The Heart Behind the Badge: Eric McCants on Leadership and Service

In this week’s episode of Zone 7, Sergeant Eric McCants joins Sheryl McCollum to talk about leadership, community policing, and the mindset required to serve well in high-pressure environments. He discusses the importance of communication, building community trust, getting out of the patrol car, and knowing the people you serve before a crisis ever happens. Eric also addresses first responder mental health, the trauma that can linger after difficult calls, and why asking for help is not weakness but part of staying healthy enough to keep showing up for others.

Highlights:

(0:00) Sheryl McCollum welcomes Eric McCants to Zone 7

(1:45) Leadership as impact, not title, and learning that not everyone leads the same way

(4:15) “You versus you,” Extreme Ownership, and focusing on what you can control

(7:15) Policing the Masters in Augusta and managing the large crowds, traffic, and public safety

(8:45) Crime suppression, crisis intervention, and the realities of proactive policing

(10:15) Why some people need accountability, while others need help, direction, or a second chance

(13:30) Communication, rapport, and why the best officers know how to talk to people

(14:45) Why getting out of the patrol car can build trust and help solve cases

(18:15) Eric’s 12 Day Mindset Program and the power of writing goals down

(22:45) First responder trauma, therapy, and knowing when to ask for help

(25:45) Final reflections on leadership, service, and Sheryl’s closing quote from John Quincy Adams

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Sergeant Eric McCants serves with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, where his leadership is rooted in accountability, communication, and community trust. His career has included work in campus safety, school resource policing, crime suppression, special operations, and federal task force operations with the U.S. Marshals Service. Eric is a certified instructor, speaker, mentor, and creator of the 12 Day Mindset Program, which focuses on resilience, personal ownership, and service with purpose.

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an active crime scene investigator for a metro Atlanta police department and the director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, which partners with colleges and universities nationwide. With more than four decades of experience, she has worked on thousands of cold cases using her investigative system, The Last 24/361, which integrates evidence, media, and advanced forensic testing. Her work on high-profile cases, including The Boston Strangler, Natalie Holloway, Tupac Shakur and the Moore’s Ford Bridge lynching, led to her Emmy Award for CSI: Atlanta and induction into the National Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2023.

Social Links:

Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com

X: @ColdCaseTips

Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

TikTok: @Sheryl.McCollum

Sheryl’s new book, Swans Don’t Swim in a Sewer: Solving the Cold Case of the Flint

River Killer’s Daughter, is available now wherever books are sold.

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