CHAPTER 6 POLICE LEADERSHIP

Transcription

1 CHAPTER 6 POLICE LEADERSHIP Chapter Overview It is of critical importance that the administrator understands the implications and functions associated with police organizations. A police department is a system, and a system is only as good or effective as its weakest part. Understanding the people aspect of administration is one step toward strengthening every part of the police system. This chapter explores one of the primary interactive relationships between superiors and subordinates with an organization: leading people toward goal accomplishment. It reviews styles of leadership, including contingency approaches to leadership and transformational leadership. Special attention is also give to the process by which people ascend to the position of chief. Learning Objectives 1. Understand the differences among leadership, power, and authority and how they are applied in the police organization. 2. Identify the different styles of leadership that occur in the police organization. 3. Know the two-factor theories of leadership and how they can be applied in the police department. 4. Understand the contingency approach to leadership and the factors that affect how a police administrator can make decisions. 5. Understand transformational leadership and how it can be used to change the organization, particularly when implementing community policing. 6. Discuss the role the police chief plays and how personnel become police executives. 7. Understand the tenure issues facing police chiefs and the politics involved in their dismissal. 100

2 Chapter 6: Police Leadership 101 Chapter Outline/Lecture Notes I. Introduction The police chief is a leader who is recognized and respected in most communities. Citizens see the police chief as an individual who leads the forces that protect them. The police chief is seen as a person who has the knowledge and ability to deal with citizens' problems. Members of the police department, on the other hand, see the police chief as the individual who represents them in government by advocating for the department when battling for resources. Police chiefs are more than figureheads; if they are to be successful, they must be leaders. The term leadership is the process of directing and influencing individuals or groups to achieve goals. Leadership appears to consist of three primary components: people, power, and influence. First, people are involved in the leadership process. The leaders, in order to be successful, must strive to influence people direct their behavior toward accomplishing organizational goals and objectives. Second, leadership involves the distribution of power. Power is the ability to influence or control others. Leaders derive power from a variety of sources, including coercion, reward, legitimacy, expertise, and association. Although groups of people are not powerless, they generally are subordinate to their leader and accept their leader's influence. Finally, leadership entails influence over subordinates attitudes and behavior. The ability to influence is best understood by examining the zone of indifference. Bernard (1968) notes that there are three classifications of directives that a leader might give: 1. Clearly acceptable directives. These orders are accepted without question by subordinates. They are recognized as part and parcel of the job. 2. Questionable orders to subordinates. These are unusual orders such as a patrol sergeant requesting an officer to remain at one location during a shift, which the officer very likely will question unless the circumstances are adequately explained. 3. A directive completely outside the bounds of acceptability. These are very unlikely to be accepted. For example, a detective supervisor may direct investigators to patrol when not actively investigating a case.

3 102 Instructor s Resource Manual If a leader's directives are within the zone of indifference, then they very likely will not have adequate influence on subordinates. Given this perspective, it can be seen that leadership is an interactive process with leaders and followers affecting each other. A leader can be successful only when he or she is accepted by subordinates. Thus police supervisors and managers must develop working relationships with subordinates if their subordinates are to accept their leadership. If this leadership is not accepted, the supervisor or manager will be ineffective. Perhaps it is informative to contrast leaders and managers. The two terms quite frequently are used interchangeably, but there are differences. Managers often focus on maintaining the department ensuring that the unit operates within the dictates of policies and procedures. On the other hand, leaders attend to strategizing, aligning people, and inspiring subordinates to higher levels of productivity. They often look beyond the current organizational arrangements and seek to improve their units and the overall organization. In essence, managers, if they are to be successful, must also be good leaders. A. Formal and Informal Leaders 1. Formal leaders are those that are placed in positions of leadership by the organization. They are vested with authority and responsibilities by virtue of the position they hold. 2. Informal leaders are those individuals within the work group who have no position or authority, but who are recognized by their peers as individuals who have knowledge and can provide assistance outside the chain of command. II. Leadership and Power Power is the foundation of leadership. It is the ability to make things happen or the ability to influence the behavior of others. Power is the essential ingredient in one s ability to accomplish tasks through the work of others. A. There are three types of power: 1. Reward power refers to the ability to control valued resources within the organization. It should not be used to bribe, but as a way of rewarding subordinates for loyalty and dedicated service. 2. Coercion power is the opposite of reward power. It is embodied in one s ability to punish others. Its use has long-lasting effects on the

4 Chapter 6: Police Leadership 103 individual and possibly on the organization, therefore it should not be used frivolously. 3. Legitimate power refers to the power people receive as a result of their position within the organization. It is vested with one s authority and is hierarchical. B. There are also two types of personal power: 1. Expertise power refers to officers knowledge or ability to perform some specialized task. Their expertise provides them with a measure of power in the department or units operations. 2. Referent power is the ability to influence as a result of one s association with other powerful figures in the organization such as a captain, major, or assistant chief and the people external to the department such as a council member, etc. Sponsors often consider it in their best interest to see that their protégés develop and succeed in the department. C. Power is not static, and individuals power can increase or decrease. There are four ways people acquire power within an organization. 1. Power through the performance of extraordinary activities. 2. Power through higher visibility. 3. Power through solving a perplexing problem. 4. Power through sponsors or referent power. D. Machiavellianism 1. Pursuit and accumulation of power is not always positive. Machiavellianism as it is known today is the manipulation of others within the organization to achieve and hold power and use that power for personal, rather than organizational, benefits. 2. A few simple rules could be used to accomplish this objective and three have application here: a. Never show humility, as arrogance is far more effective when dealing with others in the organization.

5 104 Instructor s Resource Manual b. Only weak people subscribe to morality and ethics. Powerful people feel free to deceive whenever it suits their ends. The ends always justify the means. c. People are successful when they are feared. II. Leadership: Theories and Processes A. Trait Theory of Leadership The identification of traits that foster effective leadership is known as the trait theory of leadership. The most economical way of summarizing leadership trait literature is to examine the skill required for a police executive. Managers require communication and social skills, they must have the ability to influence others, they must possess analytic skills, they must be technologically proficient, and they must continue to learn. 1. Types or Levels of Leadership in the Police Organization a. Police chiefs, assistant chiefs, and majors must have vision and be able to conceptually plot the department s course. b. Middle managers are responsible for the implementation of policies and programs. c. Supervisors must have good people or human relations and task or technical skills. III. Styles of Leadership A. Likert s Leadership Systems Likert (1961, 1967) examined a number of industrial plants in an attempt to discover the styles of leadership used by various managers. He was primarily interested in finding those leaders who were successful and determining why. He identified four distinct leadership types. 1. Exploitive-Authoritarian Leadership a. An exploitive-authoritarian leader has no confidence or trust in subordinates, and subordinates are not allowed to provide input

6 Chapter 6: Police Leadership 105 into decisions. Critics of the professional model suggest this style is used in that environment. 2. Benevolent-Authoritarian Leadership a. The benevolent-authoritarian style of leadership is somewhat more positive than the exploitive-authoritarian style, in that the bulk of decisions are made by top management and are distributed by the chain of command, but sometimes managers and supervisors listen to subordinates problems. 3. Consultative Leadership a. Consultative leadership is a process whereby management establishes goals and objectives for the organization or department, with subordinates making some of the decisions on methods of goal achievement (strategic and tactical decisions). 4. Participative Leadership a. Participative leadership is a style in which subordinates have input not only into tactical decisions, but also into policy formulation. B. Downs s Bureaucratic Leadership Styles 1. There are four styles of leadership identified by Downs (1967): climbers, conservers, zealots, and advocates. a. Climbers are ambitious and generally unethical people who use every opportunity to further their careers. b. Conservers are bureaucrats who strive to maintain the status quo. c. Zealots are organizational members with a mission. d. Advocates are those leaders who care only about their sphere of influence or their particular unit. C. Engel s Supervisory Styles 1. Engel (2001, 2002) focused her study on supervision and community policing. In her examination of police sergeants in Indianapolis, Indiana and St. Petersburg, Florida, she found four types of supervisors:

7 106 Instructor s Resource Manual a. Traditional supervisors expect officers to engage in aggressive law enforcement and see other activities such as community service as non-essential or unimportant. b. Innovative supervisors are the opposite of traditional supervisors, in that they value community policing and community-building activities. c. Supportive supervisors tend to emphasize their relations with their subordinates as opposed to focusing on police activities or the community. d. Active supervisors are, to some extent, glorified officers in that they still perform the duties of an officer as opposed to that of a supervisor and do not desire to become managers. They have high arrest activity, and take control from subordinates. IV. Behavioral Theories of Leadership A. Two Factor Theories of Leadership 1. There are two dimensions distinctly separate but equally vital to leader behavior: a. Initiating structure refers to the leader s behavior in emphasizing organizational goals by delineating the relationship between leader and the subordinates when establishing well-defined patterns of organization, communication, and procedure. b. Consideration refers to the leader s behavior in emphasizing friendship, mutual trust, warmth, and a respectful relationship between the leader and subordinates. B. Blake and Mouton s Managerial Grid 1. High-Performing Leaders a. These are the most effective leaders. They are strong in both consideration and structure. They adhere to a team concept and accomplish work through committed people. 2. Task Leaders a. These leaders are overly concerned with authority, compliance, and tasks, often disregarding the needs of subordinates. They

8 Chapter 6: Police Leadership 107 arrange work conditions so that human considerations interfere minimally with work efficiency getting the job done with the least amount of energy and effort. Work, not people, is most important. (Equivalent to Likert s exploitive-authoritarian or benevolent-authoritarian leader.) 3. Supportive Leaders a. These leaders are primarily interested in remaining friends with subordinates regardless of organizational consequences. They pay thoughtful attention to the needs of officers to engender satisfying relationships. These leaders allow subordinates feelings and needs to interfere with the organization mission. (Equivalent to Engel s supportive leader.) 4. Bureaucratic Leaders a. These leaders are not overly concerned with goals or people. They avoid making decisions and exert only the minimum amount of effort necessary to get required work done in order to stay out of trouble with superiors. (Equivalent to Downs s conserver. ) 5. Most supervisors and managers fall somewhere in the middle of the Managerial Grid. All leaders, however, should strive to emphasize and balance both concern for subordinates and concern for production or productivity. V. Contingency Approaches to Leadership Stoner and Freeman (1992) identified the following factors that dictate leadership style: Leader s personality, past experiences, and expectations Superiors expectations Job requirements Subordinates characteristics Peer expectations Departmental culture and politics

9 108 Instructor s Resource Manual Contingency leadership consists of identifying the environmental and employee factors that are most important in a given situation and then utilizing the most appropriate style of leadership for the situation. There are two styles discussed here: Fiedler s leadership style and work situation model, and House and Mitchell s pathgoal theory. A. Fiedler s Leadership Style and Work Situation Model 1. The work group s success or effectiveness is determined by the demands of the situation and the leader s style of management. Fiedler (1978) states that leaders cannot easily adapt and change leadership styles to meet the demands of the situation. 2. Fiedler believed that good leaders could manage situations to the point that they better matched the leader s skills. Strong and weak leaders alike can potentially achieve the same results by manipulating the structure to match their leadership skills. 3. The quality of leadership is determined by three dimensions: a. Leader-group relations are the most important dimension. b. Task structure is the second most important dimension. c. Leaders have varying levels of power. 4. Leaders should be matched to the situation. If administrators can match dimensions more accurately, organizational performance should improve. B. Path-Goal Theory of Leadership 1. Path-goal theory of leadership is rooted in Vroom s expectancy theory of motivation. House and Mitchell (1974) established two general propositions for path-goal theory: a. Subordinates accept leader behavior and find it motivating if they believe that the leader is instrumental in satisfying their immediate or future needs. b. When employees are productive, leaders satisfy subordinates needs by providing guidance, support, and rewards.

10 Chapter 6: Police Leadership There are four leadership styles that are appropriate under certain conditions and the leader may use all of them when motivating subordinates. a. Directive b. Supportive c. Participative d. Achievement-oriented C. Vroom-Jago Leadership Participation Model 1. Leadership success is dependent on how well leaders make decisions; in essence, leadership is conveyed through quality decisions. 2. Degree of participation is predicated on who possesses the knowledge about the problem; acceptance of the solution; and constraints in terms of how quickly a decision must be made. D. Applying Contingency Leadership VI. Team Building 1. Contingency leadership incorporates many aspects of the leadership and motivation theories. Leaders must pay close attention to subordinates needs, and they must treat everyone equitably. Leaders must also be adaptive in their behavior. A. A team is a group that works toward specific goals or outcomes, or groups whose members have complementary skills and are committed to a common purpose or performance goals to which they hold themselves mutually responsible. B. An important part of leadership is team building. A formal retreat method is a common method used where members of the team meet externally from the department and attempt to build working relationships. Although not always possible in a police department setting, team building is a continuous process that takes place daily throughout the department. C. There are four ways to keep teams focused: managers can introduce competition; managers can increase the prestige of the unit; managers can increase the level of interaction within the group, increasing group camaraderie; managers can establish common goals and clearly understood

11 110 Instructor s Resource Manual and defined roles for the team and its members. When officers have a shared vision about their jobs, they tend to be much more productive. VII. Transformational and Transactional Leadership A. Transactional leadership occurs when leaders broaden and elevate their followers interests, when they generate awareness and acceptance of the group s purpose and mission, and when they stir their followers to look beyond their self-interests. It is used to inspire subordinates and units to better accomplish goals. 1. There are two key components: a. Subordinates understand the nature of rewards and work. They understand what management expects of them, and they understand the benefits of meeting management s expectations. b. Management-by-exception is the mode by which superiors deal with and work with others. Management-by-exception describes a situation in which superiors concentrate on problems and problem employees rather than micromanaging all aspects of the job. B. Transformational leadership brings about a process to change direction, by which the police executive attempts to broaden the interests and horizons of subordinates and move the organization in a new direction. It is one form of transactional leadership. 1. A key component of transformational leadership is charisma, the ability to interact with subordinates and inspire them with organizational objectives. While charisma is a key component of leadership, it is probably not sustainable over extended periods of time. 2. Transformational leaders have the following qualities: a. Vision a clear sense of direction. b. Charisma the ability to inspire others toward organizational objectives. c. Symbolism offering awards and ceremonies to recognize excellence and heroic or outstanding performance. d. Empowerment delegating truly challenging work and helping others develop.

12 Chapter 6: Police Leadership 111 VIII. The Police Chief as Leader e. Intellectual stimulation creating an atmosphere where subordinates think about problems and creatively solve them. f. Integrity being honest, open, and consistently adhering to a high standard of ethics and morality. There are four leadership styles for a chief managing a department: Administrator: These are executives who turn their attentions inward, concentrating on the inner workings of the department and expending a great deal of energy planning, directing, staffing, controlling and organizing the internal workings of the department. Top Cop: These chiefs emphasize leadership rather than management; they are more likely to take charge of situations and make their presence known in the field. Politician: These leaders turn their attention outward, preferring to interject themselves in community and political affairs. Statesman: These chiefs are attentive to both internal and external affairs. They understand the importance of working with community leaders as well as managing the department through planning, directing, staffing, controlling, and organizing. Police chiefs can solve police leadership problems with the implementation of a modified management system. Delegation of the vast majority of the internal management responsibilities to an assistant chief will give the chief more time to devote to external leadership duties. A. Police Chief Tenure 1. Most chiefs serve for a very short period of time. Longevity of chiefs in larger departments on average is typically not longer than five years. B. The Political Atmosphere and the Police Executive 1. Police chief terminations are not typically for ineffectiveness or corruption; rather, they must satisfy too many constituents within the community. When departments fail to attend to constituent needs or inadequately satisfy all the groups that vie for police attention and services, police chiefs face the political consequences and termination may result.

13 112 Instructor s Resource Manual 2. Lower-level police managers can contribute to the process of termination. Many times, these managers will engage in the political process internally with the goal of shaking up the command structure in order to be promoted. 3. Police unions or employee organizations also attack police chiefs as the chief implements necessary restrictions to union power. This often involves issues such as discipline, use of force, police pursuits, treatment of citizens especially minorities. 4. Not all chief turnovers are negative. Over time, some chiefs become lackadaisical or tired. They tend to maintain rather than innovate, and the department stagnates. C. Ascending to the Position of Chief 1. Studies show that 70% of police chiefs are promoted from within the department. A jurisdiction is more likely to hire from inside if the department has been successfully managed. On the other hand, if there have been problems, internally or externally, the new chief will more likely come from outside the department. 2. The following four career stages have been identified for police chiefs. a. From the initial appointment through their first two years, new chiefs go through a crisis stage in which they attempt to identify the boundaries of their power and authority. b. During the third and fourth years, chiefs go through the interregnum stage in which they attempt to identify their power bases and begin to take charge of the department and its operations. c. During years five through nine, chiefs go through an institutional stage in which they become entrenched and continue their own programs and policies. d. During years 10 through 14 chiefs go through a concretion stage in which they gain support from the department and the community in which they fine tune their programs but generally fail to adopt new ones. e. After their fifteenth year, chiefs go through a demise stage, as at this point they have accomplished most of their goals and are content to rest on their laurels as they approach retirement.

14 Chapter 6: Police Leadership 113 However, as most studies have shown, the average tenure for a police chief is less than six years. IX. Summary This chapter addressed the very important concept of leadership. Leadership is by no means simple in its application, and to a great extent people's ability to lead is dependent on the power they possess. Individuals seek power to achieve personal as well as organizational goals. A balance between personal and organizational goals must be maintained. Power must be used appropriately, and power without integrity is tyranny. If the police agency is to maximize its productivity potential, administrative officers in leadership positions must be capable and have the requisite skills necessary to perform adequately. Leadership is not static and does not consist of a finite number of traits, but it is an ongoing process that requires the constant attention of police administrators. As a process, it requires that the leader understand the task at hand or goals and objectives, those who are being led, the situation, and the environment. Experience and intuitive understanding are required to successfully apply the many theories of leadership. The police chief is the department's ultimate leader. He or she exists in a political process. The chief is exposed to a variety of demands and pressures and the chief must understand and work within the confines of the political system. Key Terms active supervisors: to some extent are glorified officers, have high arrest activity, take control from subordinates advocates: leaders who care only about their sphere of influence or their particular unit benevolent-authoritarian style of leadership: somewhat more positive than exploitiveauthoritarian; sometimes managers and supervisors listen to subordinates climbers: ambitious and generally unethical people who use every opportunity to further their career coercion power: the opposite of reward power; the ability to punish others conservers: bureaucrats who strive to maintain the status quo

15 114 Instructor s Resource Manual consideration: leader's behavior in emphasizing friendship, mutual trust, warmth, and respect between leader and subordinates consultative style of leadership: management establishes goals and objectives, with subordinates making some of the decisions on methods of goal achievement contingency leadership: identifying the environmental and employee factors that are most important in a given situation and then utilizing the most appropriate style of leadership for the situation expertise power: an officer's knowledge or ability to perform some specialized task exploitive-authoritarian style of leadership: individual has no confidence or trust in subordinates and subordinates are not allowed input into decisions formal leaders: those placed in positions of leadership by the organization informal leaders: individuals within the group who have no position or authority, but are recognized by their peers and have knowledge that can provide assistance outside the chain of command initiating structure: a leader s behavior in emphasizing organizational goals by delineating the relationship between the leader and the subordinates when establishing well-defined patterns of organization, communication, and procedure innovative supervisor: values community policing and community-building activities; the opposite of a traditional supervisor leadership: telling subordinates what to do; getting along with subordinates; process of directing or influencing groups to achieve goals legitimate power: power received as a result of one s position in the organization Machiavellianism: the manipulation of others within the organization to achieve and hold power and use that power for personal, rather than organizational, benefits participative style of leadership: subordinates have input into tactical decisions and policy formulation path-goal theory of leadership: subordinates accept leader behavior and find it motivating; when employees are productive, leaders satisfy their needs by providing guidance, support, and rewards power: the ability to influence or control others

16 Chapter 6: Police Leadership 115 referent power: the ability to influence as a result of one's association with other powerful figures in the organization reward power: the ability to control valued resources within the organization supportive supervisor: emphasizes relations with subordinates as opposed to focusing on police activities or the community team: a group that works toward specific goals or outcomes; a group whose members have complementary skills and are committed to a common purpose or performance goals to which they hold themselves mutually responsible traditional supervisor: expects aggressive law enforcement from subordinates and sees community service as non-essential or unimportant trait theory of leadership: the identification of traits that foster effective leadership transactional leadership: occurs when leaders broaden and elevate their followers interests; generate awareness and acceptance of the group's purpose and mission; and they stir their followers to look beyond their self-interests transformational leadership: brings about a process to change direction, to broaden the horizons and interests of subordinates zealots: organizational members with a mission zone of indifference: a grouping of policies and orders that subordinates perceive as unacceptable or questionable Study Questions Although the answers listed below are not exhaustive and will vary from student to student, the student should address at the minimum the following key points. 1. What kinds of power can police leaders possess? List situations in which each might be appropriate and explain why. (See pages in the text.) There are two kinds of positional or organizational power: Reward power refers to the ability to control valued resources within the organization. It should not be used to bribe, but as a way of rewarding subordinates for loyalty and dedicated service.

17 116 Instructor s Resource Manual Coercion power is the opposite of reward power. It is embodied in one s ability to punish others. Its use has long-lasting effects on the individual and possibly the organization; therefore it should not be used frivolously. Legitimate power refers to the power people receive as a result of their position within the organization. It is vested with one s authority and is hierarchical. There are two kinds of personal power: Expertise power refers to officers knowledge or ability to perform some specialized task. Their expertise provides them with a measure of power in the department or units operations. Referent power is the ability to influence as a result of one s association with other powerful figures in the organization such as a captain, major, or assistant chief and the people external to the department such as a council member, etc. Sponsors often consider it in their best interest to see that their protégés develop and succeed in the department. 2. What are Likert s styles of leadership and how do they relate to policing? (See pages in the text.) Exploitive-authoritarian leader has not confidence or trust in subordinates, and subordinates are not allowed to provide input into decisions. Critics of the professional model suggest this style is used in that environment. Benevolent-authoritarian is somewhat more positive than exploitiveauthoritarian style in that the bulk of decisions are made by top management and are distributed by the chain of command, but sometimes managers and supervisors listen to subordinates problems. Consultative is a process whereby management establishes goals and objectives for the organization or department with subordinates making some of the decisions on methods of goal achievement (strategic and tactical decisions). Participative leadership denotes subordinates having input not only into tactical decisions but also into policy formulation. 3. What are two-factor theories of leadership and how do they differ from Likert's styles of leadership? (See pages in the text.)

18 Chapter 6: Police Leadership 117 Two Factor Theories of Leadership 1. There are two dimensions distinctly separate but equally vital to leader behavior: a. Initiating structure refers to the leader s behavior in emphasizing organizational goals by delineating the relationship between leader and the subordinates when establishing well-defined patterns of organization, communication, and procedure. b. Consideration refers to the leader s behavior in emphasizing friendship, mutual trust, warmth, and a respectful relationship between the leader and subordinates. Blake and Mouton s Managerial Grid 1. High-Performing Leaders a. These are the most effective leaders. They are strong in both consideration and structure. They adhere to a team concept and accomplish work through committed people. 2. Task Leaders a. These leaders are overly concerned with authority, compliance, and tasks, often disregarding the needs of subordinates. They arrange work conditions so that human considerations interfere minimally with work efficiency getting the job done with the least amount of energy and effort. Work, not people, is most important. (Equivalent to Likert s exploitive-authoritarian or benevolent-authoritarian leader.) 3. Supportive Leaders a. These leaders are primarily interested in remaining friends with subordinates regardless of organizational consequences. They pay thoughtful attention to the needs of officers to engender satisfying relationships. These leaders allow subordinates feelings and needs to interfere with the organization mission. (Equivalent to Engel s supportive leader.) 4. Bureaucratic Leaders a. These leaders are not overly concerned with goals or people. They avoid making decisions and exert only the minimum amount of effort

19 118 Instructor s Resource Manual necessary to get required work done in order to stay out of trouble with superiors. (Equivalent to Downs s conserver. ) 5. Most supervisors and managers fall somewhere in the middle of the Managerial Grid. All leaders, however, should strive to emphasize and balance both concern for subordinates and concern for production or productivity. 4. How does contingency leadership differ from other kinds of leadership theories? How can they be applied in the police setting? (See pages in the text.) Stoner and Freeman (1992) identified the following factors that dictate leadership style: Leader s personality, past experiences, and expectations Superiors expectations Job requirements Subordinates characteristics Peer expectations Departmental culture and politics Contingency leadership consists of identifying the environmental and employee factors that are most important in a given situation and then utilizing the most appropriate style of leadership for the situation. There are two styles discussed here: Fiedler s leadership style and work situation model, and House and Mitchell s pathgoal theory. Fiedler s Leadership Style and Work Situation Model 1. The work group s success or effectiveness is determined by the demands of the situation and the leader s style of management. Fiedler (1978) states that leaders cannot easily adapt and change leadership styles to meet the demands of the situation. 2. Fiedler believed that good leaders could manage situations to the point that they better matched the leader s skills. Strong and weak leaders alike can potentially achieve the same results by manipulating the structure to match their leadership skills. 3. The quality of leadership is determined by three dimensions:

20 Chapter 6: Police Leadership 119 a. Leader-group relations are the most important dimension. b. Task structure is the second most important dimension. c. Leaders have varying levels of power. 4. Leaders should be matched to the situation. If administrators can match dimensions more accurately, organizational performance should improve. Path-Goal Theory of Leadership 1. Path-goal theory of leadership is rooted in Vroom s expectancy theory of motivation. House and Mitchell (1974) established two general propositions for path-goal theory: a. Subordinates accept leader behavior and find it motivating if they believe that the leader is instrumental in satisfying their immediate or future needs. b. When employees are productive, leaders satisfy subordinates needs by providing guidance, support, and rewards. 2. There are four leadership styles that are appropriate under certain conditions and the leader may use all of them when motivating subordinates. a. Directive b. Supportive c. Participative d. Achievement-oriented Vroom-Jago Leadership Participation Model 1. Leadership success is dependent on how well leaders make decisions; in essence, leadership is conveyed through quality decisions. 2. Degree of participation is predicated on who possesses the knowledge about the problem; acceptance of the solution; and constraints in terms of how quickly a decision must be made.

21 120 Instructor s Resource Manual Applying Contingency Leadership 1. Contingency leadership incorporates many aspects of the leadership and motivation theories. Leaders must pay close attention to subordinates needs, and they must treat everyone equitably. Leaders must also be adaptive in their behavior. 5. What are transactional and transformational leadership? (See pages in the text.) Transactional leadership occurs when leaders broaden and elevate their followers interests, when they generate awareness and acceptance of the group s purpose and mission, and when they stir their followers to look beyond their self-interests. It is used to inspire subordinates and units to better accomplish goals. 1. There are two key components: a. Subordinates understand the nature of rewards and work. They understand what management expects of them, and they understand the benefits of meeting management s expectations. b. Management-by-exception is the mode by which superiors deal with and work with others. Management-by-exception describes a situation in which superiors concentrate on problems and problem employees rather than micromanaging all aspects of the job. Transformational leadership brings about a process to change direction, by which the police executive attempts to broaden the interests and horizons of subordinates and move the organization in a new direction. It is one form of transactional leadership. 1. A key component of transformational leadership is charisma, the ability to interact with subordinates and inspire them with organizational objectives. While charisma is a key component of leadership, it is probably not sustainable over extended periods of time. 2. Transformational leaders have the following qualities: a. Vision a clear sense of direction. b. Charisma the ability to inspire others toward organizational objectives. c. Symbolism offering awards and ceremonies to recognize excellence and heroic or outstanding performance.

22 Chapter 6: Police Leadership 121 d. Empowerment delegating truly challenging work and helping others develop. e. Intellectual stimulation creating an atmosphere where subordinates think about problems and creatively solve them. f. Integrity being honest, open, and consistently adhering to a high standard of ethics and morality. 6. What are the primary duties of a police executive and how might they be best managed? (See pages in the text.) There are four leadership styles for a chief managing a department: Administrator: These are executives who turn their attentions inward, concentrating on the inner workings of the department and expending a great deal of energy planning, directing, staffing, controlling and organizing the internal workings of the department. Top Cop: These chiefs emphasize leadership rather than management; they are more likely to take charge of situations and make their presence known in the field. Politician: These leaders turn their attention outward, preferring to interject themselves in community and political affairs. Statesman: These chiefs are attentive to both internal and external affairs. They understand the importance of working with community leaders as well as managing the department through planning, directing, staffing, controlling, and organizing. Police chiefs can solve police leadership problems with the implementation of a modified management system. Delegation of the vast majority of the internal management responsibilities to an assistant chief will give the chief more time to devote to external leadership duties. 7. What is the tenure of a police chief? What problems await the newly appointed police executive? (See pages in the text.) Police Chief Tenure 1. Most chiefs serve for a very short period of time. Longevity of chiefs in larger departments on average is typically not longer than five years.

23 122 Instructor s Resource Manual The Political Atmosphere and the Police Executive 1. Police chief terminations are not typically for ineffectiveness or corruption; rather, they must satisfy too many constituents within the community. When departments fail to attend to constituent needs or inadequately satisfy all the groups that vie for police attention and services, police chiefs face the political consequences and termination may result. 2. Lower-level police managers can contribute to the process of termination. Many times, these managers will engage in the political process internally with the goal of shaking up the command structure in order to be promoted. 3. Police unions or employee organizations also attack police chiefs as the chief implements necessary restrictions to union power. This often involves issues such as discipline, use of force, police pursuits, treatment of citizens especially minorities. 4. Not all chief turnovers are negative. Over time, some chiefs become lackadaisical or tired. They tend to maintain rather than innovate, and the department stagnates. Ascending to the Position of Chief 1. Studies show that 70% of police chiefs are promoted from within the department. A jurisdiction is more likely to hire from inside if the department has been successfully managed. On the other hand, if there have been problems, internally or externally, the new chief will more likely come from outside the department. 2. The following four career stages have been identified for police chiefs: a. From the initial appointment through their first two years, new chiefs go through a crisis stage in which they attempt to identify the boundaries of their power and authority. b. During the third and fourth years, chiefs go through the interregnum stage in which they attempt to identify their power bases and begin to take charge of the department and its operations. c. During years five through nine, chiefs go through an institutional stage in which they become entrenched and continue their own programs and policies.

24 Chapter 6: Police Leadership 123 Discussion Questions d. During years 10 through 14 chiefs go through a concretion stage in which they gain support from the department and the community in which they fine tune their programs but generally fail to adopt new ones. e. After their fifteenth year, chiefs go through a demise stage, as at this point they have accomplished most of their goals and are content to rest on their laurels as they approach retirement. However, as most studies have shown, the average tenure for a police chief is less than six years. 1. Discuss the importance of formal and informal leaders within a police organization. Which are more important and why? 2. Discuss the Machiavellian leadership characteristics. Do you find these qualities appropriate for police departments today? Why or why not? 3. Discuss Engel s leadership styles. Which is most effective for leading tactical units? Which is least effective for leading small units? Which is most effective for leading a department? Explain your answers to the class. Learning Activity 1. Divide your class into groups of 4 6 students. Have the group appoint a leader who will guide the discussion and report back to the class. Small groups should examine the leadership of the local police department. Students should prepare an in-depth analysis of the department and present their analysis and proposed solutions to the class.