Leadership
Presented by:
The Association for Fire & Police Cadets
http://www.a4fpc.org
https://www.facebook.com/a4fpc
Rules of the class
 If you have the question raise your hand
 To answer a question raise your hand
 No side conversations
 If there is a side conversation the class will
stop and this will waste time
 Take Notes
 Everyone is expected to participate
Today’s Goals:
Today we will cover
1. Different styles of leadership
2. Traits of a leader
3. Communication
4. Chain of command
5. Delegation
6. Initiative
7. Preparation & Planning
8. Praise & Punishment
9. If we have time we will do some hands-on
activities
Question for you
 Is there a difference between a Boss and
a Leader?
Yes
Key Difference
 Leaders are people that are
responsible for inspiring, guiding and
leading a group of people on a path
for a common cause.
 A boss is a person who is in charge of
the work place and tells you what to
do.
Question
 Can a leader be a boss and can a boss
be a leader?
 The simple answer is Yes
 But not all bosses are leaders.
 It depends on their leadership style!!
Leadership Styles
If you Google leadership styles there are
different answers to how many styles
there are, we have seen as few as 3 and
as many as 10 different styles.
We are going to concentrate on 3 of the
major styles today
The 3 main styles are!
1.Authoritarian Leadership
(Autocratic)
2.Participative Leadership
(Democratic)
3.Delegative Leadership
(Laissez-Faire)
Authoritarian Leaders
• Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders,
- provide clear expectations for what needs to be done,
- when it should be done,
- how it should be done.
• There is also a clear division between the leader and the followers.
-Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently with little or no
input from the rest of the group.
• Researchers found that decision-making was less creative under authoritarian
leadership and they have found that it is more difficult to move from an
authoritarian style to a democratic style than vice versa.
• Abuse of this style is usually viewed as
-controlling,
-bossy
-dictatorial
• Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time
for group decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable
member of the group.
Participative leadership
• Participative leadership, also known as democratic leadership, is generally
the most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders
- offer guidance to group members,
- but they also participate in the group and allow input from other
group members.
• Members in this group were less productive than the members of the
authoritarian group, but their contributions were of a much higher quality.
• Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the
final say over the decision-making process.
• Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and
creative.
Deligative Leadership
• Researchers found that team members under delegative leadership, also
known as laissez-fair leadership, were the least productive of all three
groups.
-The members in this group also made more demands on the leader,
showed little cooperation and were unable to work independently.
• Delegative leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave
decision-making up to group members.
• While this style can be effective in situations where group members are
highly qualified in an area of expertise, it often leads to poorly defined roles
and a lack of motivation.
Traits of a Leader
 We use Traits to
Characterize.
 Used to Define
 Some specific traits
help mold you in life
What traits do people need
to make them a good leader?
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Bearing
Courage
Decisiveness
Dependability
Endurance
Enthusiasm
Initiative
Integrity
Judgment
Justice
Knowledge
Loyalty
Tact
Unselfishness
Bearing
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Impression
Appearance
Personal Conduct
Not just wearing a pressed uniform
Self control
 Beware of uncontrolled displays of emotions
 Use of profanity and telling off color jokes
 Dignity
Courage
 Moral & Physical
courage
 Stand up for what you
know Is right no matter
what is typically
perceived.
 Never Quit
 Examples
 Understand the Risk
 Peer Pressure
Decisiveness
 Leaders need to make decisions timely and prompt
 Articulated clear, concise, and forceful manner.
 More than one way to handle a situation
 Quickly gather the relevant information
 Analyze the situation
 Decide the best course of action
 Execute
 Don’t be afraid to admit a mistake
 Remedy the decision by changing course
“In any moment of decision the best thing you can do
is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is
nothing.
Dependability
 Reliable
 Superiors and subordinates
 Ensure you have the best interest of the
post
 Strong attention to detail
 Once you lose credibility it’s difficult to
lead
“You cant build a reputation on what you
are going to do”
Henry Ford
Endurance
 Stamina is essential in Law
Enforcement & Fire Service
 Physically Fit
 Physical and Mentally
Endurance
 Reliable and persistent
“Work hard to keep fit. That
little extra stamina may
some day pull you out of
some deep holes.”
General Matthew Ridgway
Enthusiasm
 Spread enthusiasm in each and every task
 Its infectious to your Cadets.
 Encourage subordinates to perform to the best
of their ability.
 Ability to turn an uncomfortable situation into a
challenge.
 Academy Example
 “The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender”
 Vince Lombardi
Initiative
 Initiative
 Recognizing what needs to be done
without being told to do it.
 Innovative and improvise
 Doing something is generally better than
doing nothing
“Even if you’re on the right track. You’ll get
run over if you just sit there.”
Will Rogers
Integrity
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Most important human attribute
This a non negotiable trait
It is the basis of trust
It is characteristic that is earned
Make sure your facts are true and accurate
Rumors are very rarely true, don’t believe it
unless you hear it from the horses mouth
Judgment
 Judgment is the ability to logically
consider available information to reach
reasonable solutions to problems.
 Know how to apply common sense and
experience in everything
 Don’t get into a strangers car
Justice
 Know when to praise
 Know when to punish
 Be impartial and consistent in exercising
 Command
 Specifically the assessments of rewards and
demerits.
 Judge each situation separately on its merits.
 Be cautious and keep perspective
 Be fair in everything you do
Knowledge
 It is NOT expected that you know
everything
 You should be proficient in those topics
you expect your subordinates to know
 Its ok to not know something, but admit it.
 Do not fake that you know something
 Recognize and correct inadequate
performance, especially your own
Loyalty
 Need to be loyal both to your
subordinates and your superiors
 You need to give it in order to receive it
 IF you get a task from a superior, give it
your full support even though you might
not personally agree with it.
 Be loyal to your post, agency, jurisdiction,
and country
Tact
 Ability to deal with others in a respectful
manner during times of stress or when
offering critical appraisal.
 Do unto other as you would have them to
unto you
 Make critics meaningful, not embarrassing
or harmful.
 Consider the dignity of the Cadet by
realizing the impact of your comments.
 It’s not what you say, its how you say it
Unselfishness
 Essential to be unselfish
 Do not take advantage for personal
pleasure, gain , or safety at expense of
post.
 Look out for your Cadets before you look
out for yourself
 Share hardship, discomfort, and
undesirable task with your Cadets.
Difference between a
Leader and a Boss
Leader
Boss
Inspires employees
Drives employees
Depends on respect and honor
Depends on authority
Cares for your well-being
Cares for your productivity level
Says ‘We’
Says ‘I’
Inspires enthusiasm
Inspires fear
Gives credit
Takes credit
Says ‘Let’s go’
Says ‘Go’
Asks
Orders
Knows how it is done
Shows how it is done
Another Question for you
 Do you have to be a supervisor/boss to
be a leader in your organization?
NO
Anyone can be a leader
 If you can
 Inspire the group
 Help guide the group
 Lead the group on a path for the common
cause.
 You can be looked upon as a leader
 Is that not what part of this program
you belong to is about? Building
leaders!
Earning the respect of your
members
The number one reason why Members don’t respect their
Post Officers is because…..
The members don’t believe that they should be in that
position…
To avoid this from happening to you…. You must:
Follow the golden rules!
There are 7 golden rules
that lay the foundation of
a good leader:
 Lead by example (i.e. appearance, attendance, conduct
& participation)
 Display a positive attitude at all times
 Treat members equally and with respect
 Be confident in your leadership role
 Demonstrate knowledge of and enforce all rules and
regulations.
 Recognize and reinforce the positive actions of others
 Be approachable to everyone with questions and or
concerns
Communication
You must be able to effectively communicate to members and do it in a
manner that is appropriate.
-“It has nothing to do with what you say, but by how you say it.”
-A good way of avoiding saying something in a harsh manner is
“think before you speak”.
-Also, keep in mind that members listen to Post Officers that listen to
them. So it is imperative that you ask questions and opinions of the
members rather than constantly telling them things.
-If you’re having trouble keeping a group on task, offer some type of
award to those that can accomplish the task the most effectively.
Competition is a very good motivator, if you communicate it
effectively.
-Also, you must be able to effectively communicate to other Post
Officers, especially the ones above you.
-Remember that you’re not going to be perfect so you have to be
open to criticism. If you make a mistake, just brush it off, forget
about it, and move on.
Communication Cont.
“We are each blessed with two ears and
one mouth; a constant reminder that we
should listen twice as mush as we talk”
– Kevin J. Murphy,
a very cute saying but a very true saying.
Non-verbal
Communication
Personal hygiene and grooming is a form of non-verbal
communication.
-Imagine how it would feel if a Post Officer approached you wearing a
dirty, wrinkled uniform, their hair was a mess, they smelled as if they
hadn’t showered and they needed a tic-tac like no tomorrow.
-Now imagine if this same guy tried to tell you what to do, and he told you
that you weren’t doing something good enough. Do you think this would
be an uncomfortable situation?
-Yes it would, and I bet you would lose a lot of respect for that
person.
So keep that in mind when you have to meet for an event in about an hour,
you might want to start getting ready now, rather than later.
Non-verbal
Communication Cont.
 What are some other forms of nonverbal communication that we have to
be careful of???
Texting
Hand Gestures
Facial Expressions
If I can offer you one
piece of advise on how to
be a leader, it would be…
Avoid being The Jerk
A leader is using this style when he or she:
-Uses only one style of leadership to deal with all people and all situations.
-Yells at, threatens, or uses abusive language with followers.
-Uses fear to motivate followers.
-Is indecisive and afraid to take action.
-Sets unrealistic goals for the group.
-Is more concerned with his or her personal reputation than the work
conditions or motivation of the team.
-Takes credit for the accomplishments of followers when things are
going well and shifts blame to followers when things go wrong.
This style is never appropriate.
Chain of command
 Within this chain of command there are rank and
positions that are “in charge”
 Cadets need to follow the chain of command, before
moving up the chain of command they should go to
their direct supervisor/ team leader first
 Chain of command
 Cadets contact their Sergeant before going to the Lieutenant,
 If they can’t reach a sergeant and it’s important then go to the
Lieutenant
 If they cant reach the and its important then continue to move
up the chain.
 If no one can be reached and its important then an advisor
What does this picture
mean to you???
Delegation
As a Post Officer you are going to be faced
with a lot tasks and assignments
especially while running an event. Rather
then showing too much initiative and trying
to do everything yourself (a.k.a. getting
burnt out while nothing get accomplished)
you should delegate tasks.
The best reason for delegating tasks is to
see how others will handle it and to see if
they have leadership qualities.
Delegation continued…
The highest ranked Post Officer gets assigned every task!
 That Post Officer picks what things he/she wants to do, and which things the
Post Officers one step down should be assigned,
 Then the same thing gets done for the next step down, until hopefully
everything is getting done and getting done equally amongst the Post
Officers.
After delegating a task, let go and forget about it,
 Don’t hover over the person,
 Don’t nag them to do it your way, just let it get done.
 By doing this you are empowering them and allowing them to exercise their
leadership qualities. Yes, it is okay to allow others to fail because you are also
allowing them to learn.
Use your power wisely, do not over delegate,
 Remember that there is nothing worse in life then a “Power-hungry leader”.
 Try to realize that it is the members that give power to the Post Officers.
Initiative
As a Post Officer you must constantly be showing initiative.
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In Cadets, initiative separates the “men from the boys” so to speak.
A reactive Post Officer sits on their hands until they are told to do something;
A proactive Post Officer (with initiative) already has the task completed.
The Cadet with the most initiative is 99% of time considered the best Cadet;
it’s as simple as that.
A Post Officer with initiative anticipates something going wrong
 They already has a back-up plan for it and often likes when things don’t go
according to plan
 Because they get to watch people scramble for a moment while he/she is
getting their back-up plan into action.
 Another way of putting it is that they are flexible when things don’t go perfectly.
 Preparation and Planning
One of the most important attribute to becoming a successful
leader is to BE PREPARED.
-Whether you’re at a meeting
-running an event
You must be prepared. Going into something blind will only
set you up for failure. If you are in-charge of an event;
yes, you need to bring the 7 golden rule attributes with
you.
-But if have no clue on where to post your members
-You forget to bring your materials and
-Nothing gets done properly
you’re going to be considered a nice kid but a horrible leader.
A good saying to live off of is “Don’t put off tomorrow what
you can accomplish today.” BE PREPARED.
Attitudes
 Good attitudes are contagious,
 Bad attitudes are contagious,
 As a matter of fact all attitudes are contagious.
 Remember that when you are a Post Officer don’t
allow a member’s negativity to cramp the entire
group.
 Take that person aside, let them know what they are
doing wrong, and ask them to stop.
 A good Post Officer has a “can do attitude”, and
views everything (no matter how difficult) as an
accomplishable task.
Organization
An organized Cadet is called a Post Officer
 This is because if you are truly organized and
motivated it’s not going to take long for you to
be Post Officer.
 An organized person can accomplish so much
more then someone who is disorganized.
 Although everyone knows this, too many
people struggle with it.
Praise and Punishment
As a Post Officer you will encounter people
helping out and doing a very spectacular job.
 First step is recognizing it as something good.
 Second step should be to take a moment to let them know
and to thank them in front who ever is around.
 Please don’t wait till the next day to do a performance report
for them.
 There are two reasons for recognizing some one for doing a
good job
 1. You remember to thank them (“Don’t put off tomorrow what you can
accomplish today.”)
 2. To motivate everyone else.
Praise and Punishment
continued
Also, as a Post Officer, you will notice a lot of negative
things going on, things that can potentially hurt a
group’s performance.
 In this case you DO NOT call them out and publicly humiliate
them in front of the other members,
 Politely ask them to step away from the group and then you let them know
what they are doing wrong.
 Also, when asking the member to step out, you don’t have to announce it
so everyone can hear you. That’s just as bad.
 Ask them to step out to help you with something or say it quietly.
 A good saying to go by is, ”PIP, PIP” which is “praise in public,
and punish in private”
Praise and Punishment
continued
Never discipline someone for something you did
yourself, such as goofing off.
 If you and a group of Cadets are goofing off and it
escalates to an inappropriate level, then say
 “WE have to take it easy”,
 Don’t say “YOU GUYS have to take it easy”,
 you are part of the group too. Take responsibility for
your actions!
Leadership Training and
Refresher classes
At least once every month or two all Post
Officers & Team Leaders should be
challenging themselves and stepping outside
their comfort zone to be constantly brushing
up on their leadership skills.
As Post Officers or Team Leaders you should
be either conducting leadership classes or
participating in them.
How do I avoid the day my
Advisor comes and says:
“you haven’t been doing a
good enough job, I’m
demoting you”
Post Officer Evaluations
Have some type of formal evaluation process every
couple of months so you can be informed of your
status and you would avoid being surprised be a
demotion or suspension or something that can
potential hurt the entire Post.
Post Officers & Team Leaders should be made
aware of their strengths a weaknesses so that they
can have time to work on them and grow as a
Leader…People are not born leaders they have to
be trained and worked on for years and years.
The End