What happens when leaders don’t communicate clearly? Teams stop trusting them, and the rumormill takes over. Work slows down, frustration grows, and even the most talented people feel directionless. Without the right guidance, these challenges can quietly undermine productivity and workplace culture. With effective communication, everything can change.
Chris D. Lewis, Commissioner (Ret.), Ontario Provincial Police, and President of Lighthouse Leadership Services Inc., is a trusted leadership expert, author, keynote speaker, and consultant who helps organizations turn these challenges into opportunities. Drawing on decades of law enforcement supervision and senior executive experience, he guides leaders across police services, public service, non-profit, and private sectors to communicate effectively, build trust, and create people-focused cultures. Through coaching, consulting, media commentary, and public speaking, he helps organizations address morale issues, enhance teamwork, and improve overall productivity, ensuring leadership is effective and inspiring.
A notable milestone in his career is his work with the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne, where he went beyond assisting them in hiring a new police chief to conduct a full organizational review, delivering 64 actionable recommendations—including some leadership development, operational efficiencies, and a complete policy and procedure manual. His guidance strengthened leadership, transformed the department’s culture and operations, demonstrating how his expertise empowers people, drives meaningful change, and leaves a lasting impact on organizations.
From Law Enforcement to Keynote Authority
Chris’s journey from law enforcement to keynote speaking, authorship, consulting, and media commentary began with a lifelong passion for communication. Growing up in a small Canadian town, he learned early to engage people effectively, a skill he honed through school, sports, early jobs, and his policing career. Observing both inspiring and poor leadership along the way, he developed a deep interest in leadership and storytelling, which led him to write Never Stop on a Hill while serving as police commissioner.
Transitioning into consulting was a natural step, leveraging his extensive policing experience, talent for driving change, and people-focused approach. Early collaborations with a KPMG team to improve operational efficiency in the Ontario Provincial Police shaped his consulting methods. Over the past decade, he has guided organizations across North America through leadership development, coaching, and advisory services, helping leaders and teams communicate better, build trust, and achieve meaningful results.
Delivering Clear, Memorable, and Actionable Key Messages
Public speaking is a true passion for Chris Lewis. His approach begins with understanding the client’s goals: what they want to achieve, why it matters, and the current environment within the organization. He studies the organization’s history, challenges, and audience composition to ensure his presentations address the specific needs and concerns of those attending. By tailoring his content and stories to the audience, he ensures key messages are clear, memorable, and actionable, helping participants leave better equipped to succeed in their roles.
Chris also incorporates appropriate humor and relatable anecdotes to keep the audience engaged and create a positive, welcoming atmosphere. His goal is always to make each participant feel as though the presentation speaks directly to them, leaving a lasting impression and reinforcing the lessons shared.
Most Impactful Experiences
One of Chris’s most impactful experiences was working with the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne, an Indigenous community spanning the Canada/U.S./Quebec/Ontario/New York borders. Initially engaged to assist in hiring a new police chief, he quickly identified deeper organizational challenges, including outdated processes and the need for a leadership approach that could unify the team. Chris helped recruit and onboard the new chief, then conducted a full departmental review, interviewing personnel, evaluating policies and procedures, and inspecting facilities. He delivered 64 actionable recommendations, including leadership development programs and a comprehensive policy manual, and later conducted follow-up assessments to track progress, showcasing his expertise in leadership and organizational transformation.
Earlier, as Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, Chris ran a departmental blog for 9,000+ personnel, soliciting feedback on what made leaders effective or ineffective. The overwhelming response reinforced his core belief that leadership is ultimately about how people are treated—a principle that continues to shape his speaking, coaching, and writing today.
Proven Track Record of Influence
Chris has extensive experience as a speaker, media commentator, and consultant. He has worked with public safety, government, private, and nonprofit organizations across North America, engaging and educating audiences of all sizes.
| Category | Highlights |
| Speaking Experience | Thousands of TV and radio appearances throughout his career. Co-host of The Commish (2010–2014) – a live, hour-long Toronto-based television show discussing policing issues and taking real-time audience questions |
| Key Speaking Clients (Public Safety & Government) | Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)Police Chiefs Associations across Canada and select U.S. statesATFFBI National Academy AssociatesOntario Ministry of the Solicitor GeneralOntario Treasury Board IT DivisionMinistry of Natural Resources |
| Key Speaking Clients (Private & Nonprofit) | Belair DirectOntario Alcohol & Gaming CommissionInternational Red CrossInternational Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special OlympicsYoung Presidents’ Organization (YPO) |
| Media Career | Thousands of TV and radio appearances throughout his careerCo-host of The Commish (2010–2014) – a live, hour-long Toronto-based television show discussing policing issues and taking real-time audience questions |
| Consulting Clients | KPMGProtocol PlusNiagara Parks CommissionThe Calian GroupComprehensive Training Solutions (NATO)Mohawk Council of AkwesasneAmaya Gaming Group (now Stars Group)Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)Greater Toronto Airport AuthorityAuditor General of CanadaCadillac FairviewToronto Transit Commission (TTC)Several Canadian First Nations police services |
Three Powerful Books Shaping the Future of Policing, Leadership, and Resilience
Chris Lewis is currently authoring three books:
- Do Blue Lives Still Matter: The War on Cops in North America examines the evolution of policing over recent decades, the attacks and murders of police officers, the effects of live TV and social media on community trust, and high-profile cases where actions impacted policing across the continent. The book also explores judicial system processes affecting public and officer safety, internal challenges to police officer effectiveness, instances where police actions have damaged public confidence, and offers recommendations for the future of policing.
- I Only Wanted to be a Detective traces Chris’s personal journey from a small-town boy with a high school education to becoming Commissioner of Canada’s second-largest police service, and one of the largest in North America. It recounts his 36-year policing career, including experiences in remote northern communities, SWAT operations, murder investigations, providing security for Presidents, Prime Ministers, the Pope, the Queen of England, and handling nationwide Indigenous protests.
- The Climb: My Life-long Fight for Personal and Professional Resiliency shares his lifelong journey managing mental health challenges, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder acquired through policing. The book highlights stories of others as well, alongside insights from medical and professional experts on prevention and support.
In addition, Chris Lewis is developing a weekly newsletter called Lewis on Leadership, covering leadership topics for subscribers via his company website and social media. Plans are also underway for a weekly video podcast on policing, justice, and leadership issues, emphasizing his guiding principle that “Leadership is Leadership,” regardless of the setting.
Advise for Emerging Leaders
Here’s the advice Chris offers to emerging leaders, shaped by real-world experience and the fundamentals that hold true across every profession:
- Leadership is Leadership: The core principles of leadership—communication, support, building trust, and inspiring people—remain the same across all environments, whether policing, business, military, politics, or non-profits. Skills that work in high-pressure, life-or-death policing situations can be applied successfully in almost any setting. Leaders can learn greatly from good and bad examples they experience across different fields.
- Good followers make good leaders: Leaders should adopt the positive traits of those they admire and consciously avoid repeating the mistakes of poor leaders they have encountered.
- If you can’t communicate, you can’t lead: Communication, including active listening, is the most critical leadership skill. While it can be developed with effort, leaders must commit to self-analysis and improving consistently.
- Leadership is all about people: True leadership is not about managing budgets, resources, or logistics—those are management tasks. Leadership is about inspiring people through words and actions, helping them perform at their best, and achieving shared goals.
Staying Ahead With Proven Trends
Chris Lewis stays current with leadership trends by regularly reading articles and books, watching videos from leadership experts, and following various leadership podcasts. Even with his extensive experience, he continues to learn from best practices and mistakes observed in the field. He particularly values insights from magazines like Harvard Business Review (HBR) and draws lessons from real-world examples, including successes and failures in the political and public domains.
When speaking to audiences, he often asks participants to reflect on leaders who inspired them and those who undermined their confidence, exploring what actions or behaviors made the difference. These discussions are revealing, prompting shared recognition among attendees and fostering a deeper understanding of what effective leadership looks like. Through this interactive approach, audiences gain practical insights on what works, what doesn’t, and how to apply these lessons in their own organizations.
Media Features
Since 2014, Chris Lewis has served as a leading voice on policing and public safety for Bell Media’s CTV Television and Talk Radio networks, contributing approximately 4,000 media appearances. His commentary helps Canadians understand complex and rapidly evolving situations—from mass shootings and terrorist attacks to organized crime trends and crime-prevention strategies. This ongoing experience keeps him closely connected to public-safety issues while sharpening his real-time communication, analytical thinking, and ability to respond confidently to live questions. These skills directly enhance his effectiveness as a speaker, coach, and mentor, allowing him to engage any audience with clarity and authority.
Chris’s published work and featured media pieces further reinforce his influence and expertise across the policing and leadership landscape:
- What really impacts morale in policing? Police One Magazine, March 2022
- Features: Off the Shelf Opinion – Never stop on a hill March 2017
- Operational and organizational trauma: The role of leadership May 2025
- Overall Health + Attitude = Resiliency FBI Insighter Magazine, Summer Fall 2020
- Chris Lewis article repository – Lighthouse Leadership Services Inc.
Interviews:
- TVO – Chris Lewis: Ontario’s Top Cop – 2014
- TVO: To Serve, Protect and Lead Book: “Never Stop on a Hill” Chris Lewis
- CTV News: Could defunding the police help stop anti-Black racism?
- Former OPP commissioner Chris Lewis and Black Lives Matter’s Sandy Hudson debate if defunding the police is the answer to stop racism, 2020
Public Speaking:
- CPMS Leadership Videos: Commissioner Chris D. Lewis of the Ontario Provincial Police on “Getting Your Message to the Front Lines: The Missing Link”
- CPMS Leadership Videos: Commissioner Chris D. Lewis of the Ontario Provincial Police on “Position Disintegration: One Incident at a Time”
Testifying Before Government:
- Public Accounts: Chris Lewis, Commissioner – Ontario Provincial Police, March 5, 2014
Greatest Satisfaction in Presenting to Audiences -n Person
Chris Lewis finds the greatest satisfaction in presenting to audiences in person. Seeing smiles, hearing laughter, and receiving thoughtful questions that show comprehension of his messages affirms that the audience is engaged and that his stories are truly resonating.
Years ago, he wrote an article titled “I know I’m only a civilian…” highlighting how civilian employees in policing often feel unappreciated compared to their uniformed colleagues. While officers carry guns, make arrests, and save lives, civilian staff manage phones, radios, administrative tasks, and IT networks, and yet many have felt their contributions to public safety went unnoticed.
Chris has incorporated this theme into his speeches for decades, connecting with civilian employees in policing as well as non-operational staff in various industries, including sales, manufacturing, and service sectors. He emphasizes that while these employees may not deliver products or services directly to customers, their support is essential to organizational success. His presentations on this issue have moved audiences emotionally, inspired gratitude, and sparked broader conversations, and his article has been shared widely across North America. Through this work, Chris Lewis validates the contributions of support staff and encourages leaders to recognize and value their teams every day.
Quick Takes
- One quote that motivates you the most: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou.
- One piece of advice for upcoming entrepreneurs or future business leaders: “Earn and protect the trust of the people you lead, because your success depends on theirs.”
- One movie or book you recommend for business or leadership: Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times by Donald T. Phillips.
Chris D. Lewis’s 5 Impactful Business Mantras
- Leadership is Universal: Core principles like communication, trust, and inspiration work in any setting.
- Learn from Others: Adopt the best traits of great leaders and avoid repeating the mistakes of poor leaders.
- Communication is Key: Clear, consistent, and honest communication is the foundation of effective leadership.
- People Come First: Leadership is about inspiring and supporting people, not just managing tasks.
- Empower for Impact: Provide guidance and support that enables teams to perform at their best.
