Fire Service Leadership A View for the Practicing

Fire Service Leadership: A View for the Practicing Professional Harry R. Carter, Ph. D. , CFO, MIFire. E Municipal Fire Protection Consultant www. Harry. Carter. com

My Role In This Course • Speak of what a leader is, what they should do, and how they should act • Share some reasons with you as to why we need leaders in our organizations • Discuss some basic leadership styles and theories with you

My Role In This Course • Share some modern leadership principles • Share some thoughts with you on the care and maintenance of your personal moral compass • Offer some suggestions on how to be a better leader

My Role In This Course • To discuss the concept of leadership in the fire service • Help you to become a better fire service leader • Help you train others to be better leaders

What Is Leadership? The ability to get something done by someone else, because they want to do it. Favreau - 1969

Why Do We Need Leaders? • Chaos usually exists in the absence of guidance or direction • Someone has to be in charge • Someone has to be responsible for accomplishing the mission

Why Do We Need Leaders? • There is a need for coordination within and among organizational elements • Left to their own devices people might not do anything

Let’s Take a Moment to Think About Leadership • Think about the best leader you ever worked for… • Why did you like them? • Why did you want to work for them?

Let’s Take a Moment to Think About Leadership • Think about the worst leader you ever worked for… • Why did you dislike them? • Why did you want to avoid having to work for them?

Leadership Types • Charismatic • Situational ® • Contingency

Leadership Types • • Citizen Servant Transformational Transactional

Charismatic Leadership • Strength of leader • Leader supports group • Leader enables group

Charismatic Leadership • Has a Vision • Energizes group • Enables group success

Situational Leadership ® • Leaders must understand what followers are willing to do • Followers must be able to do what leader expects of them • Leaders must keep troops informed at all times Hersey and Blanchard

Contingency Leadership • Leader-member relationship • Task structure of the organization • Leader’s position power

Contingency Leadership • Leader empowers team to achieve necessary tasks for mission completion • Finding the proper fit between your problems and possible solutions

Citizen Leadership • Leaders evolve from within the system to assume leadership roles • Leader accepts role reluctantly • Elected/selected to exercise wisdom and restraint in their actions

Servant Leadership “The Golden Rule” • • • Enthusiastic Vulnerable Accepting of others Present for others Useful to others James Autry

Transformational Leadership • Leaders work to assess interests of people in the organization • Needs and goals of the organization must meet needs and goals of the members of the organization

Transformational Leadership • Leaders work to bind together the interests of both leaders and followers in the organization • Needs and goals of the organization will be reached through the combined strength and efforts of all in the organization

Transformational Leadership • Transformational leaders are constantly working to craft the tasks to the troops • These leaders provide employee-centered support for their people

Transactional Leadership • A series of transactions between leader and followers in group • Employees who do well are praised and rewarded by leader who knows what they want • Those who do not are punished

Transactional Leadership • • • Leader relies upon organizational power These leaders give orders Leader matches task to the troops Employees do the work Employees to not create the manner in which the work is done

The Rabble Hypothesis • People are basically animalistic in their hunt for the fruits of civilization. • There is a need for leaders to keep people in line, to allow them to work toward common goals.

Theory X and Theory Y • Theory X – You must constantly watch over people to be sure they are not avoiding work. • Theory Y – People want to work, but it is the guidance of a caring, concerned leader that allows them to work more efficiently. Mac. Gregor

Leadership Styles • • Autocratic Laissez-faire Paternalistic Democratic

Autocratic • I am the boss! • You are not the boss! • You will do what I tell you, when I tell you!

Laissez-faire • • You can do what you want to do You can do it when you want to do it I am really one of the gang I know you will do a good job, so have at it

Paternalistic • I am your parent • I know what’s best for you • Trust me and I will take care of you

Democratic • Maximum group participation • Maximum delegation of authority • People will think more and better if you encourage them to • You gain their respect through your trust of their efforts

The New Leader • One day you are one of the gang • The next day you are the leader • We are not training our people for the leadership roles the are assuming in our fire departments

Where Might You Look For Help? • • • Local library Fire academies Community college Read on your own Departmental mentoring program

Leadership Principles • Be technically proficient • Know yourself • Seek self improvement

Leadership Principles • Know your people • Always look out for their welfare • Keep your folks informed

Leadership Principles • Set the example • Be sure to explain each task • Be sure that people understand what you have said

Leadership Principles • • Provide just enough supervision Do not smother your people Do not let them run amuck Support and guide the troops

Leadership Principles • • Train as a team Support the individual Nurture the group Come to know them as individual human beings

Leadership Principles • Make sound decisions • Make decisions at the proper time • Cultivate responsibility among your people

Leadership Principles • Know the capabilities of your individual team members • Operate within those levels of competency • Seek responsibility and take command

Leadership Traits • High level of self-confidence • A passion for what they do • They are effective public speakers

Leadership Traits • • • Effective writers Good listeners Wide range of knowledge They have a vision They actively share that vision

Your Personal Leadership Compass • • Integrity Courage Honesty Pride

Your Personal Leadership Compass • • Faith Determination Forcefulness Good Judgement

Your Personal Leadership Compass • • Tact Decisiveness Persistence Initiative

Your Personal Leadership Compass • High principles • Take responsibility • Good personal bearing

Your Personal Leadership Compass • Loyalty • Dependable • Reliable

Your Personal Leadership Compass • • Unselfish Self-disciplined Thirst for knowledge Servant of the troops

Special Skills of a Leader • Forward thinker • Good innovator • A constant flow of ideas

“No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come. ” Victor Hugo

“The time has come to make leadership a true priority in the fire service. ” Harry Carter