Running head: FORMS OF LEADERSHIP 1

Forms of Leadership

John W. Liles II

LEPSL 540

February 19, 2018

Gary Morrison
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Forms of Leadership

The Module 4 assignment of Organizational Leadership is a reflection paper about

Transactional Leadership and Transformative Leadership. Each style possesses qualities that are

beneficial to leaders in a professional context. However, in the following assignment that will be

discussed is how I have used, or plan to use, each leadership style in my current position as a

police sergeant. I will explain if I have been successful and what I would do differently in the

future.

Transactional Leadership

The first style to be discussed is transactional leadership. To better understand this form

of leadership we must first define it. According to Nahavandi (2015) “Transactional Leadership

is based on the concept of exchange between leaders and followers. The leader provides

followers with resources and rewards in exchange for motivation, productivity, and effective task

accomplishments (p.188)”. Therefore, the exchange occurs when the leader offers rewards for

achievements and punishment for those who fall short. Thus, the exchange may not always be

positive and can be the punishment of the subordinate for lack of accomplishments. The

Transactional leader must also understand the offer of reward may not be in their control (Bass

1990). For instance, a Lieutenant may offer to their shift sergeants a promotion to anyone who

completes X, Y & Z. But is this a realistic reward. The answer is no. They do not have the

power to bypass minimum time in grade requirement, the testing process, and union contracts to

grant these rewards. Transactional leadership has its place in an organization. However, those

who lean solely to this form of leadership generally become involved with their workforce only

when standards are not being met. Who would want their only interactions with their supervisors

when addressing their faults or shortcomings?

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I have found transactional leadership to be effective when challenging my staff to

perform at a higher level. Some examples have been when offering extra vacation days to

officers when they perform noteworthy arrests. A specific example is when I brief that we have

a homicide suspect or a sexual predator victimizing people in our area command. I may offer a

vacation day to anyone who finds and arrests these types of criminals. Clearly the officers would

go out and look for this individual regardless of my offer, but the offer of a reward might be the

extra catalyst needed to find the suspect. Another example where I’ve positively used

transactional leadership is when creating friendly competition among the squad. I remember one

day, when there was no particular suspect on our radar, offering a squad challenge to anyone

who had the “best” arrest of the day. I offered no parameters or restrictions; accept that the squad

had to vote on who the winner was. The reward was a highly sought after fly along that I had

pre-arranged with the air support sergeant. I remember hearing the chatter on the radio of officers

making an unusually higher number of car stops, and person stops in hopes of obtaining the ride

along in the helicopter.

I believe that I have been successful with capitalizing on the positive attributes of

transactional leadership, like the examples provided. However, I do not personally subscribe to

the notion of threatening subordinates with discipline when not meeting standards. For

performance related issues I tend to lean heavier into the realm of transformational leadership.

Transformational Leadership

When understanding the role of transformational leadership in law enforcement, it is

important to know that it is in contrast to the transactional style. Transformative leaders, as stated

by Mazerolle et al. (2013) “have four key characteristics: first, they tend to be charismatic, acting

in admirable ways that result in subordinates following them...second, they are inspirational
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motivators, conveying a strategic direction that is appealing to their followers…third, they

provide intellectual stimulation, where they challenge preconceptions, take risks and seek out

their followers’ ideas…finally, they can be measured by the degree to which they act as a mentor

or coach (p.545).” How are these attributes relevant to a police sergeant in the field? When

sergeants are out in the field, exhibiting all the qualities listed above, they are creating the

environment necessary for subordinates engage with the public. Being an inspirational leader

and leading by example is the cornerstone to mastering transformational leadership.

As a patrol sergeant, I understand the importance of staying current on my administrative

duties. They are the least favorite part of my job, but important nonetheless. I have seen

supervisors in the past who shirk these mundane tasks, however, it may not be trivial to the

officer. It is part of taking care of the officer. However, a balance must occur. I have put a one-

hour maximum cap on my office duties after a briefing. If I have not completed all my

administrative function, I simply walk away from my desk, leave the station and begin patrolling

out in the field. I stick to this rule because many mentors taught me the 80/20 rule, which I have

forced myself to maintain. This rule ensures that 20 % of my time I devoted to administrative

duties and 80 % on field operations. The troops notice it when I’m out in the field, as I did when

I was a patrol officer.

I would like to think I have been successful at maintaining a transformational leadership

style as a supervisor. I have taken further steps to receive an education. I completed my

criminal justice degree and am working towards my masters. I believe to be an effective and

credible transformative leader it is essential to seek higher education. I have begun to push my

officers towards taking advantage of training opportunities and educational benefits. It seems,

even if they are or are not receptive to the idea, they appreciate me making an effort to offer it.
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Was I successful, why or why not? What would I do differently in the future?

I think I have been successful. What I believed has made me successful, as a police

sergeant thus far, is I remain engaged and open to trying new things. Whether it is offering

incentives or creating some friendly competition to try and reduce crime, I will try just about

anything. I am only limited by my imagination. I will continue to get to know who my officers

are, what are their likes and dislikes, their strengths and weaknesses and I deploy them

accordingly. I make a concerted effort to remain fair and consistent with my officer.

The final question is; what would I do differently in the future? The simple answer is, I

don’t know. To date, I would not change much because I believe I have an understanding of

what a transformative leader is and I try to emulate those qualities. However, I would absolutely

try something different if it would work better. One of the things I learned in week two of this

course was the Big Five Personality Dimensions of a leader. One of the five traits was

"openness to experience." That is one of the reasons I am seeking higher education. I have a lot

of experience and knowledge, but I do not know everything. Therefore, as a leader, I will

continue to self-monitor and adjust accordingly.

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References

Bass, B. M. (1990). From Transactional to Transformational Leadership: Learning to Share the

Vision. Organizational Dynamics, 18(3), 19-31.

Mazerolle, L., Darroch, S. & White, G. (2013),"Leadership in problem-oriented policing",

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, Vol. 36 Iss 3 pp.

543 - 560


Nahavandi, A. (2015). The Art of Science and Leadership (7th ed.). Kirby Street: Pearson

Education.