Leadership

I had the distinct honor over the years in my fire protection career while serving in the United States Air Force (USAF) to be in a leadership position/role as a Crew Chief, Station Captain, and Assistant Chief. My role as a leader in the fire protection service was a developing one that put me in the position to lead other fire fighters on the fire ground. You have to have the confidence in yourself to take on the important task of a leader. Now of course, I had the leadership development classes and courses which are good building blocks to being a good leader. These classes helped greatly in shaping me into a leading then and continues to this day. Developing leadership abilities is an on going process for one who leads. More then ever, and in my opinion, a leader never forgets the path he/she traveled in life, as well as never gets that perverbial “big head” that you know there all to know just because your in a leadership position. The corner stone of any leader will be his or hers Integrity.

The Essence of Leadership:

“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He or she does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his/her actions and the integrity of his/her intent. In the end, leaders are much like Eagles… They don’t flock, you find them one at a time”

You have to understand you can’t just do a few things when in the position as a leader, then say you’re an Eagle, and thus that makes you a good leader. It’s more then just simple talk, it’s walking the walk when doing the talk as a leader.

Leadership involves combinations of a variety of outlooks and views. One could say there's a lot to being "In Charge." I found over http://www.fireleadership.gov/values_principles.html an outline or sort of some very good and to the point Values and Principles.

Let’s take a look and review the Values and Principles to Leadership…

Duty

Duty is how you value your job. Duty begins with everything required of you by law and policy, but it is much more than that. A leader commits to excellence in all aspects of their professional responsibility so that when the job is done they can look back and say "I couldn't have given any more."

Be proficient in your job, both technically and as a leader

* Take charge when in charge.
* Adhere to professional standard operating procedures.
* Develop a plan to accomplish given objectives

Make sound and timely decisions

* Maintain situation awareness in order to anticipate needed actions.
* Develop contingencies and consider consequences.
* Improvise within the commander’s intent to handle a rapidly changing environment.

Ensure that tasks are understood, supervised and accomplished

* Issue clear instructions.
* Observe and assess actions in progress without micro-managing.
* Use positive feedback to modify duties, tasks, and assignments when appropriate.

Develop your subordinates for the future

* Clearly state expectations.
* Delegate those tasks that you are not required to do personally.
* Consider individual skill levels and developmental needs when assigning tasks.

Respect

Respect is how you value your co-workers. Respect for the individual forms the very basis for the rule of law in America. This value reminds you that those who follow you are your greatest resource. Not all of your followers will succeed equally, but they all deserve respect.

Know your subordinates and look out for their well being

* Put the safety of your subordinates above all other objectives.
* Take care of your subordinate’s needs.
* Resolve conflicts between individuals on the team.

Keep your subordinates informed

* Provide accurate and timely briefings.
* Give the reason (intent) for assignments and tasks.
* Make yourself available to answer questions at appropriate times.

Build the team

* Conduct frequent debriefings with the team to identify lessons learned.
* Recognize individual and team accomplishments and reward them appropriately.
* Apply disciplinary measures equally.

Employ your subordinates in accordance with their capabilities

* Observe human behavior as well as fire behavior.
* Provide early warning to subordinates of tasks they will be responsible for.
* Consider team experience, fatigue, and physical limitations when accepting assignments.

Integrity

Integrity is how you value yourself. You cannot be in charge of others unless you are in charge of yourself. People of integrity separate what is right from what is wrong and act according to what they know is right, even at personal cost.

Know yourself and seek improvement

* Know the strengths/weaknesses in your character and skill level.
* Ask questions of peers and superiors.
* Actively listen to feedback from subordinates.

Seek responsibility and accept responsibility for your actions

* Accept full responsibility for and correct poor team performance.

* Credit subordinates for good performance.
* Keep your superiors informed of your actions.

Set the example

* Share the hazards and hardships with your subordinates.
* Don’t show discouragement when facing setbacks.
* Choose the difficult right over the easy wrong.

This list of Values and Principles to Leadership was and still is something that I apply as a leader over the years. The list acts as a guide to follow with the corner stone being Integrity.

You have a guide or flight plan but what about some rules to follow as a leader. Something I carried over the years in my old day planner I have was a little list of rules for a leader that I cut out of a Parade Magazine. Everyone back then had a day planner. lol You see one ever once in a while. The list that I still have to this day was from an article on General Colin Powell. The list was the “13 Rules of Leadership.” I’ll end this blog entry with a YouTube of Colin Powell’s “13 Rules of Leadership.” Write them down and make your own list to refer to. Here’s the video…

Now that you have your list of Values and Principles to Leadership and the list of the 13 Rules of Leadership, it’s time to be a leader of action.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)