Content area
Full Text
Leadership represents a crucial determinant of police organizational efficacy. Supervisors and others in formal positions of power must engage, motivate, and guide subordinates, community members, and other local officials. The evolving vision of patrol officers has led to a rethinking of the role of leadership even among those not possessing conventional supervisory control. Contemporary discussions about patrol personnel suggest that "every officer is a leader."' Agencies desire frontline employees who can lead citizens during chaotic situations, facilitate and direct problem-solving activities, and make neighborhoods safer.
Despite the centrality of leadership within policing, the vast majority of what is written about the subject uses data developed in other occupational and professional contexts, especially the military and corporate worlds. While some aspects of organizations and leadership may translate easily into public safety settings, not all transfer universally. Consequently, most information about police leadership is based on anecdotes and case studies; little comes from systematic and broad research efforts.
This knowledge gap results in the presumption that what works in the military and corporate worlds also will apply to the law enforcement profession. Such supposition, however, leaves many key questions about police leadership unanswered.
* What is effective leadership in policing? Is it the same in agencies of different sizes and cultures and in other professions? How can it be measured and evaluated?
* Are leaders born or made? How can departments recognize officers who display leadership ability? How can they develop this quality?
* What are the barriers to the expansion of effective leadership? What factors prevent officers from being more effective leaders? What traits and habits do effective police leaders exhibit?
To help answer these questions, the author offers the findings from his recent study on police leadership. By asking law enforcement leaders what they thought effective leadership involved, he hoped to gain further insight into an area of great concern to the profession.
STUDY PARTICIPANTS
While serving as a visiting researcher in the Behavioral Science Unit at the FBI Academy, the author surveyed National Academy (NA) attendees to assess their views of and experiences with leadership.2 Over a 12-month period, he gave these command-level law enforcement officers the opportunity to complete a brief questionnaire during their first week in residence.3 Out of about 1,000 NA...