Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Review 1
Review 1
LEADERSHIP WITHIN LAW ENFORCEMENT: A
BOOK REVIEW ON JIM COLLINS’ “GOOD TO
GREAT”
by Sara Asplund
enforcement leaders at every level, and simplistic, in turn, will engender a better
then giving them work that is fulfilling and perception of law enforcements
satisfies the individual’s desire for success commitment to their core mission.
is essential to cultivating a culture of
competence that can become self- Conclusion
sustaining. The alternative is fumbling in
the dark, having no programs for finding It is not accidental that the concept of
and fostering talented persons, and wasting core mission recurs in the discussion of
precious time and resources having to leadership. If nothing else persists of this
repeat the process, because the individuals paper’s discussion of leadership and law
leave for greener pastures. enforcement, preserve the idea that
leadership in law enforcement must clearly
Facing Facts define and disseminate the core values and
core mission of their entities and make
Essential to creating a culture of leaders every effort to ensure that the individuals
concerned in raising the overall level of responsible for realizing that common
competence of the organization are several vision are the best possible candidates,
virtues that can fall under the general empowered to question authority and
rubric of “Facing Facts.” Great leadership effect change and progress and armed with
cannot be afraid to confront the facts of facts. Then they can make what would
any situation, nor can it surround itself otherwise be empty slogans into a reality
with persons afraid to face facts or speak that the community can see in action and
truth to power. Great leaders must rally around. In this way, those remarkable
empower their teams to raise the red flag individuals who stand in the intersections
and question anything, without fear of of our society can be made powerful and
reprisal (Collins, 2001, 79-80). positive agents for the safety and
Collins recounts how Winston preservation of the communities to which
Churchill created a whole department to they have been entrusted.
provide him with unfiltered, stark,
unadorned facts. Because he was unafraid Works Cited
to face those facts, Churchill never
allowed himself to be lulled into a false Bass, B. (2000). The Future Of Leadership
sense of security, while still maintaining In Learning Organizations. Journal of
the highest stated goals. “Facts are better Leadership Studies, 7/3, p.18.
than dreams,” he said (Collins, 2001, 73).
That is not to say that greatness does not Bowman, M.; Carlson, P.; Colvin, R.;
dream, nor that greatness is devoid of Green, G. (2006). The Loss of Talent:
vision. Law enforcement organizations Why Local and State Law Enforcement
embracing the principle of facing facts will Officers Resign to Becom FBI Agents and
be in a better position to respond to What Agencies Can Do About It. Public
situations in a reasoned manner, while Personnel Management , 35 (2), 121-136.
remaining true to their core mandate to
serve and protect, because they will resist Collins, J. (2001). Good to Great: Why
the temptation to look for easy answers to Some Companies Make the Leap ... and
complex problems. Refusing to be Others Don't. New York: HarperCollins
Publishers Inc.
Rao, C. (2001). Globalization And Its Vosburgh, R. (2005). The One Thing You
Managerial Implications. Westport, Need To Know: About Great Managing,
CT: Quorum Books. Great Leading, And Sustained Individual
Success. Human Resource Planning,
28/2, p.27.