Grounded leadership in the Civil Guard: a pilot study in territorial units
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64217/logosguardiacivil.v4i2.9076Keywords:
work engagement, burnout, Secure Base Leadership, Guardia Civil, police leadershipAbstract
Leadership constitutes a fundamental element for the effective functioning of police organizations, particularly in contexts characterized by high demands, uncertainty, and continuous exposure to stress. In these environments, a commander's ability to foster trust, cohesion, and psychological safety among subordinates is decisive for both professional performance and personnel well-being. The Secure Base Leadership (SBL) model, grounded in attachment theory, proposes that leaders may act as figures of support and reference to promote the personal and professional development of their collaborators. This model integrates emotional support with goal-oriented demands, establishing a leadership style well-suited for hierarchical organizations subject to high operational pressure. The present cross-sectional, exploratory pilot study, utilizing questionnaires administered to civil guards across various units in the Aragon region, analyzes the presence of SBL behaviors within territorial units of the Spanish Guardia Civil and explores their relationship with relevant psychosocial variables such as work engagement, burnout, and perceived job performance. In the sample analyzed, perceived SBL was positively related to work engagement and job performance, and negatively related to burnout. These results suggest that SBL may constitute a relevant organizational resource in highly demanding work contexts. The preliminary findings point to the value of further exploring the incorporation of the SBL model into the training and development of commanders within the institution.
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