Even a toddler playing with their Tupperware Shape Sorter *TM eventually realizes that success involves sticking the square block in the square hole. What does it all mean? It means that there is endless material available to try and shape a round firefighter into a square officer, instead of looking for a square firefighter. Lost yet??

Perhaps we should start by looking at how a firefighter becomes an officer. Whether you are Career or Volunteer, the principals are similar. Are your departments promotional systems based on seniority, experience, accreditation, popularity, or any other combination of Fire Service tradition? My Volunteer system is member elected system with very little in the way of requirements to become an officer or move up the ranks. It simply requires a 51% majority of the members present at that particular meeting to elect a new officer. My Career system is focused more on accreditation based training and experience. Other career systems are weighted heavily on seniority, while other volunteer systems may be based more on who actually has the time, the energy or the guts to put their hand up and accept the responsibility.

Regardless of how your officers are selected, I find one common denominator. The focus is on Fire Service Experience, Fire Service Training and Fire Service Politics. What is not expected, provided or considered most of the time is “how to lead people”. I have known some outstanding firefighters, the kind of guys/gals you want on your rig, the kind of firefighters that will confidently take the nozzle and use their skills, training and instinct to put the right amount of water in the right spot at the right time. They are the kind of firefighter you want on the Jaws tools because they are cautious and aggressive at the same time, their moves are calculated and planned out and based on experience, training and good mechanical aptitude. They are your “Go To’s” for almost everything, the kinda firefighter that makes an Officer look good. So with all their skills and knowledge it seems logical that they are an excellent candidate to become a Fire Service Leader right??

This is where the train derails most of the time. We take a great hands-on firefighter and now tell them to stand back, coordinate, oversee, manage… For some, they can do this with ease. They can guide, direct, assist and teach other firefighters to become great firefighters. So far, there doesn’t seem to be a problem with this scenario does there? They have all the technical skills and experience required to lead. But what happens when they arrive back at the fire station and one of their crew members approach them to report a complaint about another member of the crew? What happens when one of their crew members side steps a safety procedure or violates an operational guideline or policy? Do these hands-on firefighter guru’s have the interpersonal skills to defuse an inter-squad quarrel, do they have the diplomacy to address safety or operational issues, do they have the guts to stand up and enforce policy and regulation??

We have essentially taken a round firefighter peg and tried to shove them in a square officer hole. What we need to do is start seeking out Officer Candidates who poses the required skills necessary to lead people. My experience has shown me that more often than not, you can teach technical skills to firefighters, but good solid people skills either exist or they don’t. When I look at a Fire Service Leader, I am looking for someone I can approach without hesitation, someone I can question without reaction, someone I can confide in without worry. I want a leader that will have my back when shit hits the fan, and pat my back when it didn’t. I want a leader that doesn’t have to have all the answers, but will do everything in their power to find them for me. I want a leader that is consistent, fair and honest. I want a leader that can pull me aside and address a concern without screaming at me in front of the crew. I want a leader that will listen to concerns with validity even if they don’t agree. I could go on for pages about the traits I want in a leader, but the truth is that none of these skills are covered in any depth in your Fire Service manuals. These are inherent skills that some people just have.

When I think of a leader, I think of someone who will stand behind their crew when praise is being given and stand in front of them when discipline is being given. I think of someone who will give credit in public and give constructive feedback in private. I think of someone who accepts input enthusiastically and provides denial diplomatically. I think of someone who will support, encourage and mentor our upcoming leaders rather than assume they are trying to criticize you, question your authority or take your job from you. I want someone who knows the individual strengths of their crew members and can execute each emergency by utilizing the right individual in the right role, rather than set them up for failure. I want someone who has the confidence in their crew to say “Go do that stuff you do, and make me look good!”

Finding a good leader starts by looking for the square firefighter instead of the round one. A good leader does not have to be the hands-on guru, he just has to have a couple of them on his rig, treat them with respect and let them do their jobs.