“A balancing act”: host leadership as a model for the police force

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore a new way of thinking about leadership within the police force, moving away from the metaphor of the “hero” and focusing on the idea of a “host” leader.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses the College of Policing Leadership Review (2015) to examine current approaches to leadership within the police force and considers how host leadership methods could benefit police at all levels.

Findings

There is a long-term challenge for the police force, as initial selection tends to test for heroic skills, whereas engagement and consensus building then become more important. As the need for more team-based, engaging approaches continues to drive leadership thinking in the UK’s police service, populating the service with individuals who are adept at drawing out the best in their teams, without treating them as foot soldiers, is crucial.

Originality/value

This paper is an original piece of research from Dr McKergow and Mr Miller.

Citation

McKergow, M. and Miller, C. (2016), "“A balancing act”: host leadership as a model for the police force", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 6-8. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-02-2016-0012