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Commissioned Officer Essay

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Commissioned officers need to be capable of challenging poor behaviour or practice. They need to be resilient when dealing with pressures from peers and supervisors of their position. Arbinger (2002) highlights the importance of leaders being able to acknowledge staff as people and not just objects and the importance for leaders to recognise that when things don’t go right it’s not always another’s fault. What Sir John Kirwan experienced back in the 80s probably wasn’t that different to what some new probationary officers experienced when joining their first frontline section. The new person joining an established team where the bonding was strong would be thought initially as untrustworthy and useless until they proved themselves. This was behaviour which was simply accepted by the majority as their baptism. How many Commissioned Officers turned a blind eye to behaviour which was not reflective of our …show more content…

Stanley (2010) when he was told by Kirwan about his depression told him to “get over it, get a grip son, and just get on with it” words he didn’t need to hear but mentality he had to deal with. It was his choice to be open which Goffee & Jones (2000) suggests that selectively showing a weakness shows approachability, humanity and creates trust. That trust has come from his honesty and his integrity which forced him to be open about his struggle, ‘the Black Dog’. The public support was overwhelming which probably contributed to him being identified as the most trusted Kiwi in 2013. He knew that he was different but risked his reputation and following which in turn helped others to be honest about their formerly hidden plight, giving them strength and enabling them to work through their struggles. Sir John’s weakness became not only his strength but became the strength for

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