The Guard: The Guard: Leadership Lessons from Service: A Firsthand Journey Through Military and Law Enforcement Service

Nicholas Edwards, a military veteran and senior law enforcement leader, presents The Guard, a firsthand account of leadership forged through decades of service at the local, state, federal, and international levels.Having served in many capacities including Command Sergeant Major and Chief Investigator, Edwards brings readers into high-pressure environments where decisions carry real and lasting consequences. With multiple combat deployments to the Middle East and leadership roles across specialized units; including narcotics, Internet Crimes Against Children task forces, SWAT operations, executive protection, and complex criminal investigations, his career reflects the full weight of responsibility that comes with leading in critical moments.The Guard draws directly from these experiences, offering an unfiltered look at leadership shaped in uncertainty, risk, and accountability. Edwards provides rare insight into major cases, including his involvement in the nationally recognized Lori Vallow–Chad Daybell investigation, revealing the leadership demands behind high-profile and emotionally charged work.Rather than focusing on spectacle, the book centers on preparation, character, and responsibility. Each chapter pairs lived experience with honest reflection on leadership successes and failures, grounded in themes of accountability, faith, family, and resilience.“Leadership isn’t proven when everything goes right,” Edwards writes. “It is revealed when everything goes wrong.”At its core, The Guard is not just a story of service, it is a reflection on the responsibility leaders carry, both to those they lead and to the families who stand behind them. Inspired in part by his children, Edwards frames his career through the lens of legacy and the example set for the next generation.The Guard will be self-published and available in hardback, eBook, and audiobook formats through Amazon. Publication date is May 19, 2026. Read more