NCJ Number
189016
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 49 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2001 Pages: 112-115
Date Published
May 2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses five principles of police leadership that encompass management by leadership, vision and mission, alignment, training and development, and teamwork.
Abstract
First, the job of management is leadership, not supervision. Police managers must not just be able to tell employees what to do, but must be able to demonstrate to them how to do it through a strategic plan and managerial commitment to the processes and policies chosen. Police managers should thus lead by example. Second, an organization begins with a vision, which is then translated into a mission. The establishment of a vision and mission provides the well-structured framework that law enforcement requires to provide guidance to employees and operate effectively in an adverse environment, while communicating its values and tasks to external stakeholders. Third, alignment is the process of adjusting vision, mission, and strategies to be consistent with policies and practices. Fourth, the intention of employee training and development is to foster the effective and efficient accomplishment of the law enforcement agency's mission. Education and training is further necessary for the acceptance and implementation of any new strategy. Fifth, leadership and employee development success is bounded by one's ability to foster a spirit of teamwork. Teamwork is about compensating someone's weakness with another's strength, so that everyone may sharpen each other's wits.