LEADERSHIP ESSAY
CPD395
Professor Rhone
December 10, 2021
Public safety, with policing in particular, require a person that is willing to dedicate their life to serving the public. It requires a lot of training, learning and dedication to ensure that the person is able to perform his duties more than just satisfactorily. Experience is needed for those that want to be in a position to lead others in these types of careers. I think that the style of leadership will determine how successful you will be in guiding your team to the successful completion of a project or a crisis situation. I would like to learn and use the democratic leadership style that will allow the team members to provide input as to steps to take, or ways to solve current and upcoming problems. This style will facilitate discussion and “what if” scenarios that may prove useful in future crisis or problems we may face. My team and I would continue to learn and grow in our jobs trying to become better public servants.
I would like to ensure that communication between myself and my team is enhanced by living and leading with the values that I believe in. This will require me to continue to pursue training in communication so that I can have all communication skills available if I am needed in a crisis. As I learn these skills, I hope to pass them on to my team. This allows them to learn and grow and to become better in their positions which might encourage them to become leaders in the department. One of my responsibilities as a leader is to create more leaders or give them the opportunities to become the leader if they choose to. I need to find a way to inspire my team to become more than what they are and that they should be proud of their accomplishments so that they will continue to be inspired to do a better job.
I will encourage accountability and responsibility for my actions and those of my team and I hope to teach my team to also value accountability and responsibility in all they do. Public service has to include transparency, we have to be sure about the things we say and the actions that we take. We need to try and live our lives in such a way that we can bear the scrutiny that comes along with being a public servant.
Integrity is also a virtue that I hope to increase as I learn the things I need to do to be a better man and public servant. If I say I am going to do something, then I must follow through and ensure that I do what I say. I need to invest myself in my position so that all will know the dedication that I have for my position and the personnel around me. I want to commit myself to my career because I love what I do and that I don’t mind investing myself in that position. I also want to ensure that I encourage my team to feel the same way. Another aspect of integrity is making sure I stay on the right side of line, especially in policing. Having corrupt leadership that dabble in illegal activity not only erodes the confidence of the community, it can demoralize a department and its officers. Once an officer’s reputation has been damaged its hard to get it back if at all. Ethics and Integrity are two of the greatest virtues a leader can have and impart on his team.
Rowe, 2006, states that “frontline officers place great value on being led by senior officers who have considerable direct experience of street level policework. Those officers who have rapidly climbed the promotion ladder, without “serving their time” on the streets, are regarded with suspicion.” I need to ensure that I have worked every aspect of the job and understand the good and the bad about the position of all my team members. I need to earn the respect of my team so that they can trust in my experience and the instructions that I am giving to my people. I have to experience everything that my people go through to show them that I do understand what is going on and that I am always trying to come up with solutions to have better results for everyone. Money is great but I want to find myself reveling in the satisfaction of a job well-done. Perhaps, I saved a life or helped someone that needed help. I want that to be my reward not just the paycheck. I hope to make my people feel the same way.
Leadership involves learning and enhancing problem solving skills in all areas. Communication, training, teaching and personal values all play important parts in being a good or great leader. In public safety, so many people depend on you knowing what should be done and how it should be done and with that knowledge accomplish what needs to be done to get the desired results. While wearing that leadership hat, you have to ensure everyone that you oversee are all on the same page and understand their roles and expectations about the job or project. I hope that I can grow into all these attributes to be a good leader and inspire the people that work for me.
References:
Mumford, M., Zaccaro, J., Shane, M., and Marks, M. (2000). Leadership skills: conclusions and future directions. Leadership Quarterly, 11(1), 155-170.
Huberts, L, Kaptein, M., and Lasthuizen, K. (2007). “A study of the impact of three leadership styles on integrity violations committed by police officers”. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management. Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 587-607. Https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510710833884.
Robbins, Tony. (2021). What is Leadership? Definition, Importance & More | Tony Robbins.
Rowe, M. (2006). “Following the leader: front‐line narratives on police leadership”, Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 29 No. 4, pp. 757-767. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510610711646