Jun 03, 2026 A 30-Year Law Enforcement Veteran Shares Why Front Line Leadership Changed the Way He Thinks
After more than three decades in military and civilian law enforcement — and countless hours of leadership, tactical, and management training — it takes something genuinely exceptional to change the way a veteran officer thinks. For Retired Captain Toby Darby, that something was Ron Bayne‘s Front Line Leadership course.
In a new video testimonial, Toby recounts the moment that convinced him this course was unlike anything else he had experienced in his career — and it started with a student refusing a challenge coin.
Recapping “The Moment”
Toby was attending a Front Line Leadership session at one of the largest law enforcement agencies on the West Coast — a highly respected Metropolitan Police Department. The room held a familiar mix: officers who were eager to be there, and others who made no secret of the fact that they weren’t. A few had been sent as a result of disciplinary action and viewed the training as punishment rather than opportunity.
Then came the moment Toby has never forgotten.
One of the most resistant students in the room openly criticized the way his organization was being run. Ron Bayne thanked him for his honesty and offered him a challenge coin as recognition for speaking up. The student refused — out loud, in front of the entire class.
“You could have heard a pin drop,” he recalls. “Everybody was watching to see what Ron would do next.”
What happened next is exactly why Toby continues to talk about this course years later.
The Power of the Method
Ron didn’t get defensive. He didn’t escalate. He simply de-escalated the situation, maintained his composure, and moved on with the course.
By Day 3, the same student who had refused the coin was actively engaged — participating in discussions, contributing to the class, and openly reflecting on how the course had changed his perspective on his department and his own attitude.
“It wasn’t just him,” Toby says. “As the week went on, I watched multiple students experience those same kinds of breakthroughs. You could literally see the paradigm shifts taking place right in front of your eyes.”
What Sets This Course Apart
Toby Darby is an experienced instructor himself, which makes his assessment particularly meaningful. He knows how rare it is for training to move beyond information delivery and actually shift the way people think.
“Training can give people information,” he says. “Great training changes the way people think. And that’s what I saw in Ron’s class.”
Front Line Leadership is designed to help public safety professionals take an honest look at themselves — understanding their own values, behaviors, and blind spots. The course also helps participants better understand their organizations: why certain decisions are made, how to navigate the chain of command more effectively, and how to positively influence the people around them — whether leading up, leading down, or simply trying to have greater impact.
In Toby’s view, the best leaders aren’t the ones who try to be someone else. They’re the ones who understand who they are and learn how to use their strengths to positively influence others.
An Unqualified Recommendation
When asked whether Front Line Leadership is worth attending, Toby’s answer is direct: absolutely — not because it’s another leadership class, but because it’s one of the rare courses that actually challenges you to grow.
“That’s what I took away from this leadership course,” he says, “and that’s why I continue to recommend it today.”
Are you interested in attending Frontline Leadership? Visit EmbassyCS.com/Front-Line to learn more and register for an upcoming session.
