Chief Carmen Best has spent the last 28 years as a member of a major big-city police force, an institution where minorities and women have historically found it especially difficult to succeed. She defied the odds and became the first Black woman to lead the Seattle Police Department. In her tenure, she was successful in bringing significantly more diversity to the force. However, when the city council cut her budget in the midst of months of protests against police violence across the nation, she had no choice but to step aside. Her story is one of motivation and serves as a masterclass in guiding principles for anyone striving to serve their community and rise to the highest echelon of success.