiments. We're right next to Oregon that are in danger, right, because we are surrounded by other states that don't have those same sentiments. We're right next to Oregon for crying out loud, right. I mean, we're just Oregon's right there, washington's right there. I think the other way is probably a little bit more like us with Wyoming and Montana and Utah, nevada. I'm not so sure. I don't have that much experience there, but what's it like knowing that I don't know, like every car you walk up to or every door you walk up to, that you just don't know what's going to happen.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, that's exactly right, and so I think that it comes down to getting people that make really good decisions, training them well and giving them the very best equipment that you can.

Speaker 4:

That's how we keep our officers safe, and I think we do a really good job of that in Idaho.

Speaker 4:

Of course, it doesn't mean that they're not in danger Anytime. You have a job where you need to know your blood type or you're putting on body armor, of course your life is in danger and sadly, that came home to us with with an 80 County deputy here just recently, but, um, which is a terrible tragedy, Um, and, and those things happen in our profession, sadly. But, uh, one of the things I think that we can do above all else is to make sure that our officers are well, because, uh, the statistics are a little bit different depending on where you're at, but nationwide it's estimated, for every one officer that's killed in the line of duty, there are three that take their own life, and it's because of the stresses of the job. I just read a stat last week I was in Ecuador and the retired chief of Boise PD went with me to teach a wellness class to the officers in Ecuador. I was just with Ron Weininger in Ecuador this last week and I was listening to him speak and teach Ron's awesome, he's awesome, he's awesome.

Speaker 1:

He's great. You two are like legends man. Honestly.

Speaker 4:

It was fun.

Speaker 1:

It was fun to travel with him At least for me, the Mount Rushmore of law enforcement. You're two of those guys. That's fun, so you went together.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, we did With a major from the Utah Highway Patrol and we went down and taught. It's part of what I'm doing now for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, I'm stuff like this and so I had asked Ron cause he teaches wellness. He I don't know if you're familiar with his history, but he was involved in a shooting that killed Mark Stalin, nearly killed him and should have. In fact, the physician that told him how close he came to hitting his femoral artery said you came this close, Maybe you were the physician, I'm not asking you to divulge anything.

Speaker 1:

I wasn't, but I know what happened and it was crazy. He's lucky to be alive.

Speaker 4:

I'm just sharing what Ron was opening the class to share. But he is very but he's in Ron's way. You know, ron, he just the way he teaches is so great. But he was sharing some of these stats. One of the stats that he shared is the average American has between, I think, two and five traumatic experiences in their life and the average police officer has between four and 700 throughout their career. So if we don't teach them how to deal with the trauma that they see and how to process you know, you saw trauma.

Speaker 1:

You were in a profession that saw probably more than police officers too, as far as the trauma on a human yeah, the one thing that I the difference and I've talked a lot over the years to people about this like it comes pre-packaged to us, sure, and that's fair.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know what I mean, yeah, and the few times I've had a few experiences in my life where I have gone on rides as part of our training, mostly with either EMS, fire and law enforcement, it's just different, oh my gosh, it's different. So I'm always a little bit humble when they like. It's not the same, because when you guys come in and they come in, those first responders, man, it is pre-packaged. They've experienced that social interaction that happens on a tent scene. It's happened, they've figured it out, they've stabilized and then they come down. So sure, we're part of it. But, man, I'll tell you I got a first row seat to just how special and, I think, underappreciated like, as much as I think we get it, I don't think we get it that we live in a society where, no matter what happens today right here in my hallway, I'm like a one call away from having people rush here and and take care of whatever it is. Yeah, running into, running into where there's danger Running into the danger.

Speaker 1:

I mean it's just. And then they run in, put their lives at risk very frequently their expertise to either save someone from danger or take a really acute situation that is not easy put their life in danger and then somehow we just kind of think that's normal. It's not normal. Yeah, that's right. If you think about, if you went back. You know I look at when I, when I'm throwing in emergency medicine. You know someone, I chose it in the nineties, but you go back to the early eighties and the seventies. This doesn't exist Like this idea that we had EMS and people running. You know law enforcement existed to someday, but a coordinated effort to protect and serve public where it is so united on these calls, we're just so lucky, yeah.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, you're absolutely right, and it comes at a cost, and some of the cost is to equip them with the very best equipment you can. I feel like we owe it to those people rushing in here to give them the very best equipment we can, because otherwise it comes down to training and it comes down to equipment and it comes down to getting the right people, and I think we owe it to those people, and that's that two-prong right.

Speaker 1:

When they get there, do they have everything they need? And then, secondly, how do you deal with, over and over and again, being exposed to those situations and the trauma that comes from it it does? How do you process it?

Speaker 4:

And I think we're getting better at figuring out how to keep them well, because we don't just need them well. I think of a college athlete. They want them all involved all in every day for four or five years. We need them all involved all in every day for 30. And then we want them to live a healthy retirement after?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and you add on top of that. So the other thing that, being a guy that did shift work for a long time, I used to always say you know, sleep's overrated, until I had my first heart attack a few years ago. Right, but it's shift work too. Yeah, it is. On top of the stress thing, it's the circadian rhythm. It changes the way you do your families, because think about, in fact, we're helping with the law enforcement child care facility right now that will be out at Meridian. But there's just so many things that aren't normal about the work you were in for 30 years.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, and that child care facility what you have done on that is going to change officers' lives. Yeah, it's going to be really, really amazing. And I'm so thankful we have guys like you that recognize that, hey, we've done a little bit of part, but what a great.

Speaker 1:

I mean, and I'll tell you what, from coming in and the idea, and I think it's a testament. You talk to the people that came in from. They're out of San Diego but they're like it's an incredible. This valley is incredible and I'm like, yeah, tell me something. I don't know but how all the organizations collaborated and how the it came together. The idea we'll talk a little bit about is just to have a childcare facility that is specific for children. Of law enforcement, because of the shift work, because of some of the other security things, because of all those things, and, man, I'm really proud of that work. It's going to be an amazing facility.

Speaker 4:

I think that's going to change the face of law enforcement in the Treasure Valley. I truly I'm not.

Speaker 1:

I don't think I'm overstating that Well you start thinking about recruitment retention and how you help take care of families and support the service. I love it. Yeah, it's awesome. Be a great model for the rest of the country. I agree and I'm glad that it's happening here soon. Okay, next thing, because, man, this is going to go by fast. What are some of the like 30-year career? What are like if you had to just talk for a minute about some of your takeaways? Lessons learned, either about people or about Idaho, about leadership. I mean storied career, man. I mean you're a humble guy but a great career. You ended it at seven years at the top. What are some of your biggest takeaways?

Speaker 4:

So thank you. I appreciate that the best part of my job was to meet incredible people. Throughout my entire career I've met incredible people. I just this morning. I was talking to one this morning as I was getting ready for work. That's a guy that I worked with in. He lives in Idaho and he called me and he he's gonna be in town this weekend for State Track and you know that I met him 30 years ago when I was a young trooper and those kinds of relationships and the opportunity to build those relationships throughout my life has been the most rewarding part.

Speaker 4:

Idaho is unique, but it's unique because of the people that choose to call this home. And I mean the first time I met you I was just like, oh my gosh, this guy, for as much as you had done and as much as you have given to our state, you're just such a just a down-to-earth guy. I don't know what I expected when I met Tommy Alquist, but I didn't expect a down-to-earth guy that you can just talk about was another one Just down, mark Noble's son, just down to earth people Our elected officials are just. They're just Idahoans trying to do what's best for Idaho. And that's been the most rewarding for me is to meet amazing people that you think wouldn't be just down to earth, people that are just good folks, and to be able to serve them.

Speaker 4:

I think has been the, for me, has been the most rewarding.

Speaker 4:

I just last weekend I was up at up in Northern Idaho and saw Sean Keogh I don't know if you know Sean, I hadn't seen her in several years and to see her again, people like that, it's just that's been the most rewarding for me. And the other piece is to help employees develop, because my mission, my life's mission and it's been this way for many years is to become the best version of myself, so I can help other people be the best version of themselves. That's really what drives me, and so, whether it was to talk somebody into getting further education or to help them prepare for a promotion, or to help them, if they wanted to stay where they are, be the very best patrolman they could be, to help them progress as human beings, not just as employees, if we help employees develop as human beings, they'll develop as employees, but the reverse isn't true if we only develop as employees. So I really enjoy watching people develop as become better human beings, whatever that looks like for them and it's different for everybody.

Speaker 1:

That's awesome, that was incredible. That's going to be a clip on the wheel release. Right there, that's perfect. Talk about your book. Yeah, there, that's perfect Talk about your book. So your book Lead Now, no Title Required. Unleash the Power Within to Get when you Want to Be so that's the very essence of the book.

Speaker 4:

I thought I don't know why I thought this way, and maybe it's because I'm slower than most. I thought that when you became a leader is when you start acting like a leader. I didn't understand until I was a few years older and more mature. When you start acting like a leader, I didn't understand until I was a few years older and a little more mature. If you start acting like a leader, you don't need the title, because if we're promoting right with you, you run a large organization. If you're promoting right in your organization, you're promoting the guy that already is a leader. Yeah, right, yeah. And so I think that that's the secret to that. You don't need a title to be a leader. In fact, you can't be a leader unless you can lead yourself.

Speaker 4:

To begin with, I think of guys and gals that have accomplished anything in their life. They had self-discipline to do that, not when the lights were on. It's at five o'clock in the morning, when nobody knows they're getting up to study in medical school or whatever the issue is. I've got a son-in-law in law school right now. He just finished his first year of law school here at University of Idaho and I watched him Every single family function we had. He would come and eat and then he'd excuse himself to another room to study. That's how the first year of law school is, and whatever accolade he gets throughout his career, nobody's going to see that at the Christmas party he spent the four hours studying, isn't that true?

Speaker 1:

It really is. And as you mentor and I know how many people you've mentored because that's part of your thing trying to understand the work part of it the real personal routines that create momentum for success. They're thoughtful, for sure, 100% they're authentic they're driven and they can be.

Speaker 1:

I think one of the problems I think people have is they think well, I wasn't born that way. Yeah, talk a little bit about that. Yeah, because I think over your career you've probably had lots of examples of people that probably didn't know they had that there and in them and you probably mentored them to create their better version of themselves, yeah.

Speaker 4:

So I think that starts with having people doing that for you. I mean, I don't know if you know who Bill Brock is. He's a super winning high school basketball football coach. He coached at Middleton now, but he coached at Glens Ferry. I've heard his name. He's incredible. He just I think he had his 300th victory here not long ago. I mean, he's an incredible coach.

Speaker 4:

But he was my high school football coach, head football coach in Glens Ferry, and I remember him saying the principal here is win. What's important now and I remember him beating that in our heads and his voice rang in my mind at 4.30 in the morning when my alarm went off and I was in graduate school and raising a family and working full-time as a district commander Okay, what's important now? Coach Brock wins. So I think it's other people helping you instill those too. But you're absolutely right. It's not doing what's when everybody's looking and clapping and cheering, that's easy. It's when nobody's looking, who are you really? Not what people think you are. You know, I've spent my whole life just trying to be the man. My mom thinks I am Right, you know. But it's about the. I think it's about what you're doing in the dark when nobody sees.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, any, any. Uh, give us some. Give us some of your, your bio hacks on leadership, your life hacks. What are? What are some things that are important to you, routine wise, that keep you where you need to be, so you're at your best self to help others.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, um, that's, that's awesome. I appreciate the platform to share a few things. One is to there's an amazing book you probably read it, called the 5 AM Club. Oh yeah, and it's about getting up at 5 AM and I don't know of anybody who's successful, who sleeps in. I just maybe there are some.

Speaker 1:

But I don't know anybody.

Speaker 4:

There's another one called the.

Speaker 1:

Perfect Day, but the principle of starting it right.

Speaker 4:

Yes, own the day, own day on your life. But, yeah, it's about starting right and starting. You know, being principled about starting your day right and planning your day and not letting your day run you no, um, I think that has been really good. And for me, another part is being a lifelong learner. I mentioned my mother taught me that, um, and a certain reading isn't the only way you can learn, but it is is a great way to learn, and so I keep track. I set a goal every year of how many books I want to read. I love that. I keep track of the books in my planner that I've read that year and always want to be reading.

Speaker 4:

I'm always reading a book, and when I was with the state police, we did a reading challenge, journal Club and I challenged everybody to be reading something, and I said I want you to ask me what I'm reading, but be prepared, I'm going to ask you too. And I got some great ideas of books and I don't really care what you're reading. And so then, of course, it came back. Well, does it matter what we're reading? I said, no, it doesn't matter. What matters is you're reading. I mean, if you're reading Dr Seuss and you're a biologist. Maybe our hiring practices need to be revamped, but reading is an amazing way to keep your mind open, and so I'm always trying to read.

Speaker 4:

I'm reading right now a book called the River of Doubt. It's about Teddy Roosevelt's journey through the Amazon rainforest, I've heard. Is it good? It is really, really good. Yeah, and I'm part of a book club and we're always reading in the book club. Anyway, that's not the only way, but it is a great way to be a lifelong learner. So I think reading is important. I think being disciplined every day is important.

Speaker 1:

All the stuff that I'm sure has made Tommy Alquist, Tommy Alquist is what I'm not going to share, anything you're not already doing, I'm sure.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, no, and I will tell you, like that morning thing. What's beautiful about that is God gave us circadian rhythms for a reason, right, for a reason. Sun comes up every day, goes down, and it's this daily reset that happens every 24 hours, where you sleep and your brain clears all those neurotransmitters that need to be cleared out overnight. You have a chance to wake up and look in the sunlight in the day and center yourself, whatever that means for different people, get right spiritually, get right mentally and motivationally, hopefully, do something that's a little physical, something that inspires you reading, whatever that is, and kind of set yourself for the day. The beautiful thing about that is, if it doesn't go well which a lot of days it doesn't go well you get that chance the next morning. Yeah, that's exactly right. Every day, I mean, and with a few of the people that I, I mentor, I'm like that's one of the first questions I ask is how's that going? And you'll find that if they can build that momentum and start stringing a few of those days together and then more and more like, oh, I was good three or four or five times this week. It just sets your day in a really good spot. It does.

Speaker 1:

You're balanced. I call it living arrows out, right. You're starting the day thinking, okay, who am I going to go help, how am I going to affect, how am I going to show up at work in my best version? And then you've got to have a little grace for yourself, because it doesn't always go great and you have days when you're just done. Yeah, that's right, I actually had one of those last night. Oh, really, I just got home late. Man, I am tired, I am beat, and that's okay too, right? Sure, of course, when you kind of just leave it all and just like you know.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, the physical fitness piece right in the first of the day. I found that when I tell myself, the story that I tell myself is I'll get to it later in the day. It never happens, but if I do it as soon as I wake up and I get that. So for me it's getting the spiritual piece in right away. That's the first thing I do, and then the workout piece, and then comes the rest of the planning, the day and all the motivation, all that other stuff. But for me I struggle personally and I'll just bear a little bit here.

Speaker 4:

I'm really good when I'm home, but right now, because of the work I'm doing, I'm traveling all the time. That's a complete complexity and it's really the complexity is really hard right, and so I had to figure that out. And so what I had to do and I'm much better just in the last month, because I was very few weeks in my home all week I'm usually on a plane somewhere, and so I had to figure that piece out. And so once I got it dialed in and figured out, now it's a complete game changer, because at home it's easy my treadmill is where it is, my weights are where they are, I'm in my own bed. I sleep well. All those things On the road, it's just so. One of the things. That sounds just ridiculously simple, but I made sure I went and found the gym as soon as I checked into the hotel. I'm not using it that night, but if I didn't just simple things.

Speaker 1:

Gosh, I'm jumping all over, but I want to make sure I get there. So August was when you retired. Yes, you're busy now. Talk a little bit about the work you're doing internationally and travel, and how it's been.

Speaker 4:

It's been just amazing. It's been incredible. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to have worked for two great governors. I worked for Governor Kim Thorne as well, and Governor Risch. I was on Governor Risch's detail as well. Amazing guys, Very different leadership styles, but both of them great guys. But to work for Governor Otter and Governor Little was just a great experience. But when I retired and it was time to switch gears, I didn't really know what retirement would look like. I didn't know, and so I got a couple phone calls from a couple organizations and one of them. So I'm doing some consulting work for a couple American companies. So that's a lot of domestic travel.

Speaker 4:

No-transcript could help with this road safety project. So this is about reducing fatality and injury crashes in developing countries and in South America. They needed somebody that knew the language and could speak, knew the language but also the culture and could meet with high level leaders, secretaries of transportation, mayors you know those kinds of people in these countries and so they'd asked me if I'd be interested and I jumped right at it. Our son is in Ecuador right now. He comes home in July and so it was an opportunity to go where he is not that I rub shoulders all the time with him or anything, but you know I take things he has to have, like his mom's homemade jam and stuff like that. You know the guys have to have things you'd die for 20 months in, Right. Yeah, oh, what do you want, son? What will you want me to bring? Oh, mom's jam. I got to have blackberry jam. That's awesome, Anyway, so, uh, so we're in Ecuador, Columbia and Argentina, and so in Argentina, it was an opportunity for me to go back where I was as a younger.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, you know, and it's been amazing. So I'm down there about a week or 10 days a month in South America working on this road safety project. So it's a combination of providing training and mentorship to the agents that are the officers that are doing this work in those countries and then linking them up with other law enforcement leaders to give them that support we take for granted in Idaho. They don't do that there, it's just so siloed. So trying to link those up too and break down those barriers, that's fantastic, that's great. It's been really, really good. I was just in Ecuador last week. I'll be in Colombia next month. That's fantastic. Yeah, it's great. And your son gets home the end of July. Yeah, he'll be here for three weeks, then headed to Utah State for school.

Speaker 1:

Man when you get to see him the first time after a couple years. There's no words in English that describe that feeling. Is there.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I haven't had the experience yet. We have three daughters, but our son is the first. He's our youngest and our only son so yeah, it'll be very exciting and very different than my experience because of the technology and the ability to talk to him and stuff like that. It's been a very different experience but yeah, it's neat and neat to see the transformation. He said the other day he was having a struggle. So all of our kids top corn if you're familiar with what that is in Canyon County and a lot of kids in our neighborhood go out and topping corn is not an easy job and we always joke that it's to make sure you go to college because it's hard work, it's sweaty and sticky and everything, and we made our kids do that because it builds character right. So he was having a struggle in a leadership position in Ecuador and he said the other day he just said the problem is, dad, some of these people have never topped corn in his shows and I thought, wow, that's great, those Glenferry roots right there coming through.

Speaker 1:

That's very, very true, right? Yeah, it was great. So, anyway, and what a great experience to get away and see that and put some skills to work, and I think most experiences we have in life where we think it's a sacrifice for us, on the back end of it we're like man, I took a lot more out of that than I gave. That was 100%.

Speaker 4:

It's just the way it kind of is right, absolutely my experience Whatever sacrifice I made, I got back a hundredfold. Yeah, isn't that true? Yeah, it's just incredible.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I think if you go into something hard, whatever that is, and you think, hey, how can I look at this as a service opportunity and how can I lift and support and help others and be thoughtful about it, that thing ends up rewarding you. I mean, it's just, it's like this there's some cosmic, you know, equation somewhere in heaven that says, if you do it right, you do it authentically, you do it for other people, you're going to get more out of it, and the more you chase that, the more you get out of it. And you never and it's an equation you will never satisfy, because then you just want to do more of it right. It's a nice way to build momentum and service and then the kind of blessings that come out of it, that's fantastic. I skipped through your book. It's kind of cool. I didn't know you wrote a book, so what was the motivation behind it?

Speaker 4:

I'd been asked to speak sometimes about leadership stuff and I thought, well, it might be beneficial if I could put some of these thoughts down. And so I had a guy that helped me publish it and wrote it a few years ago and it's been really helpful. I don't know if the people that read it get anything out of it, but I know that I got a lot out of it. Writing it Just to put those things on paper and think about those things in that logical sequence really helped me kind of formalize my thoughts and kind of where I am as a person. So it was very helpful for me to write it. I think everybody has a book in them.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, did it take you more or less time than you thought?

Speaker 4:

It was longer than I thought it was going to be, because after I finished my master's degree I didn't want to. After I wrote that I didn't want to write anymore, ever again after a thesis. But and probably there's some college or some English teachers along the way, some Glens for English teachers that lost some money on who's most likely to write a book I probably wouldn't have been at the top of their list or even on a list, but it was. It took a little longer than I thought, but I was surprised how much I got out of it by doing it, you know.

Speaker 1:

I'm proud of you because I actually a few months ago called someone because there's people that can kind of help you and I thought I got a book in me somewhere there and I thought about it and I did my first interview of what it was going to take and I'm like I got to wait until I get a little more time because there is a time commitment to do it right. There is that's absolutely correct To organize. I can't wait to read it. This is like a pleasant surprise.

Speaker 4:

Oh good, I'm glad.

Speaker 1:

I hope it's helpful and available just for people listening. 100%. It's on Amazon, amazon, yep. So lead now Colonel Kedrick R Wills. No title required. I like it. This is great. Well, hey, I really really appreciate you coming on. This has been really fun to get caught up and thank you for your service.

Speaker 4:

Thank you. I've looked forward to this for a long time. This is really cool and I appreciate you doing this, and I just want you to know on a personal level that I appreciate you being the authentic person you are and what you do for our state, because, oh my gosh, I'm just so thankful we have good guys like you in positions that can make a huge difference at due.

Speaker 1:

So thank you for doing that. I think this is this you said it like why the state is so incredible is its people, and they're just as incredible. I don't know. It's just a heritage of kindness and goodness and just values that run deep, with folks here that are relationship based and we care for each other, and probably a great place to do law enforcement. It's a great place to be an ER doc. It's a great place to do business. It's a great place to raise a family because the people right and you're one of those guys I'm not kidding. I met a lot of guys in law enforcement over the years here. I've been here a long time and there's no one like you. I always looked up to you and thank you very much for what you did and your service and, man, I'm excited for all you're doing. This is great.

Speaker 4:

I don't know what the next chapter looks like but right now it's pretty fun.

Speaker 1:

I think there's some dad, there's some of your dad in you, man, Maybe I think you could be doing. You could be, you know, out topping corn and smiling and saying it's the greatest day we've ever had. We need a sprinkle of you, a little kid, all over everything today Thanks, buddy, thanks for coming on.