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Beginning her career as a municipal police department dispatcher, Eileen Behr worked her way through various divisions and assignments over the course of 32 years – including accident and traffic, tactical negotiator, juvenile, investigations and emergency management coordinator – to eventually become the first female police chief in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. After the sudden death of the Montgomery County sheriff in 2011, Behr was appointed sheriff.

When it comes to a top-notch security program, good relationships with external entities are paramount to success. It’s a concept Josh Ball, Director of Public Safety at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) in Louisville, Kentucky, has prioritized.

“Security is about enabling a mission. Business leaders are able to take our tools and apply them to a variety of settings to create success. Our job is to create an environment of success for the enterprise. It is not what we do, rather, it is how we enable the enterprise to achieve its goals,” shares Frank Taylor, Vice President and Chief Security Officer for The General Electric Company. It is important to note that as you read this, one of America’s (not just security’s) greatest leaders and thinkers will have retired, again.

“There is no longer a time in any field that you can be a good leader and be deficient in any area of managerial core competency. Leaders have to be comfortable being uncomfortable,” says Gordon Snow, chief of protective services for The Cleveland Clinic. “The environment is increasing in complexity. Education and training can provide you with many of the tools you need to make better decisions, but there isn’t always a formula to help you make the right decision.

“Leadership isabout making the team better than the sum of its parts. Leaders look for people who will bring out the best from others and make the whole team better. Great leaders are force multipliers,” shares Stephen Scharf, the leader at Experian entrusted with protecting the business’ brand and customer information from ever changing and expanding threats.

Dan Ryan’s story is classic, happy and all-American that those entering the profession can learn from and hope to emulate. “I guess you could say I started at the bottom and worked my way up.” Yes, you could say that Dan, but that would be understatement – Dan’s expertise and perfection have helped him rise through the ranks at a meteoric pace.

“We treat everyone, from kindergarten on up, with respect,” says Joseph Perchetti, Supervisor of Security for the Radnor, Penn., Public School District. “They are our customers, and their taxes pay our salaries. We go the extra mile to make sure they are secure and to ensure that they can focus on education.”

“Leadership is best done by leading by example and through respect for others,” says Patrick Murphy, Senior Director, Global Safety and Security Services for Marriott International Inc. The black belt martial arts professional turned CSO has set the example for leadership during his outstanding career. “After martial arts, I asked myself, ‘Now what?’ I saw an advertisement for an executive protection academy. One thing led to another, and before I knew it I was a bodyguard for the Chairman and President of what was at first a small, fast-growing company.”