LEADERSHIP and the Fire Service
FEATURES
MANAGEMENT
Army General Omar Bradley once said “Leadership is graded by the achievement of the led.” If the “led” are performing at their optimum and they feel good about their work, then it is only reasonable to conclude that their leader is doing a superior job. But how is he doing it? What is he doing that the poor or average leader is not?
As a member of the fire service, you have undoubtedly worked with, or under, various leaders and leadership styles. Some were good and some were bad. In this article we will discuss the most effective leadership styles and how you can make them work for you.
“PEOPLE-ORIENTED” ACTIVITIES
First, let’s identify some of the more important and time-consuming “people-oriented” activities that you as fire chief must perform. How you perform these activities is dictated by your management style. And, your management style is dictated by your personnel.
If your subordinates lack skill and experience or have a negative attitude and minimum motivation or commitment, you must adjust your style to their level. You will no doubt use one of the paternalistic techniques of the drill sergeant, namely show and tell. If, on the other hand, your subordinates are mature, motivated, and trustworthy, you can shift into a more participative role.
The key is to know your troops and have the ability to adjust your leadership style to match the man or situation. Due to the growing complexity of the fire service and the heavier workload placed on department heads, personal contact with the troops is increasingly difficult. But it is this very contact that is essential if you want to be a superior leader. And don’t expect the troops to initiate the contact. You’re the leader; you must be the initiator.
Your “people-oriented” activities fall into six basic categories:
- You will reward and punish your subordinates for their personal behavior and how well they accomplish their assigned tasks.
- You will assign work down the chain of command and determine the quality or standards to be met.
- You will assist with the career development of your subordinates.
- You will be the department’s ultimate problem solver.
- You will formulate the shortand long-term goals and objectives in support of your department’s mission.
- You will monitor, evaluate, and provide feedback to your subordinates regarding their job performance.
LEADERSHIP TRAITS
Needless to say, your responsibilities extend far beyond these six activities, but it is these that provide the “link” to your personnel. This “link,” if properly planted and cultivated, will make you a superior leader. The three “superior leader” traits I will discuss are:
- How to control others
- through the skillful use of influence;
- How to assist a subordinate with his career development;
- How to practice self-control.
Influencing others
Controlling others through the skillful use of influence involves your ability to get other people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. The best way to do this is by personal example.
Ask yourself the following questions before undertaking a task: “What message will this action transmit to my subordinates? If they see me breaking the rules or lying on reports to my boss, can I expect better conduct from them?”
You must set the example. You must uphold, and your men must observe in your daily conduct, the highest and best set of morals, values, and personal ethics humanly possible. Then, and only then, may you legitimately demand such performance from them.
A second method of influence involves making your subordinates feel strong or powerful. I like to call it “giving them the sword.” When you assign a project to one of your subordinates, give him “the biggest sword” possible.
Let him make decisions without checking on his every move, even if he sometimes makes mistakes. You can keep track of his progress by having him report to you weekly.
General Bradley also said “Judgement comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgement….” You must allow your subordinates the freedom to make mistakes or they will never grow. Sure, there are risks. The “sword” can be a powerful tool and must be given sparingly. But, if you put strict limitations on its power and give careful corrective counseling when a mistake is made, your personnel will grow and seek greater challenges. And they will do it because it makes them feel good.
The other two skills that you must master to effectively control others involves communications. As stated earlier, one of the fire chief’s activities must be the formulation of shortand long-range department goals and objectives.
But there is a natural barrier between the development and implementation of a new program and that is the human being’s natural fear of and resistance-to change. There are two simple, yet effective approaches you can use to overcome this problem.
The first one calls for member participation. Let the troops have a part in controlling their destiny. Tell them what must be accomplished and ask for their input. You’ll be surprised at all the good ideas you’ll receive and at the team spirit that will be created in the process.
But, there are two words of caution: Be careful how you respond to the troop’s input. If you reject the ideas that your men consider important, you will completely destroy the participative mood.
The second caution involves your authority and responsibility. No matter what is taught in some management seminars or classes, the fire department is not a democratic institution.
As fire chief, you are ultimately responsible for everything that happens within your department. Make it absolutely clear to your men that you want their input, but the final decision will be yours and yours alone.
Another communication skill calls for effective salesmanship. The “way” you say something is often more important than “what” you say. For example, let’s look at the air traffic controllers’ strike that occurred a few years ago.
The air controllers’ union, PATCO, lost that strike long before they walked out. Why? Because they allowed President Reagan to “frame the issue.” He “plucked” at our patriotic heartstrings by asking us: “How can a government employee violate a sacred oath and strike against the interests of the American people?”
He was able to sway public sympathy against the union by portraying them as a greedy, self-serving, un-American organization. Our perception of the union’s position was influenced by the way Reagan presented the situation.
“Framing the issue” occurs within the fire service also and can affect the response you get from your personnel. Let’s say that you received six seats at an upcoming fire command school and you wanted two volunteers from each shift to attend. What would be the response if you framed the issue like this: “Men, I want two volunteers to attend a school during your next shift days off.”? I know how I would respond.
But if that request was worded differently, the results might be more positive: “Men, as you know, there’s a captain’s promotional examination this fall. I was able to get several seats at an upcoming fire command school. I consider this school important for career development purposes. For those interested in attending, I will be accepting applications until Friday morning.”
It’s all a matter of salesmanship. If you can frame your directives in words that appeal to the subordinates’ self-interest, you will virtually eliminate all opposition.
It is also important that you share as much information as possible with your troops. When you establish your department’s goals and objectives, publish them and distribute a copy to each member.
Discuss your goals at every meeting until they become part of your subordinates’ personal value structure. You’ll know when you have succeeded because your troops will talk about your goals as if they thought them up.
A secondary benefit of a free flow of information will be eliminating rumors. If there are rumors in your department, this is a sign that the formal communication network is failing. When the formal communication network fails, the informal network (rumors) must fill in the gaps.
The last method in the area of controlling others is called “establishing political and professional coalitions.” In street language, this is “putting out markers.”
The method is simple. At every opportunity, go out of your way to do someone a favor. Share inside information with another fire chief or department head within your city. Mention them in a magazine article or help them with a study or report. Someday you’ll need a favor, and it will be time to “call in a marker.”
Career development assistance
The second trait of a superior leader is the ability to influence your subordinates’ career development. Tomorrow’s leaders are today’s firefighters and engineers. Your department thought enough of this group of men to hire them, so you should think enough of them to help them grow and develop their careers.
First, clearly identify and define the skills and knowledge necessary for each position. This data should be in writing and available to all interested members.
Next, investigate the cost and availability of your training resources. You are now prepared to counsel each member on the fire service career opportunities that are open to him.
If one of your men shows interest in any area you should:
- Provide the information and incentives for him to attend professional courses of study outside the department.
- Insure that challenging inhouse studies and drills are conducted to develop his skills.
- Monitor his progress and provide encouragement.
You’ll be surprised at how hard your men will work to please you if they believe you care. And caring takes so little of your time. Go to the drill grounds and praise the men for a superior performance. Be concerned enough about professional education that you ask to read their college term papers. If you invest just a few minutes each day, you will reap a tremendous harvest of motivated men.
Practicing self-control
Army General George Patton was a brilliant military strategist and battlefield tactician. But he made one fatal error. While visiting his wounded men in the infirmary, he became angry and slapped a man who he believed to be a malingerer. Unfortunately for Patton, the press recorded the entire event. Once the incident hit the media, every time the name Patton was mentioned, the image of him striking a wounded man was uppermost in the public’s mind.
Patton lacked self-control. If you have self-control, you will be able to curtail the impulse to do or say something inappropriate. You will be able to suppress an outward show of anger when you are being attacked. You will be able to resist making a decision before considering all the facts. You will be able to control the urge to “do it yourself” rather than allow others to take the responsibility for their own work. You will also avoid the “ready-fire-aim” syndrome.
Without self-control, you will tend to make decisions based not on good judgement, but on the opinions of others. Without selfcontrol, you’ll make poor decisions when under stress and attack people when things go wrong.
The eventual effect on your department will be catastrophic. There will be a loss of personal motivation and mutual trust. The high level of morale and discipline at all levels within the chain of command will quickly deteriorate.
SUMMARY
Some fire chiefs may spend their career behind a desk and never touch the pulse of their department. But, if you follow the techniques in this article, you will be on your way to becoming a superior leader. I will close by coining a phrase: “Not by the sword, but through the skillful use of influence shall I lead.”
