Abstract
The article examines the implications of recent police reforms for leadership. Lessons drawn from the analysis are then used to examine how the police service might adapt to the radical reforms proposed. It is suggested that the earlier leadership approaches that have relied heavily on transactional and transformational theories need to take account of key elements of ‘authentic leadership’ as the context of policing changes. Although the focus is on England and Wales, the article has lessons for the other Anglo-Saxon countries (UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) and Europe.