Relationship between Metropolitan Police Leaders' Styles and Traits and Assessments of their Performance and Potential.

• In Event: Police Leadership: Assessments, Education, and Training

Abstract

The study profiled Metropolitan Police Service, Senior Operational Leaders’ leadership styles and traits and how they correlated to Chief Officers’ independent assessments of performance and future potential. Findings are based on self-completed questionnaire survey data from 63% of 219 Superintendents and Chief Superintendents and official performance and potential scores. Survey respondents were transformational, transactional and engaged irrespective of gender, ethnicity, age, service length or educational qualifications but differed across rank, career pathway and time in the rank, indicating that operational experience rather than demographics impact on leadership style. However, style had little effect on assessment scores for performance (more passive-avoidant scored lower for performance) and none on scores for potential. Traits showed more variance across demographics and those who self-assessed as more driven, energetic, resolute, self-initiating, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, persistent and proactive were scored higher for performance. However, no such correlations existed between traits and assessments of potential. Whilst traits had more impact than leadership styles on assessments of performance, neither had any bearing on assessments of potential. Either leadership potential is not linked to differences in styles or traits or Chief Officers do not have a consistent view of leadership potential or how to assess it.

Authors

• Joanna Mary Alison Young, Cambridge University

• Richard Coupe, Cmabridge University