Leadership Training and an Integrated Introduction to Psychology for Police Officers (From Police Selection and Training, P 285-299, 1986, John C Yuille, ed - See NCJ-104142)

• NCJ Number: 104159
• Author(s): G Steiner
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 15 pages
• Sale Source: Martinus Nijhoff Publishing
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

This chapter describes a leadership training course offered to police sergeants in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Abstract

The course focused on the meaning of leadership and its crucial processes, practicing leadership skills through role play and acquiring some security in their execution, designing an individual program for leadership in the 4 to 6 months after the course, and discussing leadership problems more frankly with colleagues. In addition to dealing with stress-related emotions, the course examined a number of critical leadership incidents. These included disobedience of subordinates, dissatisfaction with work, lack of discipline, interpersonal quarrels, problems with supervisors, and individual problems. A number of psychological topics also were incorporated into the course. Maslow's pyramid of needs (e.g., security, acceptance, self-actualization) were adapted to the professional situation of police officers. Also examined were inappropriate behaviors of recently promoted leaders, the role of emotions in leadership, and handling conflict and frustration. At the end of the course, each officer is required to identify one or two leadership tasks with which he will cope in a more skilled manner in the future. A 6-month followup session is devoted to evaluating the effects of training and recounting individual applications of what has been learned. 1 footnote and 6 references.