“I wanted to find a way to serve others”: Interview with Chief Constable Adrian Lee:Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a valuable perspective on leadership within the police force.

Design/methodology/approach

In this interview, Adrian Lee talks candidly with Sue Howard and Jonathan Smith about the current challenges facing police and public sector leadership.

Findings

Chief constable Adrian Lee's studies of theology, philosophy and law prior to him joining the police service have shaped and formed his sense of vocation and the values that are now central to many of the fundamental issues of leadership that the police service have to consider.

Originality/value

This paper provides the valuable perspective of a chief constable on the challenges facing leaders in the police force, and applies this to the public sector more generally. Chief Constable Adrian Lee believes that vision, values and vocation are essential elements for effective policing in the twenty‐first century.

Citation

Howard, S. and Smith, J. (2011), "“I wanted to find a way to serve others”: Interview with Chief Constable Adrian Lee:Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police", International Journal of Leadership in Public Services, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 131-136. https://doi.org/10.1108/17479881111160113