An Innovative Model For Police Leaders And Managers: From An Ancient Source "the Art Of War" By Sun Tzu

Abstract

Crime has been perceived as a battle that has yet to be won within the United States, as in other countries as well. However, an ancient text over 2,500 years old has been used to achieve victory in many battles throughout history. The innovative leader, Sun Tzu created the thirteen chapter document called The Art of War which identifies principles and strategies that can be used to defeat and overcome one's enemy. The purpose of this study is to identify if strategies advocated by military leader Sun Tzu in his seminal work The Art of War, are applicable to modern day law enforcement leadership and management. The survey population consisted of police executives from major police departments in metropolitan North Texas. Respondents were given a "Character Assessment Rating Scale" survey that focused primarily on leadership characteristics. The second scale that was used illustrated statements from The Art of War with the intent to determine whether Tzu's principles are relevant to law enforcement leadership and management. The findings determined that the majority of the population implemented the leadership characteristics derived from the "Character Assessment Rating Scale," and also agreed with the statements taken from The Art of War. Nevertheless, additional research is needed to identify and understand the benefits.