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Leadership
An interesting take on leadership came from the acclaimed cinema Director Robert Altman's 2006 Lifetime Achievement Oscar acceptance speech, in which he stated simply; "The director allows an actor to become more than they've ever dreamed of being."
How do you think this applies to Fire Service Leadership?
Take a few minutes to look at management guru Tom Peter's video on The Definition of Leadership.
The transcript of the Tom Peters video clip is available HERE.
Some Leadership Definitions HERE., HERE and HERE
What are your definitions of leadership?
Where does your Leadership start and stop?
What about those around you?
What truely defines the leader(s) in your organization?
The bigger question is, "How can you make yourself a more effective Leader, to support the mission and objectives and continued safety of your personnel within your organization?"
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Chris, Without checking your links first, here are some of the things I think are important components of leadership:
Don't forget where you came from - the troops come first.
Lead by example.
Listen to the troops - most of them want you to succeed.
Don't encourage negativity.
Avoid Telflon leadership - be responsible for your mistakes.
Don't be afraid to change your mind when your first instinct isn't the best choice.
Be technically proficient - if you've never been qualified to do it, it's going to be difficult for you to lead it.
Sometimes the biggest risks are at city hall, not on the fireground.
Don't be afraid of change, but only institute change when it has a point.
Allow time for the troops to absorb change.
Don't be afraid of tradition when it's good, but get rid of bad traditions.
And remember, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't manage him to drink.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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You may have titles...but are you a leader...?? I remember when I went through the NCO academy while in the military the prime guidance given and beaten into our thick skulls....LOL...."lead By Example" Yes, we are told to "respect" our officers...but do you respect the position or do you respect the Man/Woman (almost slipped there)...? And yes, I think it is a major problem in the Fire Service....so have this huge chip on their shoulder and feel that we need to kiss the ground they walk on because of a title they have either been given or elected to.....Yes, I do repect the office...but sometimes I donot respect the person in that office due to their acts or sometimes lack of acts.....Stay safe....Keep the Faith......Paul
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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on
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Very well said Chief, I agree with you 100%.
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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Leadership in an individual occurs once they put the department's interests ahead of their own self interests.
Leaders will get every ounce of potential from their people and will make their department stronger and better.
Leaders will recognize those qualities in others.
Leaders will encourage new ideas and protect those who think "outside the box" from those who want to maintain the status quo.
Leaders will lead from the front.
TCSS.
Art
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Permalink Reply by Steve Kidd on
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I submit that all firefighters should strive to be leaders, regardless of their rank. Being a leader and being a manager are two entirely different things. Plenty of officers are out there who are simply good at taking a test, but still have no clue about being a true leader. There are some essential elements to being a leader in any field.
First, and foremost, is character. People won't follow someone of low character. Being honest and moral is a must. Firefighters are trusted with protecting their community's treasures, and people's lives, so high moral character is a must for any leader. Character matters -- a lot! Who wants to follow a liar, or someone who cheats on their spouse for that matter? Being less than truthful is the first step to becoming a joke, not a leader.
Another essential element is initiative. A leader simply won't pass something that needs fixing without attempting to fix it. Leaders pay attention to detail, and subsequently work to keep everyone safe and efficient. A leader is a bit of a zealot for the cause, in this case the FD. It is much easier to tone down a zealot than to resurrect a corpse, so in this case high initiative is a good thing.
Next comes courage and wisdom. True courage is not impetuous. True courage comes from wisdom, and wisdom comes from experience. The first step toward obtaining wisdom is gaining a full awareness of reality. Learn your job, get to know the people you work with, and know your limitations as well as your strengths. The hallmark of any leader is the ability to recognize, acknowledge and overcome your limits when duty calls.
Character, initiative, courage and wisdom are gained through experience. It is much easier to lead someone when you have been there before. However, even if this is your very first day in the FD, it is time to start becoming a leader. Remain honest and moral, show initiative in learning your craft, and listen to those who came before you so you can learn from their wisdom. Be respectful, and you will be surprise how many people will strive to follow you as you lead.
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Permalink Reply by Cody W. Nelson on
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Very good points! The fire service is and should be full of self motivated and sele reliant people.
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Permalink Reply by Smoke Eater on
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Exactly!!!
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Permalink Reply by Padre Pete on
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All the valid points seem to have been well made. This is just an idea I promote whenever I can.
The best leaders will tell you "Bring your irons over here and breach this wall" instead of "give me those irons" (Huge difference) and, when he's done you want to thank him for the opportunity.
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Permalink Reply by Beverly on
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Absolutely right, we are expected to respect the leader...well, what if the leader has no skills, wants to accept all the glory, none of the responsibility and expects everyone else to do all the work...exactly as he tells us to do even if that is not the best way...although he believes his way is the only way!
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Permalink Reply by Eddie Rogers on
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Leaders live by the motto "Do as I do". Leaders that don't aren't
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Cole on
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Leadership skills can be learned. However in many cases it is also a natural result from a well disciplined, motivated individual. Poor leadership is often the result of an ineffective leadership development program, or a total lack of any such program. Far too many organizations elect officers on a popularity basis, the result of inter-compamy politics and campaigning. Many times these individuals have little, if any supervisory skills or training. Leadership and supervision require training, just like any other skill in the fire service.
Leadership requires the respect of individual rights, strong moral convictions, above-average communication skills, and the ability to judge people on their own merits, rather than popular opinion. Although listening to the "troops" is important, a leader must be able to look past the desires of the masses to enforce, or develop policy for the good of the overall organization, and the public served. The difference is in the presentation.
However, as Ben says, don't be afraid to change your mind when your policy does not yield the results you intended. A good leader can recognize mistakes, and when to admit policy has failed.
No, titles do NOT make you a leader. That is obvious everyday in the fire service. Sadly it is usually the failed leader who is the only one who cannot see the problems. Strong, effective leaders will bring out the best in their best subordinates, and cause the worst to become exposed. A truely effective leader can motivate mediocrity to excell to excellence. However even the strongest leaders fail to sell their program to everyone. Success is when the leader comes back from failure and makes it a positive experience, becoming even stronger.
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Permalink Reply by Michael C. Harrison on
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Damn Ben, we agree once again (this might become a bad habit)
The only thing I can think of off hand to add to your list would be.....Don't be afraid to make a decision, that is one of the main reasons people look to/go to their "leaders"
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