DURHAM - Leading by example and having respect for your subordinates are two of a number of key attributes successful leaders have, a retired U.S. Army colonel told a group of North Carolina sheriffs Friday.

Danny McKnight, who served in Somalia in 1993 during a military operation that led to the book and movie "Black Hawk Down," referred to a number of leadership qualities, including commitment, professionalism and responsibility, but he said he thinks respect was the most important.

"You have to lead by example," he said. "That's why respect is so important because it's something you have to earn."

McKnight was the keynote speaker for the first graduating class of the N.C. Sheriffs Association's Leadership Institute. The program, consisting of four weeks of instruction over a two-year period, teaches new sheriffs how to run their departments and expands the skills of experienced ones. Lessons covered topics including finances, evidence, detention and media relations. Money for the initiative came from the Governor's Crime Commission.

Thirty-two sheriffs from across the state received certificates of completion in a ceremony at Duke's Fuqua School of Business. Among them were Person County Sheriff Dewey E. Jones and Chatham County Sheriff Richard H. Webster.

Sheriffs' offices are responsible for a range of tasks in addition to traditional law enforcement, including monitoring sex offenders, issuing handgun permits and taking care of inmates. The long list of duties can be daunting for a newly elected sheriff, said Eddie Caldwell Jr., the association's executive vice president and general counsel.

"This class is not about management. It is about leadership," he said. "Sheriffs are looked to by the citizens in their county as a leader. Citizens come to the sheriff for many things."

Franklin County Sheriff Pat Green said the training has made him a better sheriff.

"I learned ways to be a more effective communicator with my staff, to be a more effective leader," said Green, who became sheriff in 2006 after 22 years in the department.