President's Letter: From the August issue of FireRescue magazine

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

Legendary athletic programs and iconic businesses are successful year after year because their executives know that leading a team to success is only half the formula. The other half is filling the pipeline with the next generation of top performers. In the fire service, we seem satisfied to figure out what to do about vacancies after someone announces they’re retiring. Only then do we glance at the promotional list to see who’s on it.

There’s never been a greater time than now to prepare our next generation of leaders. With the current economy causing pension systems to reduce benefits, we’re likely to see an exodus of personnel and, therefore, experience. In the absence of well-developed succession plans, this drain of experience and knowledge could be devastating to departments.

Ensuring Viable Candidates
Following are steps you can take to help identify your future leaders:
1. Determine who is likely to move up or retire from each rank, and develop a timeline of estimated promotional processes.
2. Evaluate your testing processes. Identify critical skills and behaviors for each position, and ensure each process tests for those elements. This can take substantial effort and time, so start early, and be honest and inclusive.
3. In advance of a formal process, identify your top performers who may be eligible for the position and pay them a visit. Point out their qualities and encourage them to prepare for advancement.
4. Promote early for key positions so individuals learn the ropes before being thrust into the breach. At higher ranks, it’s important that officers know all facets of the department. A chief officer also needs finance, human resource and political skills to truly understand the field of play when they become the head coach.

Getting Promoted?
There are many incentives for deciding to move up the ranks. These include money, greater control, needing a challenge, wanting to make a difference and—my personal favorite—fear of who might be managing you if you don’t promote. Although every promotion has unique challenges, this is what I recently told a captain weighing his decision to promote to battalion chief (BC).
1. Expect to work more hours for less pay.
2. Expect people who you’ve known for years to treat you differently. Don’t take it personally, but notice who considers your relationship conditional.
3. You’re management—not just a supervisor. One part of your brain has to think about protecting the taxpayer, the other protecting your fire chief.
4. You have access to the chief, and you’re their eyes and ears for what’s happening at the street level.
5. Embrace your new role and emulate leadership behaviors consistent with the rank. Although you may not get it right at first, people will understand that the new rank requires you to act differently and accept you more quickly than if you continue to act like a captain and change later.
6. Expect to be tested. Trust your instincts, and know that consistency trumps most everything—impart it across your shifts and amongst your other BCs.

Final Thoughts
We all take pride in what we bring to our job and, secretly, would like to continue to be firefighters even after moving on. However, it’s imperative that we model leadership, support the team we prepared, coach, and ask questions that direct the next generation of leaders to answers. And, finally, accept the ultimate compliment of our planning efforts when the next generation rarely calls for advice. When that happens, you’ll know you did your job.

Chief Jeff Johnson began his career as a firefighter in 1978, and he has served as fire 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.

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