Being a Servant Leader: Assessing the Emotional and Mental Impacts of Police Leadership Orientation

• In Event: Leadership in Policing

Abstract

This study utilizes a survey of police leaders from three sessions of the FBI National Academy in 2024 to explore the potential adverse effects of an adherence to a “servant leadership” style orientation. Much of the leadership literature is prescriptive and focuses on the modern leaders’ responsibility to care for and put the needs of their subordinates before their own, but little work has been done to examine the emotional and mental toll of leading. Furthermore, while there has been an increased focus on police officers’ mental health, much of this focus is placed on front line officers, rather than those leading police organizations. Using the servant leadership framework, which contextualizes such leadership behaviors, we examine some of the adverse consequences of adopting a stronger adherence to this leadership style. Specifically, we examine how respondents’ adherence to a servant leadership orientation may relate to burnout, work-life balance issues, and life and job satisfaction, while also evaluating other confounding factors, such as job resources and demands, supervisor trust and fairness. Policy and research implications will be discussed.

Authors

• David White, Ferris State University

• Ian Graham, Ferris State University

• Joseph Schafer, Arizona State University