the concept of servant leadership in police organizations
This paper expounds on the concept of servant leadership in police organizations. As such, it plays an important role in defining the concept and further elaborating its importance. The author uses extensive literature review as well as critical and logical thinking to expound on some of the characteristics of a leader. That said, the article also discusses the traits of a servant leader, thus forming a crucial foundation for the comparison of the two. At this point, the difference between traditional and servant leaders is evident, as they have some distinguishing features. In like manner, the author also elaborates on some of the potential benefits that a police organization could accrue from embracing the servant leadership model. However, the outcomes are both advantages on problematic. Most importantly, the article provides a glimpse of what it would resemble to have servant leadership in the police sect as well as the required cultural changes before further articulating a plan to implement the changes. In the rear, the author provides closing thoughts on the subject matter.
Servant Leadership
Introduction
Leadership skills are integral in the contemporary competitive world for both professional and personal development. That said, one cannot afford to overlook the fact that leadership is a pivotal managerial role that aids businesses and individuals in the maximization of efficiency in the strive to realize a given set of goals. Indeed, all organizations command leadership, and this is no different in the law enforcement agency. According to Seaman et al. (2018), the maintenance of a dependable structure of leadership is a significant milestone in the success of a police organization. The philosophy of the contemporary approach to policing leadership requires not only a strong leader but also one who is competitive and receptive to change. It calls for an individual who can prioritize the needs of others before theirs and consequently recognize them as fundamental players in decision making. That said, this article seeks to expound on the traits of leadership and servant leadership, integrating servant to a police organization, its associated cultural changes, anticipated pros, and cons, as well as the necessary change implementation plan.
Traits of a Leader
Most importantly, a good leader must be an effective communicator. In other words, they comprehend when to listen and when to talk (Özbağ, 2016). As such, they are competent leaders who can succinctly and accurately articulate themselves to their subordinated on all matters ranging from corporate objectives to special duties. When people do not understand the leader’s expectations, they are bound to fail short. Therefore, the more specific instructions are, the higher the chances of success. In line with this argument, effective leaders must be in a position to communicate both verbally and non-verbally on all levels through diverse channels.
Notably, effective leaders are responsible and accountable. Successful corporate leaders comprehend the appropriate use of authority and power without overpowering and overwhelming their subjects. They take responsibility for their mistakes and hold themselves accountable instead of blaming others (Özbağ, 2016). What is more intriguing is that such people have the capacity to work within given procedures and, at the same time, depict high productivity and efficiency levels of decision making. Most importantly, they appreciate the vitality of encouraging and supporting individuality while at the same time comprehending corporate structure as well as the essence of following given rules.
Concurrently, competent leaders foster innovation and creativity. Leaders must possess the courage to encourage experimentation and to risk experimentation in the organization. By so doing, they can nurture a culture of innovation capable of steering the organization to new scales as well as around the corporate hurdles that may come their way in response to the dynamic corporate world (Seaman et al., 2018). What makes such leaders exceptional is their persistence in pursuing corporate goals, open-mindedness, and flexibility in how they get to the desired point. It is ideal for leaders to encourage their subjects to invest at least 15% of their time in exploring new concepts and ideas through prototyping and brainstorming.
That said, good leaders should pursue team building and bolster teamwork. According to Seaman et al. (2018), successful leadership is built around the people that surround the leader. As such, team building is fundamental in leading unique and diverse groups of employees as they possess varying skills, motivations, and personalities. Indeed, strong teams are key to the achievement of many objectives on the organizational list like attainment of goals, effective communication, and innovation. Recruiting a competent team helps build up an unstoppable force in the realization of organizational excellence.
On the other hand, good leaders must possess emotional intelligence in the bid to possess strong influence to facilitate people into accepting what they say (Seaman et al., 2018). Therefore, they must compete with people emotionally to facilitate the attainment of the same. Such leaders can effectively manage emotions, possess enhanced social awareness, bolster seamless communication, and manage conflicts. Such leaders not only handle organizational conflicts competently but also play a pivotal role in the resolution of conflicts.
Traits of a Servant Leader
What makes servant leadership unique and different from contemporary leadership is its exclusive focus on the needs of others, primarily the members of the team, before consideration of personal desires and needs. Servant leaders acknowledge the perspectives of others and consequently render them the support they need in the accomplishment of their duties as well as personal goals. Most importantly, servant leaders include their subjects in decision making when appropriate (Spears & Lawrence, 2016). They also establish a community sensation within the team.
Strikingly, servant leaders depict high commitment to the growth of people. They acknowledge that individuals possess intrinsic value other than their physical contributions as members of staff. Such leaders are committed to the individual growth of all people within their organizations (Myers, 2017). They exhibit gestures such as availing funds for professional and personal development, encouraging participatory decision making, as well as the active assistance of laid-off staff to secure other employment opportunities, among others.
Concurrently, servant leadership exhibit conceptualization. In other words, they nurture their competence to pursue great dreams. As such, they can look at organizational predicaments and think beyond the regular activities. The endeavor calls for practice and discipline (Mcquade et al., 2018). While a traditional leader seeks to attain a short-term operational goal, the servant leader is concerned with stretching their thinking to constitute broader-oriented conceptual thinking.
Besides, servant leaders also exhibit high awareness levels, especially self-awareness, that strengthens the individual as a leader. The initiative helps them comprehend the issues constituting ethics, values, and power. As such, they can envision situations from a holistic perception that is more integrated. Able servant leaders are ever sharply awake and exhibit high levels of reasonable disturbance as they are not solace seekers, but rather individuals with an inner serenity.
Indeed, the vitality of persuasion to servant leaders cannot be overlooked.
They rely on the aspect, instead of their positional authority in the making of organizational decisions (Mcquade et al., 2018). As such, they aim to convince others into their ideas instead of coercing compliance.
Such is one of the major distinguishing aspects between authoritarian leadership and servant leadership paradigms.
In the rear, such people also make great steps in comprehending and empathizing with others. They acknowledge the essence of recognizing and accepting people for their unique inputs (Myers, 2017). Servant leaders assume the positive intents of colleagues and co-workers. Furthermore, they do not reject them as individuals, even when it is necessary to detest certain performance or behaviors. The most competent servant leaders are those who develop articulate skills in empathetic listening.
Benefits and Pitfalls of Servant Leadership in a Police Context
Benefits
Indeed, servant leadership can offer a path to positive change. In other words, it can help the police organization to embrace servant leadership as a department. They can become people-centered instead of embracing coercion in the instigation of changes in the community (Russell et al., 2018). By involving societal members in their operations, they can significantly counter crime in society. A servant leader is the best personnel for instigating a positive change. Autocrats envision change as a top-down issue imposed on an organization. Therefore, when the top leader embraces servant leadership, he or she can convince the juniors to desire change instead of coercing them into the same and punishing defaulters (Martin et al., 2017).
On the other hand, it is beyond a reasonable doubt that servant leadership comes in handy in bolstering morale. Good leadership inspires an entire department (Russell et al., 2018). Support staff and cops develop an eagerness to go to work and are at the same time enthusiastic about their obligation to the community. Humanity is indeed a significant predictor of employee dedication and loyalty to the mission and organization. When the staff trust in their servant-leader who respects them, they can exhibit a higher commitment to their duties.
Pitfalls
As much as servant leadership can offer an ideal path to change, it can also be a rocky road. In other words, it can be very tough to sell (Kim, 2016). Most importantly, the higher-ranked officers in the police department may not be ready to accept the notion as they are accustomed to autocratic leadership. The police have a culture where leaders give directions, and their juniors follow them without questions. In cases of controversies or predicaments, the superiors may demand instant results instead of long-term organizational change. On the other hand, some people may mistake servant leadership for softness, thus posing more challenges than advantages as criminals would comprehend that officers have an obligation to understand them.
On the other hand, servant leadership may be problematic since not all people are servants. The concept may not be as easy as it sounds. In addition to other provisions, servant leaders must listen to their subjects, depict high levels of empathy, and at the same time, convince them to do specific tasks instead of using coercion. The police department is not wired to embrace servant leadership. The attempt to shift from autocracy to servant leadership can be challenging and problematic while at the same time producing undesirable outcomes (Kim, 2016). As such, it might be better to manage their current autocratic leadership instead of changing it completely.
What would it look like to bring the notion of servant leadership in a Police Organization?
Despite the overpowering demands placed on the 21st century policing executives, leaders should learn how to control their own behaviors. In line with this statement, leaders are more likely to earn more respect from their juniors for exhibiting qualities like empathy, humility, inspiration, vision, loyalty, and trustworthiness (Coetzer et al., 2017). Police leaders, on the other hand, are likely to fail for being arrogant, insensitive to others, intimidating, and lacking trustworthiness. Therefore, implementing the notion of service leadership in a police organization would be essential in helping police executives serve the legitimate needs of their citizens and staff.
Notably, servant leadership will require the executives to internalize leadership as a calling to serve others before themselves. Various chief executive officers have adopted the concept in the business sector for a long time. It enables leaders to act as ethical stewards of the power given to them. That said, the form of leadership will allow police executives to use their position’s power to increase loyalty and trust in the organization. In line with the postulations of renowned scholars such as Seto & Sarros (2016), servant leadership increases the predisposition of employees to become invested in the leader’s vision. Such is because the vision includes their legitimate motivational needs.
Implementation of the leadership practice in a police organization would allow executives and employees to have unflinching ethical principles as it emphasizes on inner strength. It will also enable leaders to internalize courage in the effort to act in the best interests of the police organization and community before any individual. The practice of considering the needs of other people before their own will help in creating a new dynamic organization (Seto & Sarros, 2016). For example, police executives will display humility, which contributes to widespread organizational loyalty. Such is because the staff believes in their leadership. The leaders, on the other hand, are confident to introduce principles of commitment to the organization and community at large.
In like manner, servant leadership involves emphasizing teamwork, self-confidence, and depicting qualities that increase trust as well as loyalty in the workplace. The traits work in unison with the staff’s motivational needs of mutual respect, appreciation, and camaraderie. The leadership theory works to satisfy these needs, thus motivating police officers to make a difference in the world (Coetzer et al., 2017). In other words, it enables leaders to build trust and respect in their organization, thus motivating the subordinates to perform better, thus resulting in the personal and professional growth of employees. Therefore, implementing the notion of servant leadership in a police organization would lead to loyalty in the workplace, which would precede change.
Would this Change require a Cultural Change?
In most cases, effective police leadership entails relying on the democratic decision-making process and autocratic leadership decisions. Police executives are expected to make decisions in situations like tragedies or crises. Nonetheless, compelling evidence has shown that leaders that avoid domination provide direction, encourage participation, and mutual respect are more likely to achieve the best organizational results (Baldomir & Hood, 2016). Therefore, it is imperative to acknowledge that servant-leadership would influence police organizations’ culture to implement democratic decision making and problem-solving.
Notably, police executives would begin to act as coaches and not authoritarians. For instance, when workers bring an issue to their supervisor, the individual should implement an inquiry and dialogue technique to understand the problem before making any judgment (Myers, 2017). The supervisor and employees should work together to understand the causes of the problem and come up with effective ways of solving it. They should also analyze the strengths and shortcomings of their strategy. Therefore, servant-leadership would require cultural change as executives would implement democratic problem-solving in the organization.
Implementation of servant leadership would require a supportive work environment. Leadership practice requires leaders to display empathy. According to Baldomir & Hood (2016), it demands the development of a relationship where people are considerate of one another and work together towards healing efforts. As such, police leadership should have a supportive relationship with subordinates to allow find healing in cases of hardships. Servant leaders should support other people through personal struggles. Many police offices experience difficulties at home and in the job. Therefore, leaders must provide a support system for such people.
For example, they can offer services to individuals experiencing troubling experiences in the work or death of a colleague or loved ones. Such will contribute to the officers, well-being, and health (Russell et al., 2018). As such, servant leadership will create a culture where police executives realize the importance of others’ needs before their own. The ability to do so leads to the development of a supportive relationship and builds trust between leaders and subordinates.
Servant leadership, on the other hand, will require a culture of mutual and individual accountability. Police leaders with engaging values, mission, and vision create an environment where officers are responsible for their actions. The executives’ ability to empower teamwork leads to widespread enthusiasm, which paves the way for mutual accountability in the organization (Russell et al., 2018). In the rear, servant leadership would lead to internalized cultural habits of appreciation and communication in the organization.
Plan for Implementing Necessary Changes
Initially, police executives should be educated on servant leadership and the benefits of applying it in a police organization. For example, law enforcement agencies should send leaders to contemporary modern leadership development seminars. An organization can bring instructors in the workplace to minimize costs. Agency executives can also create a productive relationship with public administration faculty members so that the educators can be willing to donate time to teach leaders on servant leadership as part of their community service obligation. The education of police leaders would be an essential strategy in applying the form of leadership in the organization.
In the same way, increasing teamwork would help in applying servant leadership in a police organization.
For instance, executives should offer debriefings after a traumatic incident, to provide the opportunity for team learning through dialogue. The strategy would allow the affected members to share their outlooks without facing criticism. Such would increase empathy in the organization, which illustrates a pivotal characteristic of leadership (Turner & Hamstra, 2018). Leaders should also use planned patrol responses or major case investigations to encourage teamwork. They can encourage dialogue by communicating the status of the situation and encouraging officers to work together. However, the leader must ensure that everyone’s opinions are considered legitimately. The strategy allows people to trust and respect each other by working together. As a result, the ideas of servant leadership are applied in the organization.
Open communication would also be a crucial plan in the implementation of servant-leadership. Leaders should allow communication flow in all directions by allowing officers to give their input regarding matters affecting the organization. Similarly, police executives should deploy community policing. Such will involve incorporating public participation in their work and enlightening the public on the benefits of avoiding criminal activities. Decentralization of power would also be essential in the effort to empower lower levels of management as they can reach junior officers more often than the top leaders. The individuals will be in a position to implement open communication and thus can understand the needs of the subordinate (Paesen et al., 2019). Such will enable them to understand the vitality of considering the needs of others before their own. By so doing, servant leadership will be implemented in the organization.
Conclusion
In conclusion, servant leadership focuses on the needs of others before consideration of personal desires and needs. As such, it paves the way for a successful police organization. That said, the form of leadership permeates trust and loyalty in the workplace, thus creating a robust and cohesive culture among police officers. It embraces open communication that enables officers to feel entrusted and empowered to perform their jobs with integrity. It also encourages teamwork and mutual respect in the organization. In the rear, police organizations should implement training and education programs that focus on enlightening leaders on servant-leadership skills. By so doing, the form of leadership will be implemented effectively in organizations.