1

Leadership Spotlight \

Effective Leadership Through Institutionai Integrity

E ffective leaders understand that un-compromising and rigid institutional integrity ought to be a core value of any law enforcement or intelligence organization. They appreciate their responsibility to monitor and train their workforce with respect to laws, procedures, regulations, and policies govern- ing their operations and daily activities.

Successful leaders create, develop, and sustain an environment where einployees are not reluctant to report any recognized or suspected failure to strictly adhere to law or policy by themselves or others. Personnel want to be confident that their leaders will take the necessary and corrective ac- tions to document and address these failures.

In this evermore multifaceted crimi- nal and intelligence gathering atmosphere where law enforce- ment professionals function, leaders should try to develop and foster an organizational mentality conducive to ensuring compliance with prevailing laws and policies. Leaders will want to make certain that a formalized procedure for dealing with any failure to comply is obtainable. During the summer of 2007, the FBI responded to this chal- lenge by creating the Office of Integrity and

Compliance, part of the Office of the Direc- tor, which oversees the Bureau's Integrity and Compliance Program.

Successful law enforcement leaders may want to consider constructing and placing into practice a compliance program within their departments that can be tailored to pro- actively discover and mitigate violations of law, operational procedures, or administrative regulations. Officers and other employees ought to recognize and understand their re- sponsibility to report incidents of misconduct,

misbehavior, or any systemic failure to follow rules. If it is to succeed, an agency's program will guar- antee confidentiality and promote a spirit of appreciation for doing what is right, instead of instilling a fear of retaliation. A reputable and well-

established compliance program can support an organizational culture that encourages ethi- cal and principled behavior. Such an endeavor is the foundation for a triumphant, respected, and professional law enforcement and intel- ligence organization. "••

Special Agent Douglas B. Merel, an instructor in the Leadership Development Institute at the FBI Academy, prepared this Leadership Spotlight.

26 / FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Copyright of FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin is the property of Superintendent of Documents and its content

may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express

written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.