Ranked Before Ready: 100 Subtle Survival Tips for New Correctional Leaders

Ranked Before 100 Subtle Survival Tips for New Correctional Leaders is a no-nonsense guide for those who suddenly find themselves promoted in a system that rarely waits for them to catch up. Whether you’re a newly minted sergeant or a first-time frontline leader, this book delivers 100 sharp, real-world insights designed to help you navigate the unseen challenges of rank. These are the tips no one teaches—the ones whispered in locker rooms, learned through mistakes, or only realized when it’s too late. Written by Anthony Gangi, a corrections professional with over 20 years of experience and author of Inmate Manipulation Decoded and How to Succeed in Corrections, this book skips the theory and gets right to the how to lead when the rank came fast and the learning curve is steep. Each passage stands on its own and tackles the subtle truths that define survival in correctional leadership—from managing veteran staff, building credibility, enforcing standards fairly, to avoiding the traps of favoritism, ego, and burnout. This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about staying grounded, setting the tone, and learning to lead—one shift at a time.