Public Safety Leadership: What It Takes To Be a Top-Notch Manager/Leader
By – Dr. Michael Beshears
Being an effective manager/leader is critical in all professions, but it is especially important for those working in the various fields associated with public safety. Police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service personnel require people who have the tools and skills to be top-notch managers and leaders. What does it take to be a leader in public safety?
Management and leadership are a craft that demands specific tools. However, quality managerial tools are not forged easily. It takes hard work, diligence and dedication to improving one’s knowledge, skills, and understanding of people. Such tools are forged through education, an empathetic understanding of people (an ability to step into the shoes of another person, aiming to understand their feelings and perspectives and to use that understanding to make good managerial decisions in the best interest of the subordinate and the organization), and of course hands-on experience.
[Related: Public Safety Leadership: Be Cautious of Extreme Narcissists]
A Master Mechanic’s Toolbox
“When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail” (Maslow, 1966).
Let us use the following analogy to further explain my toolbox of management concept. A master mechanic’s toolbox is organized and contains several tools. When the master mechanic examines a needed repair he/she does so with the exact tool or tools required. The true master mechanic seldom, if ever, has to return to one’s toolbox, because a real master knows the specific tool needed. This requires education, experience, and understanding of one’s craft.
A “shade tree” mechanic (an amateur mechanic) may have a toolbox with few or several tools, but the tools are usually not organized and the correct tool is seldom selected the first time. The shade tree mechanic usually attempts to apply the wrong tool or simply tries to make do with what they have. The master mechanic, on the other hand, never makes do but seeks to ensure optimal performance by applying their craft to the best of their abilities.
Have you ever known, (a shade tree manager, to coin a phrase), a person who may have the title of manager, but seldom repairs or makes adjustments for optimal performance? I submit that most likely you have encountered such individuals in various managerial positions. To avoid becoming a shade tree manager; do not limit your managerial toolbox to only a hammer. It is important to educate yourself. Read about and study management and continue to learn as much as you can about your chosen field. “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers” (Truman, nd).
The Importance of Education
“Education is the mother of leadership” (Willkie, 1943).
Add tools to your managerial toolbox by taking advantage of every opportunity to learn more about managerial concepts and theories via continuing education courses. However, remember when reading and studying different concepts and theories you do so with an open mind and do not discount any theories. It is okay to agree or disagree with a concept or theory, but do not discard it. In fact, the educational journey should be full of disagreement, valid argument, and debate over theories. The key word here is valid, that is, information that supports one’s arguments with scholarly research rather than from unreliable and/or biased sources. In other words, be on the lookout for confirmation bias from unreliable non-scholarly sources i.e., from classmate know-it-alls, non-scholarly online sources, or from previously known shade tree managers.
An education will not only add more managerial tools to your toolbox, it will begin your educational journey to be a master at your chosen craft as a quality manager/leader. Remember an education in itself does not make one a top-notch manager/leader—top-notch managers know the value of actively listening to colleagues, as well as subordinates. They have an empathetic understanding of people and basic human nature.
The Value of Understanding People
“If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is, but if you treat him, as if he were what he ought to be, he will become what he ought to be and could be” (Geothe, 1842).
An empathetic understanding of people and human nature, in general, is a primary tool that should constantly be improved upon in the craft of management and/or leadership. A quality manager/leader understands that people may be simple, complex and/or multifaceted, as each person is driven by different motivators above and beyond Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Simply put: Self-actualization is different for each individual depending on what is important to that individual and their stage in life e.g., a 50-year-old cannot be managed the same as a 30-year-old as each is in a different stage in their life. The shade tree manager often fails to understand this basic reality. This is due to their lack of an empathetic understanding of people and human nature in general. Or, it may simply be that the shade tree manager has not been adequately trained or educated in the importance of empathy and the understanding of human nature. In addition, the shade tree manager may lack the hands-on experience and/or lack the maturity it takes to deal with others as a manager. As a result, this type of manager tends to manage by fear, where every problem resembles a nail.
Remember, the understanding of human nature and people, in general, is a primary tool that should constantly be improved upon in the craft of management or leadership. People who have the ability to empathize with others usually know how to talk with and motivate others to overcome obstacles. These individuals are usually able to break communication barriers and achieve both positive organizational results and earn respect from others.
I submit that it should be every manager’s ambition to become a top-notch manager, continually seeking to fill his or her toolbox and seeking to master such tools in an effort to lead people efficiently and effectively.
Who would you rather work for, someone who thinks they’re unapproachable or untouchable or someone who is willing to listen to you with empathy? I would submit the latter.
About the Author,
Dr. Beshears has an associate degree in general studies and a dual baccalaureate degree in criminal justice and psychology from Drury University. In addition, he has three graduate degrees, one in criminology from Indiana State University and another in health services management from Webster University. Plus, an additional 18 graduate hours in public administration. His Ph.D. is in business with a specialization in criminal justice from Northcentral University. Dr. Beshears after 22 years of honorable service retired from the United States Army in 1998, at the rank of Master Sergeant. While on active duty he was the Non-commissioned Officer of the Year at 2 different commands and an Army Leadership Academy Honor Graduate. As a civilian, he has worked with the local sheriff’s department, state drug task force and FBI. Dr. Beshears has acquired over 20 years of teaching experience in the traditional and online teaching environment. He has an extensive background and first-hand experience in online andragogy instruction, as one of the first Internet (online) course developers and instructors. Since 1994, he has instructed 10,000+ online and traditional students in criminal justice, corrections, and management. He has mentored numerous colleagues in the skills required to instruct online while promoting student success. Dr. Beshears resides with his wife Dr. Michelle Beshears, their son Hunter, and daughter Malia near Norfork and Bull Shoals Lakes, in Clarkridge, Arkansas. He also has three beautiful grown daughters Michele, Cora, and Mollye.
Peer-Reviewed Publications Include:
Beshears, M. L. (2017). Effectiveness of Police Social Media Use. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 42(3), 489-501.
Beshears, M. L., Beshears, M. L., Weiss, D., & Crocker, C. D. (2017). Sex Offender Community Notification Law Reform: A Call for More Active, Consistent, and Detailed Information about High-Risk Offenders. International Journal of Social Science Studies, 5(5), 71-78.
Beshears, M. L. (2015). Network Theory: Effectiveness of Social Media Networks Created by Sheriff Offices (Doctoral dissertation, Northcentral University).
Presentations Include:
Scheduled to present at the 2019 Convention of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences between March 26-30th, in Baltimore, Maryland; topic entitled, Understanding the Psychology of Officer-Precipitated-Conflict. Co-presenters criminal justice professors, Dr. Michelle Beshears, and Dr. Mark Bond.
Presented Oxford University, London (video webinar/virtual lecture). Topic – Gun Violence in American. Conducted September 07, 2018. The lecture was live-streamed to graduate students in the sociology program and their professor. Co-presenters were criminal justice professors, Dr. Michelle Beshears, and Dr. Mark Bond.
Presented at the 2018 Convention of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences on February 17, 2018, in New Orleans, Louisiana; entitled, Social Media Use: A Tool for Solving Crimes and Building Community Relations. Co-presenters were criminal justice professors, Dr. Michelle Beshears, and Dr. Mark Bond.
Presented at the 2017 Convention of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences on March 25, 2017, in Kansas City, Missouri, entitled, Narcissism in Policing Organizations: What to Look for and How to Correct it.
Presented Oxford University, London (video conference). Topic – Black Lives Matter: Social Justice 2.0 September 26, 2017. The lecture was live-streamed to graduate students in the sociology program and their professor. Co-presenters were criminal justice professors, Dr. Michelle Beshears, Dr. Mark Bond, and Nicole Cain (Ph.D. c).
Beshears, M.L., & Beshears, M.L., (May 7, 2014). Sloan C Discussion. “Briefing of 7th Annual Emerging Technologies for Online Learning International Symposium,” APUS, Adobe Connect – Phone and Online.
First Published – In Public Safety with American Military University
References
Goethe, J. W. (1842). Faust: Eine Tragodie. C. Van der Post.
Maslow, A. H. (1966). The psychology of science: A reconnaissance. New York: Harper & Row.
Truman, H.S. (nd). Goodreads. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/95682-not-all-readers-are-leaders-but-all-leaders-are-readers
Willkie, W. L. (1943). Freedom and the Liberal Arts. The American Scholar, 12(2), 135-142.
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