Any security team needs structure, with junior guards handling day-to-day patrols, senior guards overseeing operations and mentoring others, and team leaders or supervisors coordinating with owners and management to keep everything running smoothly.
Security guard leadership matters in security firms because it creates order and ensures that decisions are made confidently during high-pressure situations.
Guards who can lead and take initiative help prevent incidents, manage teams effectively, and keep clients and staff safe. Not all guards are suited to be leaders, and even those who are need the right support, training, and guidance from their firms to develop confidence and effectively manage their teams.
What Does Leadership Look Like in Security?
In security, a leader sets the tone for the rest of the team and represents your business to clients and the public.
Whether they intend to or not, security guard leaders model behavior that other team members follow.
Team leaders also tend to take on specific roles and responsibilities, such as:
- Assigning duties
- Monitoring the performance of other guards
- Making decisions during incidents
- Leading during emergencies
- Coordinating the actions of teams
- Relaying information between team members and managers
- Supporting other guards
- Keeping morale high
- Contribute to guard training and development
- Ensuring rules and procedures are followed
Key Traits of Security Guard Leaders
Some guards in leadership roles will perform better than others, and this often comes down to their individual qualities.
The key traits of effective security leaders include:
- Confidence: They show steady composure even in tense situations, which reassures the team and helps each member also remain calm.
- Decision-making: Security often requires split-second choices with limited information, and effective leaders will be able to weigh risks quickly and commit to their actions without hesitating.
- Communication: The best leaders can clearly convey instructions to their team and explain situations without causing confusion.
- Adaptability: Security situations can change in an instant, and strong leaders can adjust their plans quickly while keeping the team focused.
- Accountability: Leaders must take responsibility for their decisions and actions, which sets a strong example for other guards to follow, creating a unified team.
- Integrity: Good leaders will always act honestly and ethically. Doing so earns them trust from other security guards, which makes them more willing to follow guidance and support team decisions.
Together, these traits create leaders who act as anchors for the rest of the staff, helping the security firm build a skilled and cohesive team.
Identifying Potential Leaders in Your Security Guard Team
Identifying the best leaders without your team is a crucial step you shouldn’t rush, as choosing an ill-fitting leader, such as one that lacks motivation or is indecisive, can create a hostile work environment that increases turnover and lowers morale.
There are several signs that indicate a guard could step into a leadership role in your firm.
Look for team members who naturally take responsibility and show their reliability through their daily duties. For example, one guard may consistently complete their rounds without reminders and show their initiative by stepping in to guide a new team member during a shift.
Your overall team dynamic can also show which guards will be the best leaders. If there is one guard that others turn to for guidance, or has a more commanding presence, would likely transition easily into leadership without any resistance from other team members.
Another aspect to assess is a guard’s attitude. Guards who step up to address safety issues, assist teammates, or suggest improvements show the drive needed for leadership.
You don’t need to watch every shift to spot these qualities, and instead, you can analyze performance reviews, supervisor reports, and feedback from team leads to see how guards handle challenges.
Pay attention to documented actions during busy periods or unexpected incidents, as these give a clear picture of who consistently makes smart decisions and supports their team.
How to Grow Your Security Guards Into Leaders
Once potential leaders are identified, they may be ready to take on additional responsibilities.
In many cases, security guards stepping into leadership roles need additional support and training to build confidence, develop decision-making skills, and learn how to guide a team effectively.
There are a few ways to help them grow:
- Shadowing: Pair emerging leaders with experienced supervisors or top-performing team members who consistently demonstrate good decision-making and communication.
While observing, have the emerging leader take notes, ask questions, and discuss why certain actions were taken. Follow up with guided feedback or debriefs after shifts so they can process what they saw and practice applying those behaviors themselves.
- Focused Training: Assign promising guards to targeted training programs that focus on key skills like communication, public relations, officer safety, and supervision. Online modules let guards complete training on their own time without interrupting their shifts.
You can assess progress and understanding through quizzes, which are either offered as part of the online courses or created by managers or HR. Double-checking guards are retaining the information ensure they’re actually building the knowledge and confidence they need to step into leadership roles.
- Scenario-Based Exercises: Implement drills that mirror real-world situations guards could face. For example, simulate a situation where multiple alarms go off at different parts of a facility. The emerging leader must quickly prioritize which incidents to address first, assign team members to specific tasks, and communicate updates to management.
After the drill, hold a debrief to review decisions and discuss areas for improvement to help the guard build skills that are difficult to develop through classroom training alone.
Common Challenges in Developing Guard Leaders
Developing leadership in your security team isn’t always straightforward. Some guards may be hesitant to take on additional responsibility, unsure of their abilities, or resistant to change. Others may lack confidence, struggle with communication, or be set in their routines.
Here are some quick tips for motivating staff who have leadership potential but may be hesitant to step up:
- Start Small: Give potential leaders manageable responsibilities first, like leading a short shift or mentoring a new guard, so they can build confidence gradually rather than being thrown into the deep end. Starting with smaller responsibilities also helps a guard assess whether leadership is something they want to pursue and feel ready to handle.
- Explain the Benefits: Communicate how leadership growth benefits them personally, such as a higher salary or additional perks. Talk with them to understand their motivations and see if they can be accommodated.
For instance, if a guard values a flexible working schedule due to other responsibilities, a leadership role that requires fixed hours or frequent overtime may not be suitable. However, if they are looking to climb the career ladder, you can frame a leadership role as an opportunity for advancement to motivate them.
- Provide Support: Offer constructive feedback and guidance to help guards feel supported and show that you’re invested in their growth, rather than pressuring them into a role they’re not ready for.
- Address Hesitation: Listen to guards’ concerns or fears and work together to find solutions. If they don’t feel ready, discuss what they consider their weaknesses and determine the best course of action, such as additional training, specialized duties, or targeted assignments.
Another challenge in developing security guards into leadership roles is the presence of skill gaps. A guard may be reliable and hardworking but lack key leadership abilities, which may slow the timeline for a guard to step into leadership, but it doesn’t disqualify them.
Address any skill gaps by first identifying the specific areas where improvement is needed, such as through performance reviews or the guard’s self-assessments, and then assigning targeted in-person or online training accordingly.
Finally, one important consideration that firms often overlook is team dynamics. Promoting one guard can create friction or resentment among peers if others feel overlooked or if the new leader struggles to gain respect.
You should clearly communicate the reasons for the promotion and emphasize that leadership is earned through your firm to inspire others rather than cause discontent. It’s also helpful to provide the new leader with support and coaching to help them navigate team relationships, or you may cause resistance from other staff who are unwilling to cooperate with them.
Turn your Guards into Strong Leaders With Targeted Training
Developing leaders within your security team strengthens your entire operation, and when you train and support guards to step into leadership roles, you can benefit from better team coordination, smoother decision-making, and improved overall performance.
Ready to invest in your guards’ growth? At Guard Training, we know the value of pushing security guards to reach their potential, whether that is becoming a leader or excelling in other areas.
Check out our full list of courses and helpful resources to start building your team’s security leaders.
