CHAPTER 4: QUALITIES OF A LEADER Flashcards
It is thus not possible to single out extreme goodness or righteousness as being necessary requisites for ________ to exist.
leadership
One school of thought advances the notion that leaders are ____,
not made. This group of thinkers offers the idea of the natural leader: massive of muscle, marvelous of mind, this hero exudes charisma aplenty and wit as sharp as his intellect.
The natural leader is frequently seen by these theorists as embod-ied in the persons of some of the ancient military and religious lead-ers.
born
Natural Leader:
These old-time heroes (the theorists might point out) had no
opportunity to attend seminars on managerial and leadership skills, but nonetheless did some very efficient leading. How can this be explained other than by natural abilities and inherent talents
They weren’t taught to lead it just occurred.
Good example: Jesus, Abraham Lincoln
Bad: Attila the Hun
Another group of thinkers speaks in favor of leadership as a _______. They emphasize the value of learnedskills over any natural, built-in traits. They remind that some very effective and remarkable lead-ers have been short, fat, physically unimpressive, and perhaps even downright ugly. Nevertheless, some of them have overcome all sorts of physical handicaps to lead successfully
science
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
The importance of setting a good example for one’s subordinates
has been stressed. It is obvious that proper ______, moral, and ethical behavior is a must for the police supervisor who intends to succeed as a leader. Just which specific characteristics the successful supervisor needs to show his people is a fair topic for argument. While a poll of successful police leaders and administrators might turn up a few vari-ances in the qualities listed, a certain core of vital traits is practically guaranteed.
legal
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
1) Integrity
2)Personal Courage
3)Loyalty
4)Vision
5)Common Sense
6) Truthfulness
7) Reliability
8)
9) Interest
10) Patience and Empathy
11) Tact
12) Trust
13) Fairness
8) Job knowledge
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Integrity:
Integrity means doing the right thing for the ________ even (or
especially) when no one is watching.
right reasons
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Personal Courage:
In some circles this trait is called administrative courage. In others it is simply referred to as having the backbone to make the really tough calls and then accept the responsibility for having made them, regardless of the out-come.
The ability to make unpopular or difficult decisions
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Personal Courage:
Having the courage to do the job of an ethical supervisor requires acceptance of the reality that the boss cannot always suit his peoples’ desires, particularly when those wishes _____ with getting the job done in the expected way. A courageous supervisor seeks the respect of his people. He does not prostitute himself to win their affection.
conflict
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Loyalty:
It is unreasonable to expect subordinates to show devotion for their boss if he demon-strates by his _______ and actions that he cares little for their welfare. The loyal supervisor corrects them when they are in error, but he also defends them against all comers when they are wrongfully accused or otherwise subjected to unfair treatment by the police organization. The supervisor who abandons an unpopular or politically uncomfort-able defense of a deserving subordinate will earn the distrust of his troops. Equally damaging in the long run will be the loss of respect he suffers with many of his peers and superiors.
attitudes
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Vision:
Some have defined leadership as the ability to ______ and ______ others to see and seek the accomplishment of that vision. For police supervisor, vision may mean simply knowing what it is he wants to accomplish, on a short-or (especially) a long-term basis. The vision is the grand goal or objective he is seeking.
envision and inspire
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Vision:
The best leaders know where they ________ and have at least a
rough idea of how they plan to get there. They will fill in the details as they learn more and engage the target.
want to go
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Common Sense:
That simply means that the seasoned police leader has a good feel (once again based partially on experience) for what will get him, his people, his boss, and his organization in _____.
trouble
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Common Sense:
Common sense permits a leader to look at a problem for which,
at times, no formal set of handling _______ exists. It allows him or her to draw on native intelligence, previous experience, training, and a “feel” for the situation to arrive at a solution.
guidelines
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Common Sense:
For the full benefits of common sense to be realized, of course, the supervisor must have ________ enough to put what his brain has devised into action.
self-confidence
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Truthfulness:
What a sergeant has to tell one of his officers about job performance will not always make the officer happy. Yet, the supervisor owes his subordinates and his organization total honesty in all things. To give less is to _____ everyone concerned.
cheat
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Reliability:
When a manager _______ a task to his sergeant or other first-line
supervisor, he should be able to assume that the task will be complet-ed as requested. The manager should not have to think of the matter again until and unless it becomes necessary for him to add or clarify points.
delegates
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Job Knowledge
The effective leader should know the technical in’s and out’s of his
field. The patrol supervisor is a sort of “_________” and much more when it comes to the specifics and mechanics of getting the job done. The detective sergeant is likewise a “senior investigator” in addi-tion to being a leader.
master patrolman
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Interest:
The top-notch police leader is alive with interest. Interest in his
job, interest in his people, interest in the twists and turns of life itself help to motivate him. The person who desires only to be a ________ while surviving in a small, limiting world of his own making has little prospect for a successful leadership career.
left alone
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Interest:
He uses the tele-vision set for something more than a sleep inducer and lives life fully. His interest in life itself is _______ to those around him.
contagious
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Patience and Empathy
As a result, he is understanding and patient with them. The wise supervisor is acutely aware of his own __________.
weaknesses
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Tact
The truly capable supervisor knows more than what to say in a
given communication with another human being. He also knows when, where, and how to say it. The _______ supervisor knows that the manner in which he passes along criticism as well as praise can be extremely important to the feelings of his subordinates. It is also vital to his reputation as a fair and compassionate leader.
sharp
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Tact:
The tactful supervisor praises his people in public and criticizes or
corrects those individuals in private meetings with them. He extends to them the same _______ he would expect from his own boss.
courtesies
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Tact:
The smart supervisor never uses an individual as a ____ or example of either good or bad to others. Such a performance by the leader is practically guaranteed to bring the displayed employee the ill will of many of his peers if he is being praised and their sympathy if he is being labeled as the “goat.”
model
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Trust:
A _____ supervisor does not require that the honesty, integrity, and
ability of his subordinates be conclusively proven to him at the outset of their relationship. Instead, he assumes that all of these qualities are present in his people until and unless solid evidence proves the con-trary to be true.
wise
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Trust:
In a field where _______ is all-important, the supervisor believes in their innocence until guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
justice
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Trust:
Nonetheless, even while probing his subordinate’s actions, the common sense supervisor communicates an attitude of trust and ______ for the involved officer. Impartiality in the misconduct inquiry does not rule out trust until such point as trust is shown to be unwarranted. Impartiality does, however, call for open-mindedness and a feeling for the citizen’s point of view.
empathy
CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEADER:
Fairness
He will be obliged to either work to overcome any ______ in his actions and attitudes or remove himself from the leadership role entrusted to him.
unfairness
BARS TO LEADERSHIP:
Just as there are important strengths he must cultivate in himself, there are ________ traits and tendencies that he must avoid. To succumb to any of them could destroy his ability to lead effectively. At the very least, failing to overcome the bad effects of one or more of these enemies will compromise his position as a leader. Some of the more dangerous offenders are not hard to identify:
dangerous
Frequent Displays of Temper to Subordinates:
To get really, visibly angry occasionally shows that an individual is
human. To _____ the anger at a subordinate or coworker in a tirade of verbal abuse is an indicator of a lack of maturity and self-control that a supervisor cannot afford to display.
direct
Frequent Displays of Temper to Subordinates:
The field sergeant will encounter situations requiring immediate
corrective action, as found in the foregoing instance. However, he should________ encounter a situation requiring public, immediate, and summary tail-chewing of his personnel. Good leadership simply is not done that way anymore.
seldom
Frequent Displays of Temper to Subordinates:
Discipline should not be administered when the one administering
it is ______ about the transgression involved.
still angry
Playing Favorites with Subordinates
No one can say that the police supervisor’s subordinates cannot
also be his ________. Off-duty friendships and relationships cannot be allowed, however, to influence the way in which the leader treats his subordinates at work.
friends
Playing Favorites with Subordinates
The supervisor who practices favoritism is probably hurting the ______ of such favors far more than he is helping him. Isolation and abuse of the officer from his fellow employees are rather stiff penalties to pay for special favors from above.
recipient
Playing Favorites with Subordinates
It goes almost without saying that the police supervisor must exercise even more ______ where friendships with police employees of the opposite sex are involved.
discretion
Playing Favorites with Subordinates
Male police officers—in spite of the convincingly macho image they enjoy portraying—are among the working world’s worst gossips and ______. Many like nothing better than a good tale to carry and perhaps embroider a bit for added interest. If sex can be injected into the story, it’s even better.
scolds
Playing Favorites with Subordinates
If the relationship is one that the supervisor and his or her friend want to maintain, a _____________ for one of them is probably a necessity. The change must be sig-nificant enough that the supervisor/supervised work connection is broken entirely.
change in assignment
Playing Favorites with Subordinates:
The subordinate who is suspected of receiving ________ treatment from a friendly boss really is getting heat from two sides.
preferential
Holding a Grudge or Getting Even with Subordinates:
Human or not, grudge-holding and ploys to “even the score” are
not things that the ethical supervisor can afford to _____. They can destroy his effectiveness as a respected leader and, when carried to extremes, can cost him his job.
indulge
Distorting the Truth with Lies or Intentional Omissions:
The police supervisor can pull all kinds of stunts and tell various
lies to make his job seem easier at the moment. Such peace is, however, an _______, and even that is liable to be short-lived. Any respite an intentionally deceitful leader might feel will be temporary in nature. It may sound trite to say that most lies require even more lies to support them, and that eventually most of the untruths come home to haunt their author. Life experience would show, however, that both of these statements are very frequently true.
illusion
Setting a Poor Example:
It is absolutely inexcusable for a police leader to expect his people to perform in a given fashion while he sets an example in just the opposite direction.
Seen as a CARDINAL SIN
Setting a Poor Example:
Any manager worth his rank should immediately _______ his
first-line supervisor when that supervisor’s people all show similar weaknesses or faults. If they are routinely late getting to work, when is the sergeant getting to his post? If they show little interest or initia-tive for their jobs, what is their supervisor’s expressed and demon-strated attitude in that regard? There may be some interesting corre-lations.
The alert manager will look for them. The smart supervisor will know this and see to it that what the boss sees in his officers speaks well of them and their leader.
scrutinize
Setting a Poor Example:
Good work, a good attitude, and a disposition for exceptional ___________ really can be contagious. It is up to the conscientious supervisor to guarantee that his approach to leadership is one of “do as I do.” A poor example set by a leader is unbecoming, unethical, and unacceptable.
customer service
Showing No Loyalty to Anything or Anyone:
In placing his own welfare considerably above that of his subordinate, he displayed a lack of ownership in standards of ethical conduct. He abandoned his officer when he felt it was polit-ically expedient to do so. He attempted to “fade the heat” for himself while leaving his underling to bake. In the end, this supervisor was loyal to nothing beyond his desire for job survival with what he as-sumed to be a tyrannical boss.
This is referring to the boss who immediately took the side of the citizen over the officer without doing an investigation.
Showing No Loyalty to Anything or Anyone:
The police supervisor who is capable of little loyalty to anything
or anyone is in the wrong line of work. The acceptance of the rank of unit or team leader implies immediate and concurrent acceptance of the problems, faults, and difficulties of that unit’s members, as well as ownership in the unit’s successes and strong points. The would-be leader who would abandon his ethics, his employees, or the welfare of the agency itself when faced with controversy or other discomfort has _______ in the leadership ranks of law enforcement. He is not up to handling difficult tasks.
no place
Showing No Loyalty to Anything or Anyone:
______ cannot be his overpowering concern in all things. Morally courageous actions do not emanate from wishy-washy supervisors.
Comfort
Showing No Loyalty to Anything or Anyone:
Loyalty also means that the supervisor will not use his subordinates as _________ or expendable tools to reach a higher position in the agency. The individual who utilizes his employees’ talents only to further his own career will leave a trail of hostility and distrust behind him. A good leader cannot afford such reckless irresponsibility.
stepping stones
COMMAND PRESENCE
Command presence is not necessarily an ______ thing to define.
However, it is widely considered to be an invaluable asset for a police officer to possess. This goes double for police leaders. Its precise nature remains somewhat hazy, all the same.
easy
COMMAND PRESENCE
Command presence has been referred to as the ability to appear
in total control of oneself, regardless of how confused or confounded the surrounding situation may be. Command presence is not, however, reflected in a saintly expression of ________ on the face of its owner. (Such a demeanor in a situation of real disaster would proba-bly reveal a true lunatic, not a true leader!) Rather, the leader with considerable skill in displaying an air of command presence exudes an attitude of self-confidence as well as self-control under stressful surroundings.
absolute peace
COMMAND PRESENCE
Command presence demands a lot from the leader who would
practice it. First of all it calls for command ability. Command, in turn, speaks of _______, control, mastery, and confidence, to list just a few of the dictionary’s terms used to describe it.
authority
COMMAND PRESENCE
The effective supervisor cannot afford to allow _________ or
timidity to become part of his character.
indecisiveness
COMMAND PRESENCE
He cannot permit _______ fear or unreasoning anger to control his actions or dictate his words. Rather, he must remain obviously in control and visibly confident in his outward expression and attitude. Depending upon the situation at hand, such a display might require the talents of a polished actor to supplement those of a talented leader.
disabling
MORALE AS A TOOL:
The uniformed officer might say that to him, “good morale” means that he actually looks forward to ________, hitting the street, and making a decent pinch or two.
going to work
MORALE AS A TOOL:
The police supervisor can _______ a lot to good morale by
encouraging a good work environment and good working relationships.
contribute
MORALE AS A TOOL
From the subordinate officer’s viewpoint, it means:
1) the chance to do his job with minimal unwarranted interference from the boss,
2) having the proper tools to do a proper job,
3) having adequate training and sound procedural guide-lines to apply to work problems,
4) and having a supervisor who is ______ when needed and who is not an omnipresent hindrance when he is not required.
available
MORALE AS A TOOL
He also knows that it is his responsibility to help his people get along by _______ personality clashes and personal grievances as they come up.
Confronting
MORALE AS A TOOL
He helps personally where he can and makes _______ referrals for help in areas where his own knowledge is limited.
careful
SUMMARY
As a leader, the police supervisor will have many and _______ tasks, none of which is more vital than his obligation to prepare his subordinates for their work.
diverse
POINTS TO REMEMBER
1) ______ and personal courage are among the most important traits that a law enforcement leader can demonstrate.
Integrity
POINTS TO REMEMBER
2) Vision, common sense, loyalty, truthfulness, reliability, job knowledge, interest, patience, empathy, tact, trust, and _______ are also vital characteristics of an effective leader.
fairness
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
3) Frequent displays of _______ and playing favorites among subordinates are highly destructive to a leader’s effectiveness
temper
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
4) Gossiping and ________ are not games in which the ethical supervisor can participate.
rumor-mongering
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
5) Holding grudges and seeking _____ against others will sabotage the leader’s effectiveness.
revenge
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
6) Lying or setting a poor example also will destroy a supervisor’s abil-ity to lead effectively
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
7) The best leaders display _____ command presence without appear-ing arrogant.
ample
