Be the Leader You Want to Follow: Interview with Security Expert Frank Harrison

I recently went one on one with security expert Frank Harrison. Frank is the Regional Security Director Americas for World Travel Protection (WTP). Frank previously spent more than 14 years with the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as in security roles with the United Nations and the US Government, including head of security operations for the US Embassy in Iraq and consulting roles in the extractive resource sector. Frank’s work has taken him to often-hostile locations around the world, including West Africa, the Middle East, Papua New Guinea, and into the austere Arctic.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Frank: I have worked my entire life in roles to protect people, including in the military, foreign services, and the extractive resource sector, and almost all of these experiences have involved travel into often-hostile locations across the globe.  

One experience in particular really helped shape who I would become: It occurred when I served as a Field Services Officer for the United Nations, tasked with providing close protection to a senior-level diplomat and her team in a high-risk area of the embargoed region of Georgia. I was a young man at the time, fresh out of the military. While traveling through this risky area, our group faced multiple safety challenges, including hostile threats and unfriendly fire. It was an intense experience, but I was able to draw on my military expertise to keep the team in my care safe – which I found both invigorating and rewarding. I realized then that I had real skills to detect risk and help people develop a keen awareness of their surroundings. Engaging in this type of work has in turn led me to my current role at World Travel Protection, delivering real-time security intelligence to keep travelers safe. 

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader? 

Frank: I’ve always believed that an effective leader is one who leads with empathy and respect, and I am particularly happy to now see these qualities being highlighted in the latest research about how to be a great leader. It wasn’t always this way; in fact, coming from a military background, many of us were subjected to egomaniacal leadership styles involving intimidation. In this world, many of our so-called leaders often berated subordinates to show superiority. I was lucky; very early in my 14-year military career, a senior non-commissioned officer cautioned against adopting this approach, instead sharing his take on the value of empathy as a superpower. I have never forgotten his advice and have always endeavored to lead this way. I really believe this approach has helped me build better relationships and lead more effective teams, which has certainly also helped in my career progression.

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Frank: Taking leadership skills to the next level involves always listening, learning, and most importantly, being open to improvements. I think the worst thing that any leader can do is assume that because they’ve reached the pinnacle of their profession, they have the leadership role all figured out. In most cases, nothing could be further from the truth. 

I think there is always an opportunity for leaders to improve their leadership skills by reflecting on how their actions, thoughts, and words impact others and by putting themselves in the other person’s shoes. It’s important to recognize that we don’t all share the same values and life experiences, and consequently, not all messages will impact all individuals in the same way. This takes me back to the value of empathy as a leadership quality. The good news about empathy is that it can be learned, and with practice, it can be improved upon. And great leaders know that being empathetic starts by simply listening, followed by reflecting, learning, and being open to feedback and improvement.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?

Frank: My best advice is to respect team members as individuals, knowing each person will bring a unique background and perspective to the project. Lead by example, with empathy and respect, listening for cues that signal when things are going well and when they are not. I approach leadership through the words of Paul Hawken: “Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.”

Adam: What are the keys to leading in times of crisis?

Frank: When crises happen, leaders need to have the ability to remain calm, to prioritize key action steps, and to delegate. Delegating is especially important as no one person can single-handedly manage a crisis. Furthermore, a calm leader is able to see things more clearly and collaborate with others to develop solutions. Our crisis command centers in North America, the UK, and Australia are great examples of how to operate in a crisis; they are staffed with hundreds of people, yet run incredibly efficiently because of our leaders’ ability to understand risk and prioritize action steps. 

At WTP, we have also embraced the power of technology to take a very proactive approach to leading through a crisis. For example, advances in technology and AI now enable us to provide robust intelligence on safety risks at key travel destinations; be in touch with travelers immediately, wherever they are, through a secure travel app; and most importantly, respond in real-time – to locate, communicate, assist, and potentially extract people across borders, time zones, and governments.

Adam: How can leaders effectively make difficult decisions? 

Frank: Regardless of what I am doing, I try to remove bias from my approach as much as possible. I also strive to adopt a team-based approach when decisions impact the livelihoods of others. It’s always easier to consider different ideas when mapping out a decision and identifying the impacts and opportunities when all team members have had a chance to provide input. 

However, as a leader, there will be times when a decision is yours and yours alone. Once you make a decision, use confidence to drive it towards your planned outcome, and of course, always be prepared to deal with unexpected events. 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to leaders and aspiring leaders?

Frank: I can reflect on this from my previous comment about the advice given early in my military career, advice that proves relevant to this day. Be the leader you want to follow, and people will follow you – conduct yourself like a leader long before you are one. You are influencing, setting the example, and taking the initiative, not bullying, yelling, or creating ego toxicity. 

My advice is to learn to set expectations and plan for results early. Never impose your values on those around you or on your subordinates. They won’t measure up to your self-imposed standard. See others for their potential and capabilities; then, support their growth. Understand the power of delegation, and trust that when subordinates make mistakes, they trust you enough to come to you.

Build a culture of communication and feedback, and use 1:1 meetings meaningfully. I dislike the terms “coach” and “mentor.” Instead, I see myself as a champion, and with this mindset, I can help people grow and flourish. I purposely adapt my leadership and management style to those I interact with, not the other way around. I do this as an active listener. It demonstrates that I know them; they see that I really care and respond accordingly, and when it comes time for the hard decisions, they will trust me!

Learning is a lifelong journey, and I constantly challenge myself to learn new approaches, technologies, and skills. This effort requires me to be organized and disciplined. If you feel you have reached the top, ask yourself, am I really there, or am I just stagnant? Know your skills, organization, and people; this requires communicating your expectations and objectives. You can only do this through a continuous learning and feedback loop.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Frank: Be vulnerable.

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Frank: Some years ago, I had a perspective shift – I stopped focusing on emotional intelligence and developed intellectual humility. You cannot learn if you think you already "know," and we can't lead if we don't strive to understand better what it is to "be" someone else.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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