Part 2
By Shelley Wheeler and Frank Ricci
In this first part of this article, Wheeler and Ricci examined the nature of leadership as a relationship. Part two reviews three leadership theories and their implications for both the relationships between leaders and followers and their impact on fire department culture.
- Diminishing Your Own Command, Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
- Frank Ricci: Command Presence: Increase Your Influence
- Command Presence: What Is It, and How Do You Develop It?
Process Style Theories That Support Leadership as a Relationship
As I (Shelley Wheeler) discussed in my study, process leadership theories look at leadership through the lens of both the leader and the follower, making effective leadership a mutual responsibility of both the leader and the follower. Process leadership is an event that depends on the interaction between the leader and the follower, which makes leadership available to everyone 6. The good news is that process theories focus on leadership as a developmental process that can be observed, learned, and trained 7. Servant and transformational leadership are an example of process theories. Situational leadership can also be thought of as a process theory since it asserts that there is no singular style of leadership that works best; instead, leaders must be able to adjust their behaviors to the situation and the individuals they are leading, which makes another strong case that leadership requires the ability to foster relationships. All the complexities associated with relationship building requires a leader to constantly grow and learn from listening, communicating, and self-assessment of one’s actions, making leadership an ongoing process that requires lifelong learning. I (Shelley Wheeler) developed the five constants of effective leadership model to explain effective leadership as a continuum that exists between a leader and follower. Effective leadership requires certain skills, traits, and behaviors of a leader which may have to change based on the followers’ needs, requiring a leader to continuously adapt. We must understand each person that we lead to be effective, which is why a relationship between a leader and follower is paramount. We all know how exhausting relationships can be, but a good leader does not shy away from difficult situations. They face issues head-on and keep going.
Leadership Styles that Align with Leadership as a Relationship
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership is one of the most current and popular styles of leadership explored by many different organizations, including the fire service.8 Northouse defined transformational leadership as the ability of a leader to tap into the motives of followers to help reach the goals of both the leader and follower. 9 Transformational leadership in the fire service helps followers appreciate the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with collaboration and teamwork required in today’s fire service.10 It aligns with the idea that leadership is a relationship that exists between a leader and their followers. For example, transformational leadership focuses on understanding the motivations of followers by tapping into their emotions, values, ethics, and goals, which is a crucial element in building effective relationships.11
Examples of leaders who utilized transformational leadership, even if the name of the theory was unknown to them, are Martin Luther King, Mohandas Gandhi, Jeff George Washington, and Jeff Bezos. Although there are vast differences between these figures, they were all effective, had their detractors, and faced adversity and public scrutiny. The usefulness in studying leaders that use this style is to look at their similarities, namely having confidence in their vision and projecting a consistent set of standards and values. The approach of Amazon’s founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, affirms the previous assertion, and the success of the company began with a clear vision and values that are well articulated and embraced across the organization. Although criticized at times for his tenacity, Amazon has been extremely successful thanks to Bezos’ transformational approach, which focuses on empowering and encouraging his staff to continuously push themselves to be their best. This empowerment and support have shattered the idea that success is only derived from a hierarchal approach, which has led to further scrutiny of that style of leadership. Amazon has thrived on the motivation and healthy competitive environment that develops highly effective teams within the organization. The delegation of tasks to his teams has showed his high level of trust towards his employees, which in turn empowers and motivates them to continually do their best.12 However, this style of leadership may not always prove to be successful, particularly if there is a lack of knowledge, skills, and abilities required for carrying out the objectives. The foundation of trust, empowerment, and the articulation of organizational mission, vision, and values makes transformational leadership a great foundation to build on. While transformational leadership offers some great guidance on effective leadership, other styles can also help lay the groundwork for a strong fire service culture based on effective leadership actions and behaviors.
Servant Leadership
Servant leadership is another popular style of leadership that is on the rise, both in the military and fire service. Servant leaders are credited for putting the needs of others above their own. A servant leader is a servant first and begins with prioritizing the needs of others. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership explained that a servant leader “shares power, puts the needs of others first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.”13 Greenleaf’s definition aligns with the underlying premise of most, if not all fire departments across the United States: to serve and protect society, often at our own peril.
At first sight, the power-sharing aspect of servant leadership would likely raise eyebrows among fire service personnel because it goes against the tradition of hierarchy. However, servant leadership can serve a basis for teaching humility by instilling the idea that we operate in a leader-follower continuum—rank does not equate to knowing everything. This idea will help build strong teamwork principles required for successful organizational outcomes. Servant leadership in the fire service helps crews perform at a higher level because they feel their needs are being addressed, which results in increased trust between the crew and the officer.14 The previous point is incredibly important, because without trust, relationships cannot and will not exist. Even in a strict hierarchical organization such as the military, servant leadership has found its place. Servant leadership is thriving in the armed forces because servant leaders set aside their egos and focus on the needs of others first to ensure the completion of the mission and improve the organization 15. Servant leadership principles result in humble and confident leaders capable of fostering relationships that yield mutual respect and trust.16 Servant leaders possess the ability to articulate a vision for the growth and development of their subordinates, which gains the leader credibility and trust, resulting in highly engaged followers.17
While servant leadership is becoming a popular buzz word in the fire service, it is important to understand that this style of leadership can bring you as much failure as success. In fact, the same can be true when applying any one-size-fits-all leadership style. Leadership requires deliberate actions that build trust and respect between a leader and follower. However, effective leadership also requires accountability, which is not absent in this style of leadership but could easily be misinterpreted without understanding this style in a deeper context.
Take President Carter as an example. Most pundits and historians regardless of politics view his presidency as one of the worst in our history. He almost exclusively used the servant leadership style, and an argument could be made that it diminished his own authority and presidential legacy. He famously carried his own bags into the White House and crafted his image as a humble farmer turning away from his established credibility as a Navy executive officer in the silent service, even chosen for the nuclear submarine service. In contrast, President Carter is regarded to be the most successful former Presidents in our history because of his amazing philanthropic acts. His servant leadership practice achieved the greatest success in one application (selfless acts) and perhaps resulted in great criticism for his failure in the other situations. Although we cannot truly assert that President Carter’s failures were because of his servant leadership style, the comparison makes a valid point for not relying on and any singular style of leadership (Fig 3).
Take for example the story of the cowboy and the shepherd and how they lead differently. While both must move a herd, they do it differently to get them where they need to go. The cowboy pushes from behind whipping and shouting; the cattle do not know who is behind them, they just move as a response to what is occurring. The shepherd leads from the front, showing the sheep the way. The sheep know the shepherd will keep them safe and move them to food and water; the sheep move because they trust the shepherd. Charles Specht summed up the need for varying leadership styles when he explained: “Cattle respect and obey the Cowboys, the sheep love, trust, and rely upon their beloved Shepherd. But as nice as the Shepherd is, he’d be a dismal failure at herding us, the tough and rugged cattle. And as task-oriented as the Cowboy is, he’d scare us—the sheep—half to death.”
This very point is why we must not rely on a singular style of leadership. However, without knowing and understanding the people you lead, how can you really pick the correct style of leadership? There is a strong case to be made that it is the follower that dictates the suitable style of leadership, which means it is imperative to know your people. While transformational and servant leadership styles provide a good foundation to start the conversation on what leadership looks like in the fire service, the situational approach reminds us that no two people are the same, which is why leadership is a dynamic process that requires the adaptation of styles.
Situational Approach
While transformational and servant leadership styles are a great way to learn how to approach leadership from a follower perspective, a leader must also consider his or her behaviors when developing their leadership abilities. This previous point is the exact reason organizations should not fall into the trap of accepting a singular style of leadership. Many theories exist and the more that people learn that there are myriad leadership approaches to consider, the more they can develop and hone their leadership capabilities. The situational approach enhances effective leadership by providing a framework that helps a leader adapt their style based on the situation, as the follower needs will vary.18 The basis of the situational approach is that one person may need more direction or support than another. The situational leadership approach created by Ken Blanchard allows a leader to choose one of four styles based upon the follower’s experience and needs: delegation, support, coaching, and directing. Simply put, situational leadership reminds a leader that they must constantly adapt because each follower is an individual and one leadership style or behavior may not work the same for every person. For example, a new 18-year-old hire will have a different worldview than a 50-year-old veteran firefighter with 30 years on the job. Fire service leaders must be open-minded and adaptable, which will require a plethora of leadership styles and skills, making a strong case for ongoing leadership development throughout one’s career.
We Can Learn to Lead
Some believe that effective leaders are born, but we are all born, which means we can lead if we are open to learning how.19 Being an effective leader is a lifelong journey that requires personal growth based on continuous learning of concepts and self-assessment gleaned from introspection and retrospection of one’s behaviors, which requires individual personal responsibility. However, leadership development also falls on organizations if they desire to have competent leaders, making it senior management’s responsibility to not only define what leadership means but to provide ongoing leadership training that develops effective leaders at every level of their organization. Regardless of the type or size of an organization, effective leadership is the key to success as it plays an integral role in organizational performance and sustainability.20 Therefore, an organizational culture of effective leaders will ensure the sustainability and success of any organization. So how do we accomplish what seems to be such a daunting task? The first step is defining the leadership values that will drive your culture and encourage your people to never stop learning.
Dr. Shelley Wheeler is a captain and the training coordinator for Montgomery County (MD) Fire and Rescue Service, as well as a USAR member of MDTF-1. Her degrees include a bachelor’s degree in homeland security and emergency management, a master of business administration with a specialty in organizational leadership, and a doctorate in business administration with a specialty in leadership. Prior to the fire service, she served in the U.S. Coast Guard where she performed search and rescue, law enforcement, and aids to navigation missions as a certified boat coxswain.
Frank Ricci is the author of the book Command Presence, which breaks down behaviors into tangible takeaways and tactics to increase your influence.
REFERENCES
(6, 7) Northouse, P. G. (2018). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practices (4th ed.). Sage.
(8, 9, 11, 18) Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Sage.
(10) Ward, M. (2018). Fire officer as a transformational leader. https://companycommander.com/201 8/10/22/fire-officer-as-a-transformational-leader/
(12) Gradinaru, C., Toma, S., Catana, S., & Andrisán, G. (2020). A view on transformational leadership: The case of Jeff Bezos. Manager, (31), 93-100. https://go.openathens.net/re director/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/view-on-transformational-leadership-case-jeff/docview/2511381485/se-2
(13) Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. (2016). The servant as a leader. https://www.greenleaf. org/what-is-servant-leadership/
(14) Jester, J. L. (2018). Servant leadership in today’s fire service. Fire Rescue, 5(13). https://www.firefighternation.com/firerescue/servant-leadership-in-todays-fire-service/
(15) Griffing, A. L. (2019). Servant leadership: Ten military figures who got it right. NCO Journal, April. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCO- Journal/Archives/2019/April/ servant-leadership/
(16,17) Jaiswal, N., & Dhar, R. (2017). The influence of servant leadership, trust in leader and thriving on employee creativity. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 38(1), 2–21. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-02-2015-0017
(19) Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. (2017). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations (6th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
(20) Kollenscher, E., Popper, M., & Ronen, B. (2018). Value-creating organizational leadership. Journal of Management and Organization, 24(1), 19–39. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2016.33
