What it means to be professional

These days, it seems that any man of large stature calls himself a bodyguard or executive protection specialist. He gets resumes all the time and unfortunately the information on it is usually something like: 6″ 5′, 400lbs, forty count 4.5 bench press 450lbs. There is usually not much else.

The truth is, any time a client really needs strength, it means someone wasn’t using their brains. And that someone could be you, if you think this race is all about lifting weights and building up heat.

I recently had the great pleasure of working on a detail to protect former President Bill Clinton on a visit to my state. It was a highlight in my long career serving as an Executive Protection Specialist for many reasons: first, Mr. Clinton was a genuinely nice and kind man to be around, and second, the Secret Service team was made up of by incredibly well-trained professionals. and imposing knights.

Now let me share something very important with you: Clinton’s detail team leader was maybe 5’8″ and 160 pounds. He’s not what you might look at and call physically intimidating. He’s certainly physically fit and probably beyond average EPS on skills that require physical confrontation, but here’s the thing:

You’ll probably never need to use those abilities.
Why? Because the successful EPS will spend most of their time and effort anticipating potential problems. He manages to keep the protected individual, be it a president or the lead singer of a rock band, out of harm’s way by preparing for every possible scenario. Time spent working out at the gym is worthless if a bodyguard doesn’t understand the importance of these important skills and personal traits:

Ability to avoid and deflect confrontation – If your energy and focus is on a physical confrontation with a stranger, your client will be unprotected from others.

Advanced work: know the location that the client visits, know the emergency exits, plan the route
The ability to follow instructions to the letter and communicate clearly and specifically.

Detail oriented: always planning and thinking ahead

Ability to “blend” with others, thus drawing less attention to yourself and less attention to your client.

Discretion – Do not share ANY personal information about your customer with anyone.

Let me address the last point, discretion. Lately, the bodyguards of celebrities Kobe Bryant, Anna Nicole-Smith and Lindsay Lohan have chosen to speak to the press about their clients. I hope whatever big payday you’re looking forward to is worth it, because it’s career suicide to discuss the personal habits of your employers. It’s kind of classless and unprofessional. If your client is doing something illegal and you have a problem with it, then you need to make a decision for yourself about whether or not you want to work under those circumstances.

In addition to being in poor taste, a bodyguard sharing personal details about an individual also potentially increases the opportunities for threats to that client. The more information the public has about a customer’s personal life and tastes, the more objective that person might become.

It’s enough that celebrities are often held hostage to their lives by the general public. They have a right to some privacy, just like everyone else. As a bodyguard or EPS, you are trusted to do a specific job and you are paid very well for doing this job…and if I am being honest here…part of the reason for the high salary is the understanding that you will maintain Mouth closed. Making more money from books or news by divulging sordid details about your employers’ private lives is greedy and breaks the trust factor that is so necessary in this line of work. Indiscretion reflects badly on all of us.