By P.J. Norwood and Frank Ricci
Below are more leadership “fails” that can undermine any fire department leader’s ability to command.
- Diminishing Your Own Command, Part 1 | Part 2
- Frank Ricci: Command Presence: Increase Your Influence
12. Failing to Dress the Part
You can’t expect your crew to be battle ready if you don’t where your gear and you can’t expect them to be in uniform if you’re not. It seems simple, but more and more chiefs fall into this trap and it tends to spring on two sides. As David Rhodes made famous, some leaders become the T-shirt police due to their own insecurity’s undermining their own command. Firefighters see the small and larger issues getting ignored and instead of fixing them, the chief’s office focuses on ensuring that you have the right T-shirt on.
The second part of the trap is when we see chief officers attempt to enforce a policy they aren’t following. It’s incredible that some individuals lack the self-awareness that they have become a running joke. We’ve heard an anecdote where a chief officer attempted to enforce a uniform policy while he was not following it. The department had a rule that shirts would be 100-percent cotton, but the chief wanted to wear polyester because he thought he looked sharp. Instead of working to change the policy, he decided to write firefighters up for having the wrong shoes on. The union was able to point to the chief officer’s own actions and how he was undermining the chief of department’s orders. The chief had a hard choice—either discipline both offenders or issue no discipline at all. The chief officer may look sharp, but he diminished his command and stands out like a crystal vase that won’t hold water.
Dressing the part goes for fires and emergencies as well. If you are a chief officer and feel you’re so important that you don’t need to shave on the weekend or throw on proper T-shirt, shoes, or boots, then you have failed to train your members. Sowing up in sneakers coveys self-importance and a lack of trust in your team.
13. Failure to Ask for Input
Some officers are so busy talking they forget to ask questions. In negotiations and at the kitchen table the one that talking the least, garnering information, and asking questions is in the power position.
14. Failure to Maintain Passion
Chief officers get pulled in countless directions. They get pulled by the politicians, chief elected officials, citizens, community groups, members, unions, etc. All these individuals and groups are always looking for more. Too often we see chief officers lose their passion because of the proverbial red tape. Every time they turn around, there is another hurdle or bump in the road. Over time, this chips away at the officer’s passion.
We can only control 80% of what happens to us; 20% is always beyond your control. Focus on what you can control. This comes up often with discipline. Some good officers fall into this trap—having written up a subordinate the proper way only to have the powers to be brush it under the rug. While feeling frustrated and unsupported is understandable, remember that in such a situation you did your job and controlled the 80%. Stay the course; the next time someone needs to be written up, write them up. Don’t make excuses or behave like a beaten dog, shrinking away from your responsibility. The 80% you control is documenting the issue, fairly protecting due process, and handing it up the chain of command. That is enough. You are not going to win them all, but doing nothing whatsoever will diminish your own command. Keep your passion, remember your responsibility, and do your job.
15. Failure to Be Creative
In today’s economy we must be fiscally responsibly, which includes looking for ways to stretch the budget. While this is not easy and doesn’t automatically mean service cuts, it does mean looking for new ways to complete the same tasks and do more without cutting, eliminating, or decreasing services. Use professional networks locally and nationally and listen to our chief officers across the nation; this can stir your creativity to learn and adapt different ways you can do business in your agency.
16. Failure to Control Emotions
Becoming angry and frustrated impedes your ability to work through problem. Don’t do anything that feels good when you are angry—you are just looking for trouble. Always work to deescalate a situation, not pour gas on it. As Anthony Avillo says: “Ego and emotion can never occupy the same space as leadership and rank.”
17. Failure to Take Responsibility
A leader should not be assigning blame so as not to be held accountable for mistakes. Not taking responsibility is one of the worst sins of leadership. We all make mistakes, and just because you have trumpets on your collar that doesn’t mean you won’t. Own up to them, learn from them, and move on. When you make a mistake, own it, learn from it, and share it.
- Introspection and the Company Officer
- Strategic Planning Informed by Fireground Leadership
- What Is an Expectation? A Company Officer’s Guide
18. Failure to Focus on the Positive
There are things that occur every day in our organizations that are extremely positive—for the organization, the people, and the customers. Focus on what you and your organization is good at. Too often many will only focus on the negative and forget to look at all the good the organization does on a daily basis. This means not complaining about going to a drill or going to a medical. Leadership has a mirror-like aspect, if which behavior will be reflected the rank and file. Think of interacting with a canine—if you go up to the dog and act normal, the dog will act normal. If you’re acting agitated and excited, the dog will mirror you. This is the one time you can treat your members as a dog: convey your passion and get them involved!
If you’re a chief officer who must talk to the mayor’s office or any other elected official, do not fall into the trap of always telling them what the problems are. Yes, as chief of department, these officials may be over you and concerns may have to be passed up. Any time you bring up a problem, however, make it a rule to also bring up a solution. In every conversation with any elected official, always bring up something your department is doing or that your members have accomplished that shines a light on their great work.
19. Failure to Know Your Personnel
Understand what your firefighters are going through both personally and professionally. Ensure they know how to contact the Employee Assistance Program and that they know you can be trusted not to spread rumors. Employees must know before a problem arises that, as the boss, there is no “off the record” on an issue if you have a responsibility to report. There is a reason they are unburdening themselves of this information. There are issues like a divorce that can be kept in confidence, but there are issues that, once heard, cannot be unheard and require action.
This could be as simple of a member reporting an injury and telling you they don’t want to report it. If it wasn’t an issue, they wouldn’t have told you and action is required. One time, a member told one of the authors that the firefighter had sustained a small burn from training and did not want to report it or have in evaluated. I asked if he was sure and he confirmed it. That night, his burn got infected, causing a major issue; in this case, the author had diminished his own command and failed to do his job.
This could also be something major like a chief officer covering up a crash of a city vehicle or someone being harassed at work. Remember, if everyone did the right thing there would be no need for officers.
20. Failure to Convey What’s Expected of Your People
You may have come up through the ranks in your department or you have may come from another organization. The conditions that the responding personnel face may change. These changes are based on policy, procedures, and political decisions, as well as socioeconomic factors. Many of these changes may have occurred while you were busy performing your vital job functions. However, but remember that you need to get out with the troops and respond to calls. See firsthand what they are experiencing each day. This will give you a firsthand perspective if your efforts are aligned with what is happening on the street.
21. Failure to Follow Your Department’s Policies
This includes working outside of your departments command structure and the incident command system. If a department rule or policy is outdated or don’t work, work to change it—don’t just ignore it.
Equally important, remember that rank cannot override function on the fireground or during emergency operations. We see this quite often when a chief arrives on scene and takes command, establishing the operations position. Next, you may hear them on the radio undermining the operations position. Simply put, if operations in established, then those members are now in command of everything in front of them in the area they are assigned to. Command now is only in charge of everything behind them, such as calling for resources and dealing with the press and elected officials. If you’re a chief and want to stay in the game, take command and assign divisions and groups.
Think about the best and worst leaders you’ve worked for, and the best and worst teachers or coaches who have had an impact on your life. What traits did they possess to make them stand out on either side? Which of those traits do you share?
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We can learn something from everyone who crosses our path. We can learn positive leadership traits as well as what not to do and how not to treat employees. Take every, experience new and old, and shape yourself into leader—one who stays focused, has a clear vision of the future, and drives the organization forward to provide a better service to everyone involved. During your tenure as a leader, remember respect is earned, not simply granted because of the rank you wear. The troops will respect the rank but respecting you as a leader must be earned. You are being watched! Every move and every step and your actions are cultivating the future leaders of your organization. Would you want to work for you? We all can learn from looking inward and observing our peers and command officers. Being a good leader is not just doing the right thing when no one is looking. That is easy. If you are ethical, the hard thing about leadership is doing the right thing when everyone is watching. As you review the 21 ways to diminish your own command, note that all of these occur when you fail to lead in plain view. Leading in the front is where the most damage is done. It’s where you get to see if the individual is really an officer or merely the highest paid person or the one who collects shiny collar pins.
P.J. Norwood is the director of training for the Connecticut Fire Academy. He retired as deputy chief from the East Haven (CT) Fire Department, and has served four years with the Connecticut Army National Guard. He is an FDIC classroom, workshop, and hands-on training instructor, Fire Engineering advisory panel member, and Fire Engineering Book and Video author of The Evolving Fireground: Researched Based Tactics and the “Tactical Perspectives” DVD Series. He also serves on the UL-FSRI technical panel for the study of residential attic fire mitigation tactics and exterior fire spread hazards on firefighter safety. He is a public safety education group advisory member for UL FSRI.
Frank Ricci is the lead author of Command Presence: Increase Your Influence, which will be released at FDIC International 2023. This is a must-read with some of the best contributors the fire service has to offer.
