When most people think of fire service leaders and the formal or informal leadership style that develops from their position, most are naturally drawn to think of the management position the leader often holds. However, the roles of management and leadership are vastly different, though they are often maintained by the same person. We need to realize that when an individual is promoted through the ranks in the fire service, and especially as they become station officers and other leaders, they take on managerial positions. The fire service even recognizes that fire lieutenants, captains, and battalion chiefs are mid-level managers.
However, leadership is a personal journey and a set of individual characteristics that most departments hope their “managers” naturally inherit or possess. As managers, we must realize that being in a managerial role does not inherently give us good or even mediocre leadership skills. These skills must be honed by the individual if they hope to embody both the physical managerial role and the personal leadership role.
What Are Managers?
In differentiating between managers and leaders, we need to first clarify what a manager is. Simply put, a manager is someone who is in a position of power to manage personnel. In the case of a fire service manager, this is someone who, in conjunction with managing the people and resources beneath them, also manages emergency scenes that are stressful and fast paced. In doing so, they make decisions that will impact the lives of the personnel below them.
Yet, this does not inherently give them leadership skills, which separate managers from true leaders. On my personal leadership journey, I have recognized five categories of traits I have tried to embody and have noticed also characterize many other good leaders I know. These traits are empathetic, relationship-oriented, knowledgeable, wise and discerning, and humble.
The Qualities of Leaders
First and foremost, at any level of leadership, you must make relationships with those whom you desire to lead. Trying to be a leader without having personal relationships is akin to steering a boat without eyes or GPS. One simply cannot lead effectively if they do not truly know the individuals are who they are leading. They can manage them or micromanage them, but a leader who knows the inner makeup of an individual and how they think, can lead them much more effectively. Learn more about their family, their hobbies, and their passions. Learn how they operate when they’re tired, hungry, angry, or sad. In this field of work, it should be easy to find time to talk about some of these things with as much as we’re around each other. Yet, far too often we ignore each other and stay in our bunks or offices all day. Relationships require work, which sometimes can take a long time, but man, are they worth it in the end.
While I can say with utmost confidence that most firefighters are empathetic on a grand scale, we must learn to be empathetic on a micro level. We need to learn to place ourselves back in the shoes of those we are leading. As we advance in our careers, it is far too easy to lose touch with the firefighter riding backwards. Or, in the case of general staff, the operations level firefighters and fire officers in the stations running the calls. It is essential to know what those underneath us are experiencing. Many times, the job we did previously, and the one they do, has changed. They may be inundated with calls, reports, station and apparatus maintenance, inspections, hydrants, etc. They may have small children at home or be working multiple jobs to stay afloat financially. It should be our mission to always show empathy, to lessen their load when possible, and/or simply offer an encouraging word. Be willing to actively listen to their struggles or complaints, and offer words of encouragement and life advice where they are needed. Or, just sit back and offer your listening ear. Many times, people know you cannot provide a solution to their problem, but they just need someone to listen without judgement or defensiveness.
No one wants to follow a leader who they don’t think can do the job or in whom they lack confidence. Unlike the civilian world, most firefighters and people in first responder professions work up through a chain of command. They aren’t hired or promoted into a job because of a title or college degree. Given the dangerous and life-threatening nature of our job, leaders need the essential job skills which can only be learned from doing and mastering the craft of firefighting. People naturally want to be led by others who automatically know what to do when things get dicey. It is natural survival instinct to follow someone who will give you the best chance of survival.
The best leaders are wise and can discern between a good choice and a great choice. While many first responders can make rapid strategic decisions regarding tactical action, it’s oftentimes personal choices away from the fireground that can tip the balance between an average leader and a great one. The great leader is able to put aside personal and emotional differences to make the best decision for the organization, the individual, and the citizens. They can filter out noise that often inundates the fire service with rumors, personality differences, and complaints.
Defining Leadership
Leadership is, at its core, serving others and ensuring they have everything they need to succeed. If someone comes into a position thinking that they’ve “made it” or that others are now beneath them, they will certainly fail at leadership. Being a leader is recognizing that even though you may be in a position of power, you still don’t know everything and you are no better than anyone else. You still have many things to learn, and most importantly, you aren’t above failure. A true leader goes to work every day wondering how they can help others become better than them.
How you can help that tailboard firefighter promote through the ranks or mentor them? How you can pass along information you’ve received? How you can be a protector and buffer the flak that comes down from higher ranks or from other personnel? How you can be of service to your crew, your department, and your community? There’s a reason that the term servant leadership has become so popular. Too often, however, it is used as a buzzword without any real action attached to it. By making true servant leadership popular, many fire service problems like recruitment, retention, morale, amongst others, will be fixed. However, this requires being uncomfortable and vulnerable.
Leadership is a lifelong pursuit for any individual. While some come into it naturally, none of us master it to true perfection in our lifetime. Real leadership is something every one of us can strive for, so let’s make it something we want to embody because we see others doing it right.
Zachary Brown is a captain and 15-year veteran of the DeKalb County (GA) Fire Rescue Department. An 18-year veteran of the fire service, he is a paramedic and has been involved in his department’s technical rescue and dive teams, as well as the Georgia Search and Rescue (GSAR) team. He holds an A.S. in Emergency Medical Services from Columbia Southern University.
