When instituting an adaptive change, criminal justice leaders often have to manage some hungers that may cause their downfall. These hungers describe the needs for power, affirmation, and intimacy. Whereas these needs are important, failure to manage them is sure to lead to self-destruction. This essay looks at the range of hungers that criminal justice leaders have to manage and the effect of individual character on the management of the hungers.
One of the primary desires a criminal justice leader faces is the need for power and control. Instituting an adaptive change requires a leader to contain conflict and impose order. Hence, the leader must have a measure of control and authority. However, it is imperative that a leader realizes that whereas imposing order may bring about favorable conditions for progress, it in itself does not represent progress. Instead, it is just a means to an end.
A criminal justice leader must understand that all power he or she exercises stems from his or her position. Hence, the leader has a responsibility alongside that power. If a leader does not possess a humble character, then he or she may be deluded into thinking that he is the source of this authority.
A leader must also manage the hunger for affirmation and importance. Whereas affirmation is necessary, undisciplined acceptance of praise may cause a leader to develop an inflated opinion of himself. Hence, the leader, in a bid to appear as the lone warrior and claim all the glory may isolate others. The leader must beware of praise from sycophants, which may blind him to warning signs. Instead, a leader should be modest and accept his or her limitations.
Another hunger is the need for intimacy and delight, which describes the need to be held and touched. However, the leader must be wary of who caters for this need since it may lead to their downfall. An important character trait to have here is temperance. The leader must learn to keep these feelings in check to avoid facing scandals such as that encountered by Bill Clinton.
In conclusion, it is evident that human beings cannot live without these hungers. However, it is imperative that leaders realize their vulnerability when in these positions. Only then can they develop the character traits of modesty, humility, and temperance that are critical to containing each of these hungers.
References
Heifitz, R. A., & Linsky, M. (2002 ). Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
