When you hear people talk about leaders you usually think about someone who is given orders and assigning task to be done. So that is why I ask the question “what is leadership in the fire service”? There has been many time’s I have seen men take a officer’s position thinking that the position makes the man but as they teach you in the military that it is the man that makes the position. In today’s fire service we must understand that to be a good leader you must set the standard not only for others but for your self. Over the years I have been around different departments around the world where I heard a department’s officer put down other members when they should up lift there men. One department I was on the main officers would put down members for using the department’s vehicles to go to training and would make fun of them behind their backs which would end up getting back to them and in return lead to loss of respect for the officers. A good a leader will teach and encourage his or her men. You don’t have to be an officer to be a leader you simply have to take pride, owner ship, responsblity, and the will to be the best in the fire industry. My chief and assistant chief has a saying that stands true “don’t tell us what you can do show us what you can do” and if you follow that saying then the younger members and even some officers will look to you as a leader. In closing we need more great leaders to lead and guide us into tomorrow so that this great tradition that many great men not only built but some even gave their lives for carries on for generations to come.