Police Leadership Coaching, Assessments & Executive Search Assistance
Lighthouse Leadership Services offers leadership consulting in Ontario and across Canada for police services, government agencies and private-sector companies. Our in-house leadership services, which are leadership coaching, leadership analysis and assessments, and police executive search assistance, are designed to strengthen leadership capabilities and organizational success. They are delivered by Chris D. Lewis, former Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, who has served at every rank from tactical team leader to the top job.
Leadership Coaching
Strong leaders are built through experience, honest feedback and practice. Our leadership coaching for police chiefs and command staff, and for leaders at every other level, is built on that idea. Chris Lewis believes that leadership is leadership, whatever the vocation: it is about people skills and inspiring others to achieve their very best. He is known for an honest, direct and sometimes humorous delivery.
Coaching can help leaders to:
- Inspire and motivate their people
- Make sound decisions under pressure
- Build trust and accountability on their teams
- Lead through change and public scrutiny
Leadership Analysis & Assessments
Our leadership analysis and assessments show where leadership is strong, where it needs work and what to do next. We offer two levels.
Organizational Leadership Analysis
An organizational leadership assessment looks at how leadership works across a team, a unit or a whole organization: how leaders at each level guide and support people and hold them to account. The findings help you set priorities for developing your leaders.
Personal Leadership Analysis
A personal leadership assessment focuses on one leader. It identifies strengths and development needs and gives that leader a clear starting point, which can lead into coaching.
Police Executive Search Assistance
Choosing a chief or another senior police executive is among the most consequential decisions a police board or municipality makes. Our police executive search assistance supports boards and organizations that need to find and select senior police leaders.
Boards commonly follow a structured process: they consult community and internal stakeholders, set out the attributes the role needs, search widely for candidates, then shortlist and interview. Chris Lewis brings the perspective of someone who has led a police service and knows what the role demands.
Leadership Development for Police Services
Police services depend on leadership from top to bottom, from the first-line supervisor to the chief. Our in-house leadership services build that depth by strengthening individual leaders and the organization as a whole.
Chris Lewis has studied, written and spoken about leadership for more than 25 years. He is the author of Never Stop on a Hill (2016), a leadership book whose profits go to Special Olympics Ontario. To hear him before you work with him, see our Speaking Engagements page, or learn more about the book on our Book Sales page.
Who We Work With
We provide leadership coaching for government agencies, police services and private-sector companies, along with assessments and search support for the boards and executives who oversee them.
Our clients come from these sectors:
- Police services and police services boards
- Government and public-sector agencies
- Private-sector companies
- Not-for-profit organizations
Led by Former OPP Commissioner Chris D. Lewis
Chris D. Lewis served at every rank in operational policing and administration, from tactical team leader to Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, a service of more than 9,000 personnel and one of the largest in North America. He held that post from August 1, 2010 until he retired on March 31, 2014, after almost 36 years as a police officer and leader.
Since then he has lectured on leadership and policing across North America and appears regularly as CTV’s Public Safety Analyst. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Program and the FBI National Executive Institute, and a Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about our leadership services and how they support your organization.
It is individual guidance that helps police leaders strengthen their decision-making, people skills and ability to inspire the people they lead. Chris Lewis coaches from direct experience, having served at every rank from tactical team leader to Commissioner of the OPP.
It is for leaders at any level, from new supervisors to command staff and chiefs, and for senior leaders in government agencies and private companies. Chris Lewis believes “leadership is leadership”: it is about people skills and inspiring others to do their best.
Our analysis and assessments look at how leadership works in your organization and in an individual leader, then point to ways to strengthen it. The aim is practical findings that improve leadership capability and organizational success.
Organizational analysis looks at leadership across a team, unit or whole organization. Personal analysis focuses on one leader’s strengths and development needs. The organizational view helps set priorities, and the personal view supports coaching for individual leaders.
It is support for police boards and organizations that need to find and select senior police leaders, such as a chief. We help you think through what the role requires and how to assess candidates.
Boards usually run a structured process: they consult community and internal stakeholders, set out the attributes the role needs, search widely for candidates, then shortlist and interview. Outside advisors with policing experience can support each stage.
Yes. We consult to police services, government agencies and private-sector companies. Leadership principles apply in any organization that depends on people to deliver results.
Use the Contact page to book a consultation. We will talk through your leaders, your goals and the kind of support that fits.