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Introduction
In the past decades, leadership has become one of the fundamental concepts in management. It is widely studied in research and applied to a wide variety of settings, including public, private, and governmental organizations all over the world. Public safety leaders operate in a complex environment that involves a wide range of stakeholders.
Although they must focus on protecting communities, building internal organizational culture is still important as it has a direct effect on the employees’ attitudes and actions (Pearson-Goff and Herrington 7). Using effective leadership strategies is thus essential to protect the citizens; leadership strategies and tools help public safety leaders to manage their agencies daily, as well as to respond to emergencies and external threats efficiently. This paper will seek to outline the importance of leadership to public safety and reflect on strategies, tools, and leadership styles that can help public safety leaders to protect communities more efficiently.
Importance
Leadership in public safety is vital for several reasons. First of all, appropriate direction enhances the effectiveness of the agency and allows it to achieve its goals in protecting communities. As noted by Sienkiewicz-Malyjureka, public safety leadership “is critical to adequately orchestrate ventures, coordinate operations, and transfer information between specific sub-systems across the system” (115). Indeed, public safety leaders must be active in managing their organizations, as it helps to improve performance outcomes. Also, appropriate leadership is critical to promoting a positive organizational culture and maintain a healthy workforce. For instance, efficient leadership strategies can reduce turnover, encourage motivation, and empower workers to achieve organizational goals (Murari 240). Besides, appropriate leadership tools can foster job satisfaction among all employees, thus also contributing to improving performance outcomes (Murari 240).
Another essential reason for fostering leadership in public safety leaders is that it can help to build positive community relations. Johnson recognizes that public safety professionals often act “as visible symbols of government, [and] have an important role of community leadership that brings the responsibility to model behavior that is beyond reproach” (par. 2). By encouraging employees to achieve organizational goals, the leader’s aid in building a solid reputation of the agency, thus fostering a trustful relationship and fostering collaboration with members of the community.
Poor leadership in the public sector is widely linked to distrust and might affect the well-being of the entire nation. For instance, Imhonopi and Ugochukwu connect the leadership crisis to the lack of sociopolitical development in Nigeria: “one cannot but agree with the position that Nigeria is a victim of poor leadership and convoluted systemic corruption which has become pervasive and cancerous in the country’s national life” (78). Whereas positive leadership behaviors and practices foster the development of communities, poor leadership can lead to ineffective public safety, threatening the well-being of the nation.
Moreover, effective leadership allows for collaboration, both with the communities and with other agencies (Van Wart 64). This is especially needed at times of crisis, as emergency management involves many different players. To protect communities, the leaders must respond quickly, foster collaboration with other agencies, and support the people all at once. Weak leadership is widely recognized to be among the key factors resulting in ineffective emergency management. Therefore, for public safety leaders, it is essential to choose appropriate leadership strategies to handle disasters promptly and efficiently.
Overall, leadership is of critical importance to public safety. Strong leadership can help agencies to be more useful in protecting the public, thus achieving organizational goals. Poor administration, on the other hand, harms the work of public safety agencies and threatens communities. Thus, public safety leaders must understand leadership theory and apply it in their work.
Leadership Styles
Many leadership styles made their way into contemporary leadership theory. Leaders can choose leadership styles based on their goals and the organizational environment or follow a particular style intuitively, based on their values and beliefs (Sarver and Miller 127). When it comes to public safety management, three key leadership strategies are of interest: autocratic leadership, transactional leadership, and transformational leadership.
Autocratic leadership is one of the oldest and most rigid leadership styles. Autocratic leaders practice control on all levels of the organization, promoting structure and transparency. Although an authoritarian leadership style is often criticized for not allowing employees enough freedom and responsibility, as well as for establishing a vertical power structure within the organization, it can still be beneficial if applied correctly.
By definition, autocratic leadership emphasizes the centralization of power, allowing leaders to exercise full control of all processes within the organization (De Hoogh et al. 687). Indeed, in public safety settings, this can ensure that all employees act by set rules and guidelines, which can help in protecting communities. Furthermore, research shows that autocratic leadership promotes team performance and contributes to the psychological safety of employees (De Hoogh et al. 687). Thus, authoritarian leadership may be used to protect communities at times of crisis.
Transactional leadership views the relationship between workers and managers as a transaction. Transactional leaders seek to ensure that the workers are committed to a common goal by providing benefits and reward schemes to improve motivation (Fisher et al. 17). More specifically, “transactional leaders define the task, initiate structure to get the task done, clarify the role of the subordinates, show concern for them, and attend to their individual and group needs and motivation” (Fischer et al. 19). Transactional leadership is used in many organizations since it is rather simple to implement and helps to achieve excellent results. When applied to public safety management, transactional leadership assists in promoting a performance by ensuring that employees are rewarded for their efforts.
Transformational leadership is often viewed in contrast to transactional leadership. Whereas transactional leadership creates motivation stemming from self-interest, transformational leaders seek to create a vision and inspire all employees to contribute to achieving it (Fischer et al. 19). Transformational leaders often rely on their personal qualities, mainly their charisma, to inspire workers. According to research, transformational leaders are the most efficient when it comes to law enforcement leadership, which is why this leadership style is often used in public safety. For instance, as shown by Sarver and Miller, transformational leaders in police departments receive fewer complaints and rank better on employee effort, satisfaction, and effectiveness than those using transactional or passive-avoidant leadership (134). Transformational leadership is commonly used when organizations are undergoing a significant internal change, as it helps to earn full support and contribution of the employees.
Leadership Strategies
Supporting an active leadership style with appropriate strategies helps to implement it correctly, thus achieving better performance outcomes. Nooteboom and Termeer discuss common leadership strategies that are used in complex leadership settings. These strategies are also relevant to public safety as they help to coordinate team efforts and promote the positive development of the agency. For instance, reflection on cross-organizational relationships is essential to public safety leaders as it fosters communication with external stakeholders, whereas the strategy of investing in personal trust-based relationships helps in maintaining a healthy climate within the organization and enhance its reputation in the community (Nooteboom and Termeer 28).
Improvisation is also among the key leadership strategies that are critical to public safety settings. Improvisation allows leaders to find opportunities and solutions in stressful situations and to respond to crises quickly and efficiently (Nooteboom and Termeer 29). Besides, organizing minimal structures is another strategy that can be utilized by public safety leaders. As explained by Nooteboom and Termeer, this strategy makes the leader responsible for supporting goal-attainment using internal organizational structure (28). Another approach that is relevant to the public safety environment but is not mentioned by the authors is goal-setting. Creating a vision of the organization’s desired impact can be a great motivation strategy, as it provides employees with a shared goal and sets standards of behaviors and actions required to achieve it.
Leadership Tools
Today, there is a great variety of tools that are available to leaders. Technologies make communication easier, whereas continuous training initiatives allow to enhance performance and achieve organizational objectives. However, it is also important to consider the tools that affect the very foundation of leadership, shaping how leaders are seen and followed.
Credibility is an excellent example of such a tool. Kouzes and Posner view credibility as the foundation of leadership (15). Indeed, credibility defines the relationship between the leader and his or her followers, thus becoming a powerful tool for leading public safety agencies. Credibility is also linked to trustworthiness, legitimacy, and ethical behavior, which are among the essential characteristics of efficient public safety leaders (Pearson-Goff and Herrington 7).
Credibility is primarily built on the interactions between the leader the communities he or she serves; once the credibility of a leader is established, it can be used to promote public safety efforts. For instance, the high credibility of the leader can determine the impact of his or her messages, which is critical to emergency management. High credibility can also promote followership behaviors, thus allowing the leader to gain more influence within the public safety landscape. If applied correctly, credibility can help leaders to improve the efficiency of their leadership, thus contributing to organizational performance.
In his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey describes behaviors that can help people to enhance their lives and build positive relationships with others. Some of these habits can also be considered to be influential leadership tools. For example, Covey describes being as proactive as the first habit of highly effective people (65). In public safety, proactiveness is the key to preparing for threats and planning future public safety initiatives. Proactive leaders are perceived to be important in promoting the safety of communities because they manage to achieve excellent results.
Another essential habit described by Covey is thinking about relationships and transactions in win/win terms (204). In leadership, this tool can help to motivate workers by enabling them to share the success of their efforts, for instance, by providing rewards for high performance. This tool allows for fostering a healthy workforce and achieve better outcomes in public safety. Furthermore, Covey emphasizes the importance of empathetic communication, which includes understanding people’s needs (235). Empathetic communication can be of great use to public safety leaders as it enables them to be more efficient in serving the population, as well as improving their relations with employees.
Results
As part of the Experiential Learning component, an interview with a manager working in a public safety organization was conducted. Overall, the results of the interview supported and expanded on the research gathered for the project. For example, the respondent confirmed that the key challenges faced by public safety leaders include operating in an increasingly complex environment. Furthermore, the respondent agreed that public safety leadership was crucial to performance and serving communities. It was also interesting that the respondent named transactional and transformational leadership styles as the most common ones, which conforms to the information provided by Sarver and Miller (126). The respondent did not mention autocratic leadership, which probably means that it is not used in her agency.
In some responses, the participant offered a new perspective on the topic, thus enhancing the scope of the project. For instance, the respondent stated that setting a moral example should be the priority strategy for public safety leaders, as it can help to achieve the desired level of organizational citizenship behaviors and improve performance. Moreover, the participant stated that rewards are the most beneficial leadership tool, which somewhat contradicts the research and exemplifies a transactional approach to leadership.
Some questions included in the interview were designed to explore the aspects of public safety leadership that were not addressed in the paper. Thus, Question 8 focused on the personal qualities required for success in public safety leadership. Among others, the participant outlined responsibility and trustworthiness as critical qualities. Interestingly, the response supports the discussion of credibility as a leadership tool, as credibility impacts the perceived trustworthiness and responsibility of the leader. In general, the interview offered useful insight into the topic and served to support the research.
The Franciscan Tradition
The topic is relevant to the Franciscan tradition as it supports some of its fundamental values. First of all, the Franciscan Tradition emphasizes building healthy communities as one of the principal goals of leadership. Using efficient leadership styles, tools, and strategies can help public safety leaders to improve the trust between public safety professionals and the general public. Thus, fostering strong communities becomes a primary goal for public safety leaders.
Furthermore, active leadership in public safety is mostly focused on integrity and service, which are also among the significant Franciscan values. By promoting a positive organizational climate and employing ethical leadership tools and behaviors, public safety leaders should also seek to enhance integrity and transparency within their organizations. When it comes to providing services to communities, leadership tools, and strategies assist public safety leaders in achieving shared safety goals. Overall, the link between leadership in public safety and the Franciscan Tradition lies in their fundamental values and goals.
Conclusion
All in all, public safety leaders today face the challenge of managing their agencies in a way that improves performance, helps in building a solid reputation and promotes community relations. Various leadership styles, strategies, and tools can aid them in achieving these goals by fostering positive behaviors and relationships both within the organization and with its external stakeholders. The present paper explained some of the principal concepts in public safety leadership, providing tools and strategies that can assist leaders in improving the safety of communities and responding to critical public safety threats.
Works Cited
Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. 25th anniversary ed., Simon & Schuster, 2013.
De Hoogh, Annebel H.B., Lindred L. Greer, and Deanne N. Den Hartog. “Diabolical Dictators or Capable Commanders? An Investigation of the Differential Effects of Autocratic Leadership on Team Performance.” The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 26, no. 5, 2015, pp. 687-701.
Fisher, Andrew, David Weir, and John Phillips. “Beyond Transactional and Transformational Leadership into the Double Helix: A Case-Study of Blended Leadership in Police Work.” Review of Enterprise and Management Studies, vol. 1, no. 2, 2014, pp. 16-28.
Imhonopi, David, and Moses Urim Ugochukwu. “Leadership Crisis and Corruption in the Nigerian Public Sector: An Albatross of National Development.” Journal of the African Educational Research Network, vol. 13, no. 1, 2013, pp. 78-87.
Johnson, Samuel Jr. “Public Safety and the Need for a Culture of Leadership Consciousness.”Governing, 2014. Web.
Kouzes, James M., and Posner, Barry Z. Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It. 2nd ed., Josey-Bass, 2011.
Murari, Krishna. Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Empowerment. Partridge Publishing, 2015.
Nooteboom, Sibout G., and Catrien Jam Termeer. “Strategies of Complexity Leadership in Governance Systems.” International Review of Public Administration, vol. 18, no. 1, 2013, pp. 25-40.
Pearson-Goff, Mitchell, and Victoria Herrington. “Police Leadership: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, vol. 8, no. 1, 2013, pp. 14-26.
Sarver, Mary B., and Holly Miller. “Police Chief Leadership: Styles and Effectiveness.” Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 37, no. 1, 2014, pp. 126-143.
Sienkiewicz-Malyjurek, Katarzyna. “Determinants and Attributes of Leadership in the Public Safety Management System.” Procedia Economics and Finance, vol. 39, no. 1, 2016, pp. 115-121.
Van Wart, Montgomery. Dynamics of Leadership in Public Service: Theory and Practice. Routledge, 2014.
Appendix 1
Experiential Learning
Introduction
Hello, my name is (*) and I am here to talk to you about leadership in public safety. Please note that your responses will be kept confidential and will only be used to support the project on public safety leadership.
Question 1. What are the main challenges faced by leaders in public safety today?
Rationale: As explained by Pearson-Goff and Herrington, public safety leaders function in increasingly complex environments. The answer will offer further insight into the subject.
Answer: Public safety leaders have to balance the interests of multiple stakeholders while being subject to governmental regulations. Besides, they need to respond to the increasing number of safety threats.
Question 2. How can effective leadership help public safety leaders to achieve their goals?
Rationale: The answer will help to support the discussion about the importance of leadership to public safety.
Answer: In my opinion, effective leadership helps to respond to threats and serve communities in the best way possible.
Question 3. Why is it important for public safety leaders to understand leadership theory?
Rationale: Although the project seeks to discuss leadership theory from the perspective of public safety, none of the sources explain why this is required.
Answer: Leadership theory offers a systematic approach to managing public safety agencies. Thus, it can help leaders to improve performance and be more successful.
Question 4. Why do you think leadership is particularly important during a crisis?
Rationale: This question expands on Van Wart’s claim that effective leadership promotes collaboration, which is critical to disaster and crisis management (64).
Answer: During a major crisis, people look up to their leaders for information and support. Effective leadership in crisis management is important, as it unites communities in recovery efforts.
Question 5. In your opinion, what are the main leadership styles used by public safety leaders?
Rationale: The project focuses on autocratic, transactional, and transformational leadership; however, the respondent might offer other styles for consideration.
Answer: A lot of leaders use transactional leadership style. Today, there is a shift towards transformational leadership, but most leaders prefer to stick to the more traditional approach. Also, some public sector managers use strategic leadership, which is quite efficient.
Question 6. Why do you think transactional leadership is prevalent in public safety settings?
Rationale: This question will let the respondent expand on the previous answer.
Answer: Transactional leadership is well-studied and proved to be worthwhile in multiple settings. It is also easy to follow and gives the workers something to aspire to.
Question 7. What are the benefits of the transformational leadership style?
Rationale: Sarver and Miller explore the benefits of transformational leadership in public safety (134); this question intends to support or expand their argument.
Answer: Transformational leaders have a strong public image, which is especially useful in the public safety climate. Moreover, they achieve great results in motivation and performance. Personally, I think transformational leadership is ideal for most public safety organizations today, as it helps them adjust to external changes.
Question 8. In your opinion, what are the qualities that every public safety leader must possess?
Rationale: Character and beliefs play an important role in shaping the person’s leadership style. The answer can help to understand which traits contribute to effective leadership.
Answer: Public safety leaders have to be responsible, trustworthy, and just. They also need to be creative and resilient, as difficult situations require quick action. Charisma is also important for leaders as it aids in building relationships and maintaining a positive reputation.
Question 9. What are some of the strategies that public safety leaders should use to be more efficient?
Rationale: Nooteboom and Termeer discuss some of the strategies in police leadership (28); I want to know if the respondent can highlight any other approaches.
Answer: The main strategy leaders should use, regardless of what sector they work in, is setting a moral example for their workers. Showcasing ethical behavior, organizational citizenship, and commitment to the cost can help to motivate and inspire employees, who will also deliver results.
Question 10. What is the most important tool for contemporary public safety leadership?
Rationale: The answer will contribute to the discussion of leadership tools.
Answer: I think rewards are probably the most important tools for public safety leaders. Establishing standards for performance and encouraging employees to achieve or exceed them can improve the agency’s work and results.
Appendix 2
Annotated Bibliography
Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. 25th anniversary ed., Simon & Schuster, 2013.
In this famous book, the author aims to provide advice for people looking to improve their life. The author focuses on helping the readers to develop habits that would allow them to be more efficient in work. A significant part of the book explores the practices that can assist in becoming more influential, thus offering useful advice on leadership tools. The book is relevant to the project as it explains tools for effective leadership in a simple and understandable way.
De Hoogh, Annebel H.B., Lindred L. Greer, and Deanne N. Den Hartog. “Diabolical Dictators or Capable Commanders? An Investigation of the Differential Effects of Autocratic Leadership on Team Performance.” The Leadership Quarterly, vol. 26, no. 5, 2015, pp. 687-701.
In this article, the authors aim to analyze the negative image of autocratic style and explore how it can benefit organizations and leaders. The researchers performed a quantitative study of 60 retail spots and found that autocratic leadership led to improved worker safety and increased performance. The article is useful for the project as it offers an objective view on autocratic leadership and offers an excellent explanation of this leadership style. The report was published in Leadership Quarterly, which is a credible source of peer-reviewed studies on the topic.
Fisher, Andrew, David Weir, and John Phillips. “Beyond Transactional and Transformational Leadership into the Double Helix: A Case-Study of Blended Leadership in Police Work.” Review of Enterprise and Management Studies, vol. 1, no. 2, 2014, pp. 16-28.
This study aims to provide an innovative view of transactional and transformational leadership style by combining their features instead of showing them as opposites. Using a qualitative method, the authors analyze a case study to show how transactional and transformational leadership styles can be used together to achieve better results. The work is particularly appropriate for the project as it focuses on police leadership and provides thorough explanations of both leadership styles.
Imhonopi, David, and Moses Urim Ugochukwu. “Leadership Crisis and Corruption in the Nigerian Public Sector: An Albatross of National Development.” Journal of the African Educational Research Network, vol. 13, no. 1, 2013, pp. 78-87.
The present article is relevant to the discussion of the importance of public safety leadership. Based on the example of Nigeria, the authors offer a qualitative analysis of how poor leadership and corruption can halt the development of an entire nation. The paper contributes to the project by showing the consequences of poor leadership in the public sector.
Johnson, Samuel Jr. “Public Safety and the Need for a Culture of Leadership Consciousness.” Governing, 2014. Web.
In this article, the author seeks to draw the attention of the public to the need for proper public safety leadership. The writer discusses the role played by public safety professionals in the U.S. and offers insights into improving their contribution to the community by developing leadership in all levels of authority. The work was chosen for the project as it helps to analyze the importance of public safety leadership.
Kouzes, James M., and Posner, Barry Z. Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It. 2nd ed., Josey-Bass, 2011.
This book is centered on the exploration of credibility and its effect on leadership. The authors show why developing credibility is important to being successful as a leader and offer strategies for building personal credibility. The present book is relevant to the topic as it shows how credibility can be used as a tool for promoting effective leadership.
Murari, Krishna. Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Empowerment. Partridge Publishing, 2015.
This is an essential book for studying the effect of leadership on the organization. In it, Murari presents results from several quantitative studies that examined the impact of leadership styles on employee empowerment. Aside from providing credible insight into the topic, the book also serves to outline the impact of leadership practices on the organization, which is useful to promoting and studying positive leadership practices.
Nooteboom, Sibout G., and Catrien Jam Termeer. “Strategies of Complexity Leadership in Governance Systems.” International Review of Public Administration, vol. 18, no. 1, 2013, pp. 25-40.
Here, the authors focus on various leadership styles evident in complex government systems. The authors utilize a qualitative methodology to present an overview of leadership practices and connect them to outcomes in complex governmental systems. Public safety is widely recognized to be a complicated environment, which is why this resource is useful to the discussion of leadership strategies in public safety settings. International Review of Public Administration is a reputable journal that publishes peer-reviewed articles on the topic, which is why this piece is an excellent source of information.
Pearson-Goff, Mitchell, and Victoria Herrington. “Police Leadership: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, vol. 8, no. 1, 2013, pp. 14-26.
The authors of this article aim to provide a comprehensive review of studies on the topic of leadership in public safety. Using a qualitative methodology, the authors developed a thorough analysis of the previous research on the subject. Their work is useful as it outlines the fundamental principles and challenges in public safety leadership while also providing information about past studies of it. The article was published in a reputable, peer-reviewed journal, which adds to its relevance to the topic.
Sarver, Mary B., and Holly Miller. “Police Chief Leadership: Styles and Effectiveness.” Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 37, no. 1, 2014, pp. 126-143.
In this study, the authors sought to provide a quantitative analysis of various leadership styles used by police chiefs and compare their effectiveness. The study was based in Texas and included 161 police chiefs, which is a sufficient sample size for this type of research. The authors found that transformational leaders were the most effective while also outlining personality characteristics that predicted the choice of a leadership style. The article is essential to the discussion of public safety leadership and transformational leadership in particular, as it shows evidence of its effects on performance.
Sienkiewicz-Malyjurek, Katarzyna. “Determinants and Attributes of Leadership in the Public Safety Management System.” Procedia Economics and Finance, vol. 39, no. 1, 2016, pp. 115-121.
This is an excellent introductory text that aims to present the fundamental concepts regarding leadership in public safety. The author intended to identify the characteristics of public safety leadership, as well as some of the factors affecting it. The paper is vital to the project as it assists in understanding the current context of public safety leadership.
Van Wart, Montgomery. Dynamics of Leadership in Public Service: Theory and Practice. Routledge, 2014.
The present book aims to examine the theoretical foundations of leadership in public service while offering practical advice to public service leaders. Also, the author explores the social, political, and historical factors that shaped the development of leadership in the public sector. The book is useful as it provides an introduction to the public service environment and outlines some of the critical principles that apply to public safety leadership.
Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
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NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.