To Inspire:

There is an Arizona sheriff’s deputy whose social media success rivals that of some celebrities and athletes, all just by doing his job with an approach based on Stoicism and Servant Leadership.

Traffic Unit Deputy Frank Sloup of the Pinal County’s Sherrif’s Office has turned routine traffic stops into must-see online videos.

This all began when the sheriff’s office was trying to get the word out about local and state laws, including a new hands-free driving law. The department’s public information office rode along with Deputy Sloup to make a video. During the ride along, one traffic stop included a woman who reacted badly to Sloup, but he stayed cool and collected. The department posted the video and viewers loved Sloup’s deadpan responses.

“Fridays with Frank” videos became a regular thing, and the deputy now has one million Facebook followers, and his YouTube videos have millions of views.

Sloup credits his calm demeanor to his study of Stoicism during his graduate studies. Stoicism is a philosophy that cultivates acceptance by focusing on things we can control, like emotions, while accepting the things we cannot, like others’ reactions.

“I don’t yell in my personal or professional life. I don’t react emotionally to almost anything,” Sloup says. “When someone’s a jerk, I don’t have to tamp reactions down. Just not one iota. They don’t even exist in my world.”

He also became aware of a leadership style known as Servant Leadership, a philosophy that says effective leaders strive to serve others rather than accrue power or control.

He says when he pulls someone over, “We’re going to talk about what you did with as much cordiality as possible. It’s up to you. And something about the way I talk has people react well to me. I don’t understand why, whether it’s my facial expressions, mannerisms, whatever. My style lends itself towards positive interactions.”

Another attraction is Sloup’s sense of humor. In one video he asks a driver who kept changing lanes without signaling if she was out of blinker fluid. In another, he suggests to a speeder, who is clearly lying about rushing to the hospital, that an ambulance would be better at getting there fast.

Viewers love his clear, non-judgmental explanations of how someone broke the law, and love his passion for his work. He’s become a local celebrity.

Sloup says, “I show that law enforcement can do our jobs, sometimes have fun and be human. I’m going to hold you accountable for going 23 miles per hour over the limit and driving crazy. But we can still talk about bass fishing and shake hands, even if I’m doing my job and you’re not happy about it.”

We’ve been inundated for years with shows and movies featuring law enforcement, sometimes showing them in a not very positive light, so kudos to Deputy Sloup for sharing his calm and humor-filled manner with all of us!

 

 

 

 

Written by Michelle O’Brien, Manager of Marketing & Communications

 

 

Source: Freeman, Amy. The American Cop Whose Kindness and Wit Has Made Him Famous. AARP.org.