Meet Q. (And his lovely wife, Elma.)
In 2020, a sheriff in San Francisco looked at his people and saw what the pandemic was doing to them.
Most leaders waited for it to pass. Sheriff Miyamoto didn't. He made his agency the first in the country to require – not suggest, require – that every member go through a self-care protocol.
One of the people who walked through that door was his Chief Deputy, James Quanico. We call him Q.
He'll tell you he needed it. The work had taken more than he'd noticed. The protocol was the thing that got him back on his feet: focused again, looking after himself again… in the hardest stretch of his career.
That was the introduction. Six years later, we're still building.
Together we found the agency's why:
"We are San Francisco's best kept secret. We prioritize respect, accountability, and trust while creating genuine connections that serve as a catalyst for differentiating us as proud, professional public servants."
And Q found his own:
"I believe people deserve to be seen. I walk alongside others so that mentorship replaces isolation."
From there, the work kept compounding. We're building their app: the full Navigating Adversity library in every deputy's pocket, plus one tap to EAP, chaplaincy, and peer support. We traded outdated hiring for a real scouting plan. And right now, his entire sergeants' core is learning to lead with applied people intelligence.
Then came the summit. Here's what gets me: Q has seen all of it. He knows this work cold. He still walked in and learned techniques he'd never encountered. He built bonds with leaders across the aisle he'd never had. He sat down, exhaled, reconnected with his wife. And somewhere in there realized how heavy the load had gotten while he wasn't looking. He let it go. He laughed. He recharged. Then he went home and breathed fresh air into his operations division.
The result isn't a feeling. For the first time in a decade, the San Francisco Sheriff's Office hit 47% net positive new hire retention. People are staying. And the ones who stay say the same thing: it's easier to breathe here now. The culture is turning, and they can feel it.
Q isn't done. He's opening the why discovery process to more of his people now because he's watched what happens when someone finally understands the purpose they were built for.
Everything changes.
Don't take my word for it. Take his.
▶ Watch Q: 90 seconds
Let me ask you this. What's the reason for the adversity you've lived? Do you understand that it was purposeful? Meant to prepare you for such a time as this.
And what are you doing today to not only live your why to its fullest, but show love for who you have become?
Last month, we talked about how Jealousy kicked off the longest running war in human history. Today, we're going to see that jealousy also triggered a man to kill his brother. Is there no end to its influence?
Join us this afternoon at 3 EST. You don't want to miss it!
Faith in Public Safety
www.pathfinderresilience.com
