By Chief Jeffrey D. Johnson, EFO, CFO, MIFireE

From the June 2010 issue of FireRescue magazine

Leadership development” has to be one of the three most common topics on any fire service conference program. Although that’s appropriate, I wonder if our leadership programs back home are intentional and integrated into the daily work of our organizations?

As chief officers, one of our most important tasks is preparing the next generation of leaders. It’s a part of our job that’s getting more important—and more difficult—all the time. The Baby-Boomer retirement wave is turning into a tsunami, and those next in line to lead face an assortment of challenges.

The incident response leadership skills of a talented company officer will always be respected, but they do not translate smoothly to the challenges of managing our organizations. So what steps can we take to encourage the development of well-rounded leaders in our department?

Create a Utility Infielder
Every department needs leaders who understand all aspects of the business. Smaller organizations have an advantage here out of necessity, but everyone’s goal should be the same: Expose our most talented people to as many core functions as we can (operations, human resources, finance, planning, fleet management, etc.). The assignment should last long enough for them to learn and apply real skills and gain an appreciation for how that function impacts the rest of the organization.

Trust Them
There’s a great paradox in the fire service: We trust our officers to make life and death decisions on scene, but we often don’t have faith in their ability to manage their own station budget or even a department credit card. I’m a fan of trust and verify. If you want to know whether individuals can learn (and be trusted) to manage a multi-million dollar budget, expect them to handle something much smaller first.

Make the link
My home department, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, is a regional special district that serves nine cities in three counties. The captains in each of those cities understand that they are the most critical link between that community and our organization. They need to stay current with—and in front of—their city council and other community-based organizations and civic groups.

Expose Them to Other Leaders
The fire service is a great institution, but we can definitely learn from leaders in other sectors. Exposing personnel to other community executives (elected officials, business and community leaders, the media, etc.) and vice-versa in a meaningful way offers a different perspective on leadership and local issues, and creates an informal group that’s highly knowledgeable about what we do and a great source of ideas and support. For example, my department invites local executives to participate in a 27-hour firefighter immersion program. It’s a definite win-win.

Value Formal Education
As previously stated, the incident response skills of company officers will only carry them so far when they move into the chief officer role. While an associate’s degree in fire science may be enough formal education for the company officer role, I expect all of my chief officers to have an undergraduate degree, either upon promotion or within an agreed upon timeline and educational development plan.

Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, there’s no single class or workshop that prepares us to mentor the next generation of leaders. The good news is that the fire service is structured in such a way that young men and women are regularly afforded opportunities to demonstrate a desire and aptitude for leadership. Our responsibility is to help them build on that foundation through an intentional focus that cultivates the judgment, analytical skills, people and political abilities, and the integrity and values that collectively define 21st century leadership.

Chief Jeff Johnson has served as chief of Tualatin Valley (Ore.) Fire & Rescue since 1995. He is past president of the IAFC Western Division and Oregon Fire Chiefs Association. He is a member of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association and has been active in many IAFC sections, including Fire & Life Safety, Volunteer & Combination Officers, EMS, and Safety, Health and Survival. Chief Johnson is a National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer graduate and has received his Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Designation.