Leadership In The Fire Service

1. Leadership In The Fire Service Author: Lieutenant Todd Walsh Training Division ST.JOHN’S REGIONAL FIRE DEPARTMENT

2. Why another program on leadership? • Leadership has been a recognized discipline for thousands of years, in many areas • Military, Commerce, Politics, Church, Fire departments, etc • This has yielded many different perspectives on the subject • Both from practitioners and academics • Every discipline grows and learns from cross-learning • Without this, you get a restricted, “inbred” perspective • Today the military learns from the business world, and vice-versa, to the benefit of both • Public safety can benefit from the corporate perspective

3. Why another program on leadership? • There have been advances in the understanding of leadership • It’s no longer thought of as a part from management or even administration • They are related and overlapping skills • The subject has been over-simplified and over-generalized

4. Leadership: no one definition • Leadership means different things to different people in leadership positions • It has many different academic and historical definitions • No matter how it’s defined, it has many elements

5. Our definition(in academic-speak) Leadership is a process of social influence in which a person enlists the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Chemers M. (1997), An integrative theory of leadership, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, publishers

6. Simply Put… Leadership is inspiring people to pull in the same direction for a common valued cause

7. Not about “doing” Leadership is a process of social influence in which a person enlists the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. • It is not a process of doing, but rather getting others to do • In fact, to want to do • To do/accomplish a task that everyone agrees upon

8. “Motivation”, but with meaning • In addition to motivation, great leaders also produce in their people: • Commitment to the organization • Belief in the mission • Enthusiasm for the task • Thus, leadership is about inspiring people, not just getting things done

9. Where to see leadership • Proof of leadership is seen in the followers, not the leader • Look at how the followers behave • Leaders can also “lead upwards”; they can exert influence (although not authority) on their superiors • The most common kind of leadership, though, is from the superior to his/her subordinates

10. Reality “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality” Leaders are responsible for making sure that their organization operates with realism • Wrong assumptions about reality easily creep in to or perpetuate themselves in organizations • Blindness to reality happens a lot and is all too easy to self-impose, both for individuals and groups • Acknowledging a different reality implies change, and change is always painful

11. Jobs of leaders • Set the vision – see over the immediate horizon • Define values • Inspire others to work towards the vision • Charge the right people with management jobs • Instill a sense of quality in the organization* • Create an openness to change* • Encourage contrary opinions* • Support their people as they work towards the vision Max De Pree, Leadership is an Art

12. Momentum • Leadership is still responsible for overall management of tasks • Must insure that the VisionStrategyTacticsAccountabilty chain of management/implementation happens • Can see that leadership gets into the grass roots of the organization at times • Do this by creating momentum in the organization

13. Effectiveness/Efficiency • Effectiveness: doing the right things/getting the right results • Efficiency: doing things correctly • Need both • Leadership is responsible for effectiveness • Delegates (usually) efficiency to management

14. Leadership requires… • Maturity • Rationality • Competence • Honesty • Integrity • Fairness • Consistency • Persistence

15. Management: a definition Management is about settinggoals, organizing and directing people to accomplish those goals, and measuring progress towards them.

16. Leadership vs. Management Leadership is a process of social influence in which a person enlists the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Management is about settinggoals, organizing and directing people to accomplish those goals, and measuring progress towards them.

17. Administration • In addition to possible leadership and management roles, everyone has some administrative tasks to do • Administration is concerned with the implementation of policy, procedure, or process

18. Essentially 3 layers* • Leaders • Managers • Doers *Courtesy of Steve Epner, Brown Smith Wallace LLC

19. Leaders* • What hill to take • What resources are needed • What time frame * Courtesy of Steve Epner, Brown Smith Wallace LLC

20. Managers* • Needs info from the leader • Leads the hill-taking effort • Establishes plans and schedules • Established metrics and measurement points • Keeps people on track and on schedule • Organizes tasks and people • Measures progress and people *Courtesy of Steve Epner, Brown Smith Wallace LLC

21. Doers* • Requires direction from managers • Are experts in their skill area • Actually do the tasks • Probably have some administrative duties to perform, as well *Courtesy of Steve Epner, Brown Smith Wallace LLC

22. Myths (very common) • Manager administers, leader innovates • Manager maintains, leader develops • Manager accepts reality, leader investigates it • Manager focuses on process, the leader on people • Manager relies on control, the leader inspires trust • Manager sees short term, the leader long term • Manager asks “how & when”, leaders “what & why” • Manager has eye on bottom line, the leader on the horizon • Manager is a copy, the leader is the original • Manager accepts status quo, the leader questions it • Leaders are worth more than doers

23. You aren’t multiple people • You have a job as a boss • You have to do leadership work, management work, and administration work • You need the skills for all three roles • That’s why great managers and great leaders are rare

24. Two types of leadership • Operational leadership • Inspires people to work towards a goal related to operational excellence • Example: excellence in a fire company • Organizational leadership • Inspires people to build a new kind of organization • The vision is different, but the characteristics of the leaders very similar

25. Management vs. Leadership Management • Planning & budgeting • Organizing and staffing • Controlling • System stability • Leadership • Creating vision and strategy • Communication • Setting direction • Aligning people • Motivation people • Seeing need for change A lot of overlap!

26. Symptoms of leadership deficit • People cling to the old way of doing things even though they’ve been confronted by their failures or obvious inapplicability • No sense of commitment in a group/organization • Behavior rooted in tradition, not analysis or need • Everyone believes “everything’s OK” • Low tolerance for criticism and independent thinking • Public safety professionals are quasi-military and can’t freelance like the private sector, but they must still be free to innovate and change with the times

27. What Leaders Really DoJohn P. Kotter, Harvard Business Review, 1990 • Managers promote stability; leaders press for change • Must embrace both • Neither is “better” • Leadership is not a replacement for competent management • Too much leadership and too little management is probably worse than the reverse • Management is about coping with complexity; leadership is about coping with change

28. What Leaders Really DoJohn P. Kotter, Harvard Business Review, 1990 • Leadership has nothing to do with charisma or personality traits • It is not the province of a chosen few • Most organizations today are over-managed and under-led • Great organizations don’t wait for leaders to come along • They develop leaders • Seek out those with potential • Expose them to developing experiences

29. What Leaders Really DoJohn P. Kotter, Harvard Business Review, 1990 Management deals with complexity by: • Planning and budgeting • Establishing detailed plans • Allocating resources • Organizing and staffing • Assigning/delegating responsibility • Monitoring results

30. What Leaders Really DoJohn P. Kotter, Harvard Business Review, 1990 Leadership deals with change by: • Setting a direction • Developing strategies to get there • Aligning people to the direction • Helping them create coalitions that support it • Motivating and inspiring people

31. What Leaders Really DoJohn P. Kotter, Harvard Business Review, 1990 Visions aren’t mystical • They are realistic • They are obtainable • They (usually) depend on exhausting information analysis • They aren’t revolutionary • Often mundane • They can be translated into actionable plans

32. What Leaders Really DoJohn P. Kotter, Harvard Business Review, 1990 Motivation and inspiration • Requires energy, and energizes people • Plays into people’s values – personalizes the vision • Dependent on employee growth • Coaching, feedback, etc. • Rewards success • Encourages risk-taking • Corollary: It’s OK to fail sometimes

33. What Leaders Really DoJohn P. Kotter, Harvard Business Review, 1990 Some (private sector) organizations consistently develop great leaders: • Identify potential leaders early on • Provide a significant challenge early in their career • In their 20s and 30s they have an opportunity to lead • To learn from their successes and failures • Later they have a broadening experience • Takes them out of their narrow career silo • There is nothing magic about this! It is a replicable organizational competence

34. What Leaders Really Do • Some people like to debate whether leaders are made or born. • The most likely answer would be that some true leaders are born, but most are made – “self-made”.

35. A smart fire officer will concentrate on developing the leadership qualities and traits that are necessary for success (Succession Planning). • For the most part, leadership traits in any profession are universal.

36. 12 Leadership traits: 1. LOYAL 2. EDUCATED 3. ADAPTABLE 4. DETERMINED 5. ENTHUSIASTIC 6. RESOURCEFUL 7. SELFLESS 8. TOUGH 9. EMPATHETIC 10. ASSERTIVE 11. COURAGEOUS 12. HONORABLE

37. Officers, and firefighters in general, who regularly demonstrate these leadership traits, will earn the respect and confidence of their peers. • By possessing these characteristics, you will make it easier for people to want to follow you.

38. LOYAL Definition: Being loyal means you are devoted to the fire service, your community, your department, and your crew. Loyalty should flow evenly, up and down the chain of command, to seniors, subordinates, and peers. To be loyal, is to be dependable and trustworthy, which means that you can be relied upon to perform your duties properly, and trusted to complete your assignment, every time.

39. EDUCATED Definition: Being educated means that you continue to acquire the appropriate information from reliable sources. That you understand your fire ground duties; the policies and procedures of your department; and the science of firefighting. Your education should be broad, and you should NEVER stop trying to improve your knowledge base. The day you think you know too much, is the day you should consider retiring.

40. ADAPTABLE Definition: Being adaptable means you are able to quickly adjust to rapidly changing conditions. This trait is paramount for all firefighters because situations escalate quickly on the fire ground. Your ability to evaluate and revise your strategies on the fly is imperative.

41. DETERMINED Definition: Being determined means you have laser sharp focus on the goal you are trying to achieve. There’s a saying, “Brick walls aren’t there to keep you out, they’re there to see how bad you want to get in.” That’s the way an aggressive, strong-minded firefighter should think when performing a duty on the fire ground.

42. ENTHUSIASTIC Definition: Enthusiasm is defined as a sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of your duties. If you are enthusiastic, you are optimistic, cheerful, and willing to accept challenges. You are the type of person who is eager to take on more responsibility. The fire service needs more leaders with this trait because enthusiasm is contagious.

43. RESOURCEFUL Definition: Being resourceful means you are capable of skillfully, safely, and promptly navigating your way through a variety of situations, regardless of the tools, staffing, and resources that are – or aren’t – available at any given moment. If you are resourceful, you are creative and you will always be looked at as a person with ingenuity that shows initiative, and can get the job done, no matter what.

44. SELFLESS Definition: The true definition of the word selfless is having little or no concern for oneself. Firefighting is arguably the most selfless job on the planet. It’s our job to put the safety and well-being of others ahead of our own. Although selfless is synonymous with self-sacrifice, this doesn’t mean you should disregard safe practices.

45. TOUGH Definition: To be tough is to be strong and resilient; able to withstand adverse conditions. With toughness comes the ability to endure great strain without breaking. This means both physically and mentally, and it’s a necessity for firefighters of all ranks. There is nothing easy about fighting fires.

46. EMPATHETIC Definition: It’s been said, “Firefighters are constantly meeting new people and spending the worst moments of their lives with them.” Don’t lose sight of that fact. Your job isn’t just to put the fire out, it’s also to provide guidance for the people we serve and protect.

47. ASSERTIVE Definition: To be assertive, is to be aggressively self-assured. Assertive firefighters are confident. They know what to do on the fire ground (and around the fire house), and they know how to do it. More importantly, they don’t need to be told to do it. They just do it, and when they recognize an unsafe practice, they are confident enough to stop the act before someone gets hurt.

48. COURAGEOUS Definition: The first words that come to most people’s minds when they think of firefighters are Courageous and Brave. Courage is what allows you to remain calm while recognizing fear. Moral courage means having the inner strength to stand up for what is right and to accept blame when something is your fault. Physical courage means that you can continue to function effectively when there is physical danger present.

49. HONORABLE Definition: To be honorable means you are worthy of honor and high respect. This is a byproduct of the other traits listed above. When you put honesty, integrity, sense of duty, and sound moral principles above all else, you are operating in an honorable and ethical way.

50. Because it is important to always remember these essential leadership traits, use the acronym LEADERS TEACH. Each letter in the acronym corresponds to the first letter of one of the traits. By remembering this acronym, you will be better able to recall the traits.