There’s an age-old debate about whether good leaders are made, or born. In this interview with FireRescue editor-in-chief Tim Sendelbach, Los Angeles County Fire Department Deputy Chief Mike Metro comes down squarely on the side that leaders are made, not born. “Leadership is a learned and practiced skill, but we tend to talk about it philsophically,” he says. “We need to give firefighters tools and practical information for how to develop leadership abilities.” Chief Metro shares what he believes are the three fundamentals of good fire service leadership–character, competency and connection–as well as some of the traits that contribute to good leadership. Finally, he talks about how the fire service delivery model is changing, and why such changes only underscore the need for company officers to develop superior leadership skills.
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