Types of Leaders
Leaders of the LAPD come in many types. Past and present leaders continue to shape the LAPD organization. There are leaders in every rank of the department, leaders who always strive to get better production from the department. Within each division in the department there are leaders of all kinds.
There are many different types of leaders. Some of the types of leaders include a pacesetter leader who leads by his example and expects his employees do as he does. This type of leader is great when the team is highly motivated and are skilled enough to perform the tasks as needed. Another type of leader utilizes a common vision to keep his employees focused on the end goal. This leader is referred to as the authorities leader and is great at redirecting the employees to keep them focused, however can backfire if the team is experts in their field.
A few more types of leaders are the affiliative leader who establishes an emotional bond and is able to create a family within the organization. This leader is able to put people ahead of anything else and is very focused during stressful times yet can cause poor performance due to a lack of vision. Another type of leader is one that is called a coaching leader, this leader is great at molding people to be future leaders. This leader has shortcomings when it comes to stubborn employees who are not willing to learn or change.
The last set of leaders are the coercive and democratic leaders. The coercive leader is stern and demands that things be done when he says so. This leader is very good in times of emergency, but struggles to keep followers due to the demanding style. The democratic leader allows the employees to think for themselves and contribute in the decision making process creating a sense of ownership of the plan. This type is not great in emergency situations however or when time is critical. (Benincasa, May )
Great leaders are able to switch between the different types of leadership styles to create the outcome that is desired, also preventing the unwanted outcomes that are the weak points of each leadership style. The LAPD will need each and every style of leadership to continue to be the great department that they are.
Qualities of Effective Leaders
How Resources and Constraints Affect Decision-Making
When it comes to making decisions, there are always factors that will affect the process of making those decisions. There are different resources and constraints in the public protection service area, which affect the decision making of different leaders. Due to this, often times public leaders are forced to make the most minimal choices that can affect the community. The lack of resources can affect the way that both internal and external audiences function. Constraints can also affect all the many different programs and services that may be provided to the public protection service area. For example, some of the constraints can include the amount of personnel available. Other constraints can cause services to be limited which can affect trainings for police officers, and lack of proper and up to date equipment.
According to "Los Angeles Police Department" (n.d.), "the quality and extent of service provided are necessarily limited by available resources which are to a large extent dependent upon the revenue sources of the City." (Volume 1: Policy). When there is a lack of revenue, it is very difficult to advance in providing higher service. When leaders take on their roles to full effectiveness, they are expected to make sure that policy implementation and budgeting are in full functional order, so that programs and personnel are not affected by any decisions they may have to make.
Personnel, also known as the chief, police officers, and so forth are very important to the functioning role of public protection. They serve not only their own department but also help serve the community. Communication is a key factor between them, and therefore; proper decisions must be made when it comes to their training and equipment. When there is lack of communication, there is lack of training and response. Lack of resources during a case of emergency, can cause police officers to act on impulse instead of acting with the proper department training.
Conclusion
Unity is very important in the success of effective leaders. Leaders must come together in order to serve their departments to full potential. Leaders must not only inspire themselves, but also their departments and their communities. They aspire to do as much as they can with limited resources, they communicate with their internal and external audiences. Although leaders, face the importance of making difficult decisions, they must be able to make informed decisions when needed. Building trust within the workplace can be difficult, but when leaders take the step to allow their teams to feel comfortable, they have the ability of raising awareness and growth. Along with growth, comes confidence and the ability to create an effective organization with a great team and successful leader.