THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF EXECUTIVE PROTECTION

By Doc Rogers

I am positive that if you follow the 10 commandments of executive protection they will have a profound impact on your career and positively contribute to a safe environment for your clients

10) Thou Shall Do the Job without Fail:

You should never fail in carrying out your executive protection activities, while keeping the trust and confidence the client has placed in you and your bodyguard abilities. Consistently produce positive results through thick and thin.

9) Thou Shall Never Allow Anger to Override Professional Judgment:

In the bodyguard business we should avoid open hostilities even when sleep deprived and under physical and mental stress from the job. Be tolerant with people you come into professional contact with. This does not include people who pose a threat to your client, of course, but should include hotel managers, event management personnel and restaurant managers, etc. Maintain your focus on the task at hand and try not to become angered. Keep a sense of diplomacy when dealing with problems. Using calm diplomacy is the best way for dispute resolution rather than anger or confrontation.  This will assist you in your ability to grow more cohesive with your operational environment and make things run smoother on the job and may also avoid bad media attention for your client.

8 Thou Shall Keep Thy Personal Life in Order:

What happens in your personal life can affect your bodyguard performance and career. When off duty with friends and colleagues try not to drink to much or talk to much. No foolish behavior. Get some rest and recuperation and back to basics by narrowing your focus. In this business we get old fast. Many older bodyguards in their fifties and sixties are broke.  Exercise good financial planning now, while you’re still young and making lots of money. Spend you money on bare-bones necessities, formulate a plan to put the rest of the money in the bank. Keep the savings plan momentum going, this way you won’t have to be worried about becoming old and broke when your bodyguard days are over.

7) Thou Shall Conduct Advance Work:

Perfect advance work makes for perfect bodyguard assignments. In this business we are only as good as our last assignment. You should participate personally and substantially in the advance work, unless the operational situation dictates otherwise. If you can’t, send an advance agent to do the job and brief you upon arrival with the client.  Conducting proper advance work while on EP assignments distinguishes the great players from the ordinary ones.

6) Thou Shall Be Paid a Fair Rate:

Never cut yourself short, get paid for what you are worth. Have a commitment for delivering professional EP service and for receiving a fair pay wage. Remember, it’s your skills and dedication in protecting your clients that justifies your pay. Don’t look for “quick and easy profits”; just follow your passion, practice your craft to the best of your ability with hard work, dedication and money will follow.

5) Thou Shall Remain a Humble Guardian:

Bodyguard “wisdom” today automatically assumes that looking tough or aggressive correlates to good job performance, such as unshaven, muscular thugs sporting intimidating expressions. This is fine for Hollywood movies, but don’t let this cloud your professional judgment. In the real world employ a stricter game plan; maintain a hardcore mentality, keep your strength and fitness up, but act humble and respectable. We must swallow our pride and act like humble guardians, never arrogant.

Be quiet, soft spoken, honest and low-key, employing good observation skills, discipline, attention to detail and being ready to move without hesitation incase things turn ugly, this correlates to outstanding job performance. Leave the tough guy stuff to Hollywood and the amateurs.

4) Thou Shall Never Break the Code of Silence (Omertà):

Never disclose any privileged, sensitive or confidential information pertaining to your client, your client’s business and/or family matters.  You should play an integral role in protecting such information from unauthorized disclosure by applying need-to-know concepts. Always keeping high standards of behavior and ethics.

3) Thou Shall Be Professional:

Carry yourself as a professional at all times. Be discreet while on the job, unless the operational situation dictates otherwise. Keep a professional body language, be immaculately groomed and try to do everything first class. You are a representative of the industry, people are watching.

2) Thou Shall Protect the Client:

This fact seems obvious. However, how many times have you been on the job at a VIP function, maintaining 360 degree observation and see other agents not being alert or talking to the cute honeys in the crowd? It takes a second for an assault to go down. We must not drop our guard or underestimate the potential threats. Keep a heightened sense of alertness, consistently applying the EP fundamentals.

1) Thou Shall Be Trained:

Having martial arts experience or being a big and strong guy won’t cut it in today’s bodyguard business. Sure, these are assets and give you an advantage, however without proper EP training no one will take your career as a bodyguard seriously and you may suffer financially. If you’re new to the business and want to succeed get trained by a reputable organization. For the seasoned veterans, continue to polish and expand your EP training arsenal to keep at the top of your game.
Keep safe and God speed.

Doc Rogers is the author of Corporate Executive Protection – A Manual for Inspiring Corporate Bodyguards and president and CEO of International Corporate Executive Protection Ltd. Doc has earned a Ph.D. in Security Administration from Southwest University and he is SE Asia’s leading expert on executive protection and corporate security. To learn how to make a full time living as a corporate bodyguard visit the websites below for more information.

http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=182707

http://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Executive-Protection-Inspiring-Bodyguards/dp/1425135927