Law Enforcement and Leadership in Policing Organization - Essay Example

There is a difference between leaders and managers in policing organizations, as the former has referent power while the latter enjoys legitimate power. Leaders in policing organizations are people who have gained respect from their work while managers are people who have been appointed based on their skill or experience.

Managers and Leaders

Leaders and managers in the policing organization both serve different purposes. In the line of duty, police officers are often risking their lives to protect the common people. This dangerous nature of their job makes them different from other types of employees who work for banks or other companies. Also because of the nature of the jobs of police officers leadership becomes extremely important. Police officers will only follow the directives of a leader whom they respect and admire. They will risk their lives not for a person who only enjoys legitimate authority, but for a leader who has earned their respect. This is the foremost difference between a leader and a manager in policing organizations.

Another difference between leaders and managers in policing organizations is the attitude with which they approach work. Managers often rely on standards and procedures, while leaders are more interested in solutions and results (Dobbs & Field, 1993). A leader is more inclined to get solutions while a manager is more focused on following standards. Leadership in policing organizations requires quick decision making which is why standards cannot always be followed by the book (Gaines & Kappeler, 2011). Management involves making sure that every unit of the organization is working in the right manner which is quite different from leadership in policing organizations.

Leadership in policing organizations is developed through a combination of different skills like education, experience, and mentorship (Schafer, 2009). A manager is typically selected based on his or her experience. This is another area where leadership and management differ in policing organizations. A manager is promoted based on his or her experience and is always appointed. On the other hand,d a leader is developed through admiration and enjoys referent power instead of legitimate power. This is mainly because of the emotional aspect of the job of police officers. A leader in a policing organization needs to motivate employees using mentorship and charisma to make police officers perform their duties effectively.

Conclusion
Leadership and management are vastly different especially in the field of policing because of the peculiar nature of jobs in a policing organization. Leadership in the policing organization requires an emotional dimension so that police officers follow every instruction given by the leader at all times. Read More