By JOHNNY TORGESON
Have you experienced leaders who were amazing at one rank but who then got promoted and forgot how to lead? Was there a time when the person in charge of you made a mistake, but didn’t act like it was a big deal? Can you recall a period where a leader didn’t follow a policy or rule because they didn’t think they would get in trouble based on who they were? If you’ve witnessed or experienced any of these scenarios, you’re not alone. Though there can be many reasons for these phenomena, leadership licensing is the main culprit.
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- The American Fire Service Leadership Pandemic
Leadership Licensing Parallels Moral Licensing
Moral licensing theory is based on the subconscious result of an inflated self-concept, which amplifies a penchant for a comparative immoral action while downplaying the negative attributes associated with the behavior [1]. Leaders can also fall victim to a similar occurrence: a leader’s self-concept can subconsciously inflate their ego, which results in taking comparative liberties that have negative implications. Another way of expressing it would be giving oneself leadership credit.
For example, a newly promoted battalion chief (BC) may get moved to a different shift and/or district. Although the BC’s new team may not be aware of this individual’s past laurels and exceptional leadership abilities, he or she will unconsciously behave as if direct reports are keenly aware of them. In short, new officers may act as though they’ve already earned their stripes with their new team and expect to command respect even though they have just begun the relationship.
Leadership licensing can ultimately lead to many of the toxic cultures we find ourselves in. When a leader carries a license to lead, his or her self-concept is on a collision course with reality. It’s this destiny with confrontation that will culminate in poor leadership behavior. As the self-concept of the leader gets bruised, the leader will naturally look for ways to protect his or her ego. The once great leader may resort to isolationism, intimidating behavior, and/or cronyism, etc. On the flip side of the coin, the subordinates will take matters into their own hands by filling the leadership vacuum, severing the relationship and/or participating in sabotage efforts. No one wants to work in such environments, although we find ourselves in them all the time.
What’s interesting is how innocently it all happens. Typically, people don’t go to work and think: “Today, I’m going to do whatever I can to make everyone around me miserable.” This is especially true of those in leadership positions. To the contrary, it’s characteristically a slow process. The once victorious leader is taking unsuspecting steps towards ineffectiveness and unconsciously shifting blame. Leadership licensing creates a slow regression, bringing even once-great leaders from a victorious mountain top to a dark and lonely valley. Their trip down the mountain and into the valley are filled with pitfalls such as living in the past, inflated self-concept, poorly executed intentions, blind spots, emotions, ego, and complacency. One day, this cascades into something that seems out of their control, ultimately leading to a lack of trust from both these leaders and the subordinates.
Oddly enough, these once influential leaders will still see themselves through the lens of their past, but everyone else knows no one is following. They become leaders by rank only, which qualifies them as a manager. Though most firefighters will blame the poor leadership on character flaws, in reality, these are only symptoms of leadership licensing, the true disease. In such cases, afflicted leaders don’t even realize they’re sick.
Why is leadership licensing so prevalent? Why do we see this in so many departments? A new study (2023 Global Leadership Forecast) by the Center for Analytics and Behavioral Research found that there has been a drastic drop in reported high-quality leaders [2]. The data showed a staggering 17% drop from year over year to only 40% of people thinking they worked with great leadership. Mind you, this study was conducted using 50 different countries and close to 14,000 different leaders. The fact of the matter is we can see the same trend happening in the fire service.
Some researchers point to a lack of knowledge. They’ve found organizations are pouring less money into soft skills and focusing on hard skills. Though there is significant merit to this assertion, given that we live in an age of abundant information, this can’t be the only reason. I would argue that leadership licensing is at the root of much of it. This is because good and bad leaders alike are susceptible to it. Moreover, it’s an unconscious behavior. Everyone is a day away from putting the license in their wallet. As soon as you think “this can never happen to me” is when you’re most vulnerable to leadership licensing.
Leadership Is Earned Every Day
When you fall prey to leadership licensing, you rely on past experiences, past success and past deeds to justify your current actions. This rationalization, based on your historical experiences, will validate your current leadership behaviors. You’ll believe that because people have traditionally followed you, you’re a leader. You’ll believe all your previous altruistic servantship have helped you earn the perpetual title of leader. You’ll believe people should follow you today because of how great you were yesterday.
This is a conscious or unconscious notion people in leadership positions may have, and it gives way to entitlement. It promotes complacency, encourages hubris, boosts pridefulness, and results in ego-driven decisions. Ego is leadership poison. It corrupts the hearts of the best, most noble, and most principled of us all.
Though it takes years to build trust, it can be eroded in a flash. Any relationship, connection, affiliation, or rapport can be vaporized in an instant. You must recognize that your past relational triumphs won’t matter much in the minute. The firefighter needing a leader in a tough situation doesn’t care how well you led in the past. They won’t give you a pass. They will demand leadership.
Thankfully, there is a solution to all of this. The answer is quite simple, but the simplest solutions can often be the hardest to be consistent with. The toughest answers are usually ones that are simple but require steadfastness. For example, staying healthy and physically fit is a simple solution. All we have to do is eat healthy and exercise more. As simple as that seems, living it isn’t as cut and dry. We must be resolute. The answer to this dilemma for every fire officer is the same. To not carry around a leadership license, it’s imperative we be unyielding in our efforts. That is, we don’t slip it into our wallets by letting our guard down. We must treat each day as a fresh start.
In the story of Cinderella, the clock striking midnight marked the end of her time at the ball. So, too, is the plight of leaders. It didn’t matter the night prior Cinderella was wearing an elegant gown, promenading in fancy glass slippers, and dancing with a prince. The next morning, she was wearing tattered clothes, scrubbing floors, and being mocked by her stepsisters. Similarly, every morning leaders must also wake up and start all over again.
When you get out of bed, you aren’t waking up as a leader. You may have had followers the day before, the weeks prior, or for the last few years. Even though you may be paid to be responsible for people, it doesn’t qualify you as a leader, nor do your actions of yesteryear. What matters is how you’re leading moment by moment.
Being a leader isn’t an eternal title. It’s not a card you receive that permanently grants you the rights to a designation. It’s not a license, passport, or certificate. Being a leader is an honor earned daily, hourly, by the minute. It’s what you do today that matters. You qualify today if you influence people to transcend their behaviors. It’s what you do with every interaction. People want a leader in every moment. Firefighters demand it.
In every situation, firefighters can truly be transformed, and by extension the leader can, too. A central ingredient to leadership is continually earning the relationships you’ve developed. You must earn it every shift. Your followers have a short-term memory, and so should you. Approaching each day with a short-term memory is tricky, but developing expectations of how people should perceive you puts you as a leader in the wrong mindset. Instead of trying to earn leadership influence, you’ll expect it to be given to you.
AWE: Putting It into Practice
Don’t expect it, no matter the relationship. Lead as if you’re earning the privilege to have followers, because you are. The next question is: What can you put into practice to help? A simple mnemonic I use is AWE, which stands for attitude, work ethic, and empathy. To be a person of influence and not carry a leadership license, you must awe the people around you daily. Start each shift with intentionality. No matter what you face at the station or on an emergency, stay positive and have the right attitude.
Having a positive attitude, especially when things are bleak, is infectious. It’s the only way to lead. Having the courage to be uplifting when it’s even hard for you to see the positive is true leadership. When things are bad is when leadership is needed the most. If you have the right attitude every day, you’re one step closer to not carrying around a leadership license. You’re earning the privilege to lead.
Your work ethic should be unparalleled. Be the hardest worker on your team. The fire service is still and will always be a blue-collar job. Firefighters respect hard work. If you want your firefighters to be tenacious, you must model it. When you’re working hard with your team, you’re showing them that you’ve earned no special privileges. Those who carry around a leadership license will feel as though they’ve already put in the work and it’s someone else’s turn. Authentic leaders don’t have this mindset. Instead, they wage an internal war against complacency and a “been-there-done-that” arrogance.
Finally, be a person of empathy. Authentic leaders don’t treat their direct reports like robots. They care for and nurture their followers. Empathy is what drives us to make the right decisions for people, and thus it’s the most important of the three. Remember, empathy is more than a thought of concern; that’s sympathy. Being empathetic also requires action. Take the necessary actions to serve people while they’re in need. A sure-fire way to guarantee you’re not resting on past achievements and leadership credit is to never stop caring for the ones you’re serving.
AWEing the people around you may seem simple, but doing it day in and day out is not for the faint of heart. It’s extremely difficult to be a leader. It’s painful at times. As the saying goes: “Everyone wants to be a gladiator, but no one wants to bleed like a gladiator.” Any authentic leader will tell you that leading is bleeding. Those who don’t bleed fall prey to leadership licensing. Those who wake up each morning and know they must sacrifice again are the ones truly leading. They’re the ones making a multigenerational impact. They’re the ones carrying the fire service on their shoulder.
Instead of walking around with a leadership license, toss it in the trash. It’s the best leaders who are the most susceptible. Earn the privilege to lead daily. Avoid the pitfalls caused by leadership licensing. Tackle each shift as a new day, another beginning, a fresh start. Set out to awe the people around you and lead in every moment.
REFERENCES
[1] Simbrunner, P., & Schlegelmilch, B. B. (2017). “Moral licensing: A culture-moderated meta-analysis.” Management Review Quarterly, 67, 201-225.
[2] Pontefract, D. (2023). “New research suggests an alarming decline in high-quality leaders.” Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danpontefract/2023/02/08/new-research-suggests-an-alarming-decline-in-high-quality-leaders/
JOHNNY TORGESON is a 24-year fire service veteran and the assistant chief of operations for Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow Fire & Emergency Services. He is a national speaker on leadership and team development and a fire academy instructor. He has a doctorate in strategic leadership and is the author of Forging Teams: Demystifying Team Development in the Fire Service.
