Ask Heather Jordan what it takes to grow into leadership, and she won't start with a promotion or a title. She starts earlier than that.
“Leadership begins before you ever receive a title. Focus on being reliable, accountable, and someone others can depend on.”
It's advice she lived before she gave it. Heather joined Citadel in August 2025 as an Assistant General Manager on the Front Range, and walked straight into an operation in the middle of a transition. Her early days were fast-paced and demanding: long hours troubleshooting issues, solving operational challenges, and learning the business from the ground up.
“It was a challenging start, but also an excellent opportunity for growth. I was fortunate to have supportive teammates and mentors who helped me navigate the learning curve.”
The real turning point came when her direct supervisor left. Rather than wait for the dust to settle, Heather stepped up. keeping day-to-day operations running while helping onboard and train incoming District Managers, all during a stretch of real uncertainty. There were weeks the workload felt overwhelming. After one of them, she reached out to a Citadel leader, Brent, for guidance. His answer stuck with her.
“Just do what you can, and we'll figure out the rest. You're doing amazing.”
That kind of trust, she says, is what let her focus on what she could control and keep the operation moving forward. Looking back, she credits the experience with strengthening her confidence as a leader and proving she could perform under pressure, and it's what ultimately put her on the path to a supervisory role.
Ask her what earned the promotion, and the answer is refreshingly plain: she took ownership beyond her assigned responsibilities, solved problems, supported the team, and did whatever the operation needed. Reliability and accountability, repeated day after day, made the case on their own.
Stepping into leadership also changed how she sees the work. The biggest difference between being an individual contributor and a supervisor, she says, is that leadership is far more about people than it is about physical security.
“What surprised me most was how much time supervisors spend looking beyond surface-level issues to understand the root causes affecting performance and morale.”
That people-first instinct is also where she finds the job most rewarding. Schedules, reports, and operations matter, but what gives her the greatest sense of accomplishment is watching someone grow.
“The most rewarding part of being a leader is knowing I've helped someone become more successful than they were when we first started working together.”
It hasn't all been smooth. Her biggest personal challenge was learning to delegate, a hard adjustment for someone who naturally takes ownership and wants to solve every problem herself. By leaning into communication, training, and accountability, she built a stronger team and learned that effective leadership is about empowering others, not being in every detail.
For Heather, Citadel's values aren't a poster on a wall; they map directly to how she leads. Community means investing in people and building strong teams. Mission means staying focused on exceptional service and protecting clients. Accountability means following through and leading by example. “Strong teams, a clear purpose, and personal accountability,” she says, “are the foundation of any successful operation.”
And her advice to the next officer hoping to grow? Don't wait for permission.
“Learn the job thoroughly, take ownership, seek feedback, and always look for opportunities to support your team. The officers who grow into strong leaders are the ones who consistently demonstrate professionalism, initiative, and a willingness to help others succeed.”
Heather Jordan is exactly the kind of leader that philosophy produces, and exactly the kind Citadel is proud to have.
Interested in building a career like Heather's? Citadel promotes from within and invests in people who take ownership. Connect With Us to explore where you could grow.
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