In UK policing, leadership and promotion frameworks are everywhere. There’s the College of Policing’s CVF, competencies for Fast Track candidates, and forces often supplement these with their own desired behaviours and values. But none come from front line police officers themselves… except when Rank Success takes an interest!
In the first few months of this year, I’ve been providing Leadership and Promotion Seminars to in four English forces. These are aimed at aspiring officers seeking police promotion in the Federated ranks. Last month, I provided such seminars to 100 officers seeking promotion to Sergeant and Inspector within Lancashire Constabulary. I asked attendees a simple question:
“What does good police leadership look like?”
DISCLAIMER: Lancashire has been recognised by HMIC for their ‘Leading the Way’ programme and the work they have put into embedding PDR across the force. I was invited into Lancashire to deliver seminars to support their front line officers with promotion. During this visit I gathered insight by asking them the above simple question. This is simply my interpretation of what they told me, and I have called it ‘Lancashire Leadership Framework’.
I took a cutting-edge approach in this high-tech, AI-driven world we now live in: Post-it notes. Nothing quite beats simplicity for such important questions!
In this blog and supporting podcast, I share the collated perspectives into what I call the “Lancashire Leadership Framework” (LLF). In effect, what do front line cops want and expect from their leaders?
It’s a great follow-up to a similar exercise I did a while back for Sussex Police, with the Sussex Leadership Framework. I hope you find it interesting, and maybe it will also be of use to the Police Leadership Commission to include frontline officer views on their leadership review.
The Question of Good Police Leadership
Leadership in policing is currently in the spotlight for the government and public alike. As part of wide-ranging policing reforms, the national Police Leadership Commission (PLC) is spending months and £millions to review leadership at every level in policing.
Overseen by the College of Policing and Home Office, in January it launched a call for evidence from the public and policing, seeking ideas on what police leadership should look like.
However, the Commission attracted much criticism in that the review severely underrepresented views from front line officers themselves, potentially widening the perceived gulf between the most senior and junior officers in policing. The write-ups of the College-driven ’roundtable meetings’ to date read similar to existing reviews, policies and frameworks for example.
“Panel members identified key qualities of effective police leadership, including the importance of vision, ethics, competence, and leadership at all levels. The panel explored how these qualities compare with those of leaders in other sectors, both public and private.” – PLC Roundtable meeting summary
The timing seemed right to ask the question during my seminars to front line officers in Lancashire late last month: What does good police leadership look like? Maybe the results will be of interest to the Commission, as they are no doubt working at pace to gather all the evidence ready for its report and recommendations to the Home Office due next month.
In any case, I hope this is of interest to you, especially if you work in Lancashire Constabulary. And thank you again to all the dozens of cops who participated with their notes!
How Do Lancashire Police Officers Describe Good Leadership?
In each seminar, I asked the range of aspiring PCs and Sergeants in the room to write down on a Post-it note their views on good police leadership, then place it on a flip chart. I have now transcribed and collated all the responses into themes and points that officers frequently cited. I’ll call it the Lancashire Leadership Framework (LLF).
Before we get to the curated LLF itself, the above graphic is a simple Word Cloud summarising all the responses. The bigger the word, the more frequently it was mentioned.
Decision-making, approachability, being supportive, and a general focus on their staff all stand out. Honesty, accountability, fairness, being knowledgeable, development, and wellbeing all stand out well too.
There does seem to be a lot of overlap here with how officers in Sussex described good leadership, as I outlined in the Sussex Leadership Framework. Or how about the AI-imagined UK police leadership framework I shared before? And maybe even see also my post on Merseyside’s leadership framework.
Astute promotion candidates busy building their evidence portfolio might also recognise commonalities with the College of Policing’s official Competency and Values Framework (CVF). The CVF took years and £millions to develop, was renewed in 2024, and is the current show in town when it comes to evaluating officers for promotion in interviews, applications, or other assessments.
Here’s a variety of notes made by those who wanted to share their views, before I started collating and organising them, in case you’re interested in the ‘raw data’:
Judging Leadership on Results…
“One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.” – Milton Friedman
While most candidates focused on the behaviours of the individual leader, I particularly liked the variation whereby a couple of people indicated good leadership should be judged on the results observed. Motivation, performance and wellbeing stood out:
“Happy motivated staff delivering results.”
“Better welfare = better performance.”
Imagine a promotion board asking you, particularly at the more senior ranks of Inspector, Chief Inspector or Superintendent:
“Please tell us about your biggest achievements for public service in the last year. What did you do specifically and how did you motivate those around you?”
What if police promotion at every rank was based more on results achieved than simply evidencing the right attitudes, behaviours and methods? This would cause a massive shake-up in promotion and its perceived current fairness. That is an interesting idea the Leadership Commission might wish to explore in their review of leadership and assessment ‘at all levels’.
I’ll share more powerful comments officers made as we now go through the completed Lancashire Leadership Framework…
Introducing the Lancashire Leadership Framework
“Don’t wait for inspiration. Create a framework for it.” – Jocelyn K. Glei
Above is my bespoke infographic summarising and categorising the behaviours Lancashire police officers want to see from their leaders. Does it resonate with you too? As we go through each area, you might notice the leadership qualities articulated here are timeless and would be desirable to any leader in any industry.
That’s why my whole ethos at Rank Success, whether it’s in my market-leading Promotion Masterclasses and rank-specific downloadable toolkits, is to provide both leadership and promotion insights. That’s because better police leaders make successful promotion candidates, while policing in turn benefits by promoting better leaders for the future.
The descriptions by officers here seemed to organise nicely into 8 broad behaviour themes, each with 4 more specific descriptors. This compares to 9 themes (6 competencies, 3 values) in the CVF 2024, with each having between 5 – 8 descriptors at Level 2 (Sergeant to Chief Inspector).
Remember, all of this is simply what officers themselves have said; in short, it’s how cops like to be led. Now let’s explore each in turn and what people said…
1. Decision-Making
“You don’t have to get to 100% certainty on your big decisions, get to 51%, and when you get there, make the decision and be at peace with the fact that you made the decision based on the information you had.” – Barack Obama
Making decisions is crucial to any policing or leadership role. I cover this concept extensively in my premium materials, along with how to evidence it against the CVF (or other frameworks) and showing good examples.
Officers in Lancashire explicitly mentioned ‘decision-making’ or described the concept of decisiveness 12 times. A further 9 comments picked out elements that fit neatly into decision-making, like showing fairness, consistency, while being brave and courageous to do the right thing.
Here’s how I break down ‘Decision-Making’ in this LLF:
- Be Decisive
- Fair and Impartial
- Courage to Do the Right Thing
- Timely and Consistent
Decisiveness is important to people. Inspiring leaders don’t put off difficult decisions which impact the workforce. They explain, show objectivity and their rationale, and instil confidence in procedural justice. Uncertainty is the enemy of morale.
This takes courage and bravery, making a sensible decision when you yourself don’t have certainty. But it’s what leaders are expected and paid to do and shows strong leadership. Here’s a couple of comments I particularly liked on this one:
“Make the decision. Might be right, might be wrong, but lead and make the decision for the right reason.”
“Courage to do the right thing. Not lose sight of our role to do the right thing for the public.”
Courage of course is one of the 2024 CVF ‘values’, all of which I cover in my in-depth CVF Explainer video.
2. In Touch and Capable
“Walk a mile in my shoes.” – Idiom
There’s nothing worse than aloof leaders who seem detached from the tough aspects of the job. And setting objectives without knowing what’s achievable ‘on the ground’ is a fool’s errand that only further alienates your team.
While officers mentioned being visible and approachable specifically over 10 times, it’s more than just showing your face and being available. That’s just surface-level ‘engagement’, as HR like to call it. It’s about getting stuck in occasionally and truly listening to the experience of those ‘at the coal face’.
Here’s how I break down ‘In Touch and Capable’ for this LLF:
- Knowledgeable
- Approachable and Accessible
- Connection with the Front Line
- Be Visible, Do Shifts
Officers also mentioned being knowledgeable 4 times. Here’s some interesting longer-form comments made, which no doubt also ties in with other themes, such as supporting people and motivating them:
“Be willing to do what they ask. SLT doing a shift on the front line and living with the decisions they make. Getting stuck in with all ranks.”
“An informed connection between the shop floor business and real life connection with staff and how to make success realistic.”
Senior leaders in particular must work hard at this, since it’s natural that the higher up you go, the more you’re managing wider business and being stuck in meetings than you are actually performing operational duties. Making time for regular shifts (e.g. two a month) alongside those you lead is one of the biggest silver bullets I can advise in terms of staying in touch, setting an example and motivating others.
Many have the misconception this is ‘below their pay grade’. It’s not.
This first-hand experience is the best way to learn more about the challenges and obstacles your team face. Otherwise, it’s all watered down in meeting papers and process maps, or lost in the rank hierarchy, if you even hear about them at all. You’ll gain far more meaningful intelligence this way about what the job’s really like and what you have the authority to fix. You’ll also gain and earn respect.
3. Supporting Others
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank
There were 28 mentions of things that could be combined under the common theme of ‘supporting others’, more than any of the other themes. This included 6 explicit mentions of the word ‘supportive’, a similar amount of emphasis on welfare and wellbeing, along with a strong message how leaders need to show they genuinely care.
And it’s not just about taking care of the people you lead. Making sure they have access to CPD and training also shone through the comments, helping them to thrive, excel and progress their own careers. Effective delegation is a means to this end, which was mentioned along with empowering staff (again, topics I cover in my premium leadership materials). Coaching and mentoring were mentioned too, along with knowing where your team’s strengths and weaknesses are.
Here’s how I wrap up this notion of ‘Supporting Others’ in this LLF:
- Caring and Supportive
- Welfare and Wellbeing
- CPD, Training and Progression
- Empowerment and Delegation
Wellbeing and developing others just so happen to be popular police promotion application and interview questions across forces. Consider the following practice promotion board question:
“What have you done to develop others in the past 12 months?”
What evidence will you offer to fill the void?
4. Inspires Others
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
The College’s CVF wraps up ‘Support and Inspire’ into one competency. But from the Lancashire officers’ comments, it seemed inspiration needed its own space.
‘Inspiration’ is quite an abstract concept at first glance. But there are ways we can make this tangible for aspiring cops.
First of course, it’s inspiring to others for leaders to demonstrate all the other behaviours in this LLF; making strong decisions, being knowledgeable, in touch with the front line, caring, and so on. ‘Lead by example’ as they say.
But here, officers frequently mentioned particular things like being actively motivating, showing a passion for the job, and being confident in your own abilities and not timid.
And for the more outward-facing inspiration / motivators, they talked about appreciation and showing recognition for the good work of the team, creating a safe environment and culture for officers to perform, while setting clear direction for others (including “understanding the why”).
Here’s the four key descriptors summarise this ‘Inspire Others’ LLF behaviour:
- Motivational and Passionate
- Self-Confidence
- Sets Clear Direction
- Recognition and Encouragement
Here’s another practice police promotion question for you to practice (there’s loads more in my Interview Guide):
“How do you motivate and inspire others?”
And something else to ponder for your own development here: Where are you finding inspiration for yourself?
5. Accountability and Standards
“Having authority implies accountability. If you reject the blame for failures under your watch, people reject your leadership.” – Rick Warren
A key role of any leader is to set, communicate and reinforce standards. In this theme, 4 officers explicitly mentioned accountability, while another 4 stated good leaders lead by example.
Several officers however emphasised the importance of setting consistent standards and holding others accountable too. Here’s some example comments by Lancashire cops who gave a bit more detail and rationale:
“Ability to demonstrate the standards and live them. Doing so gains buy-in from others.”
“Have high expectations of staff while understanding people work and learn differently.”
“Able to manage high workload / pressure while delivering high level of service.”
The last one is particularly interesting, and why I added in the Manage Pressure and Workload element to this behaviour. Senior leadership is demanding, especially stepping up beyond Inspector. Personal resilience is key.
Here are the four key descriptors to summarise this ‘Accountability’ LLF behaviour:
- Lead by Example
- Set Standards and Reinforce
- Show Accountability
- Manage Pressure and Workload
6. Leading Change
“There is nothing permanent except change.” – Heraclitus
While this behaviour is called leading change, officers aren’t wanting change for its own sake. The purpose should be to drive improvement while bringing the team with you. Both were explained clearly by the (now former CC) Chief Constable Lee Freeman in my exclusive podcast discussion with him.
Lancashire officers recognise leadership isn’t all about change; “bringing calmness to a storm” is also mentioned. Several officers mentioned calmness and stability, two things overlooked by leaders when the mantra is ‘change is the new constant’.
Two officers mentioned on their Post-it about being open to change and new ideas. Good police leaders do well to recognise the best ideas tend to come from their teams who know the issues. A further two talk about knowing the issues and planning well to deliver effective change…
“Understanding the issues by collating information and driving forward improvement, from both an internal and external perspective.”
“Recognise the issues, take ownership of them, develop a strategy, prepare a plan.”
Here are the four key descriptors I use to summarise this ‘Leading Change’ LLF behaviour:
- Drive Improvement
- Open to New Ideas
- Know Issues, Plan Well
- Provide Stability and Calmness
7. Emotional Intelligence
“In a very real sense we have two minds, one that thinks and one that feels.” – Daniel Goleman
Rather than call this behaviour as the College CVF does (We Are Emotionally Aware), I like to use its proper term: Emotional Intelligence. This is a big topic and something I’ve provided detailed blogs and podcasts on before, which I’ll let you find and explore.
Officers recognised its importance too. One simply stated the overall concept of emotional intelligence. Four more officers mentioned two of its constituent parts: Self-Awareness and Empathy.
A few more officers described the concept of active listening and showing genuine interest in what staff have to say, something aloof leaders and politicians have devalued in recent years by not doing these things. Instead telling people to fill in a meaningless form whilst calling it the despised corporate jargon ‘engagement’. Or as one officer summed it up:
“Allowing people to have a voice.”
Here are the four key descriptors I use to summarise this ‘Emotional Intelligence’ LLF behaviour:
- Emotionally Aware
- Self-Aware
- Be Interested and Listen
- Show Empathy
8. Honesty and Trust
“Leadership is an achievement in trust.” – Peter Drucker
Last but by no means least is something mentioned 13 times by Lancashire officers on their Post-its: Honesty, truthfulness, trust and authenticity.
Trust is described as the essence of leadership. It comes from being open and authentic with people, doing what you say you’ll do, and being honest about situations and decisions. Or as one of the 13 cops summed it up:
“Deliver what you say – don’t tell people what they want to hear.”
Here are the four key descriptors I use to summarise this ‘Honesty and Trust’ LLF behaviour:
- Honest and Truthful
- Open and Authentic
- Trustworthy
- Follow Through on Promises
Police leadership is an important and often controversial subject. I hope you’ve found my summary of diverse views shared by officers in Lancashire Constabulary helpful. And maybe the Police Leadership Commission might take notice of frontline officer sentiments like this when making important recommendations for the future of leadership in policing.
What are your views on all this?
Leadership and Promotion Seminars
I’ve covered a lot of mileage providing seven seminars already for forces around England in 2026. These help officers become better leaders and understand how to prepare effectively for their upcoming promotion opportunity. In turn, they become better promotion candidates.
“Fantastic opportunity today to support the promotion process. I am really impressed at the amount of information provided and has without a doubt helped me with the promotion process.” – Promotion and Leadership Seminar feedback
I now offer these seminars to forces around the UK from 2026. Please get in touch to check availability if this is of interest to you.
The feedback to date has been great, with over 94% of those participants who left feedback rating the input as Good or Excellent (other options Satisfactory, Poor). The below word cloud also summarises the responses of those attendees when asked to rate the seminar in just three words. The bigger the word, the more often it was used…
I’ll be updating my website soon with further details. But in the meantime if you want to discuss more or check availability, please get in touch. As always, I’m just a phone call away.
Kind Regards, Steve
Seeking police promotion? Want a MASSIVE head start right now and a focus on what matters? Hit the ground running with my great value digital promotion toolkits, and/or my market-leading Police Promotion Masterclass and CVF explainers. There’s nothing else like it to effectively prepare you for success and level the playing field of promotion. Any questions? Get in touch for a free call or to arrange more personal coaching support. Tune in to my extensive podcast for regular powerful leadership CPD and promotion insights.