We’re going to step aside from the traditional ‘responder & HRO’ leadership style briefly and dive into the many faucets of leadership. The picture above links to an article about what employees want from leaders in the 21st Century. It’s important to remember that in our line of work, in society, in the chapters of our lives–the most constant thing other than time is change. That’s the first quality of a leader; recognizing the lapse of experiences and reactions to those experiences when that particular leader was once in the beginning era of their career.
A great example is when I remember back in my first 4-5 years of my career in wild land fire. There were so many experiences that excited me–group torching next to the fire line, running the saw (the adrenaline of cutting down monster trees), utilizing fire on back burns, burn outs, or prescribed fire. It still excites me, but the tasks have been experienced in many similar situations that they have become second nature. The LCES, fire behavior, the risk management, the initial experience of it–has become normalized for me. But it’s the crew members starting in their career that remind me of the giddy excitement or stunned terrifying fear (although most always under the safety of leadership) of those first experiences.
I had similar experiences volunteering for the fire department and acquiring my EMTb certification. I still have some of those reactions to these roles as I am not exposed to the experience as much.
So, how does a leader’s experience and intent get translated to these crew members that are newer to the field, or even a different generation? Through the different approaches of leadership. Not leadership type (i.e. Participant or Authoritative Leader) that they formally teach us in our field–although putting a name and a definition to each type is appropriate for identifying the ‘why’ in decisions and behaviors of a particular leader. A holistic leadership approach through mentoring, managing, and coaching is essential for the development, thus the production outcome, of personnel and success. Yes, development is always first, because as a leader, people are always first! Production is the end state, the goal, the outcome. However, to motivate your crew is to invest in your crew way before the demands of production begin.
Managing is a huge part of leadership. They cannot be mutually exclusive–contradictory to what I felt was always demonstrated in my career. How a leader manages is key. Management is the administration side of leadership. Responsibility for the status quo, policy, guidelines, budgets, equipment inventory and upkeep are a few things that fall under leader’s management. Leaders don’t manage people, but they do manage their employee’s development through ensuring the employee has their policy-required paperwork completed correctly (not necessarily do it for them), the right classes and training acquired, the proper equipment or gear and knowledge of processes. It’s the much needed, and not so glamorous ‘check the boxes’ duties of a leader, but it ripples outward into the success of the leader’s other approaches!
Stephanie Muxfield describes mentorship as “A mentor can help you grow and exceed in your career….but they are necessarily going to tell us exactly how to go about it.” (Mentor, Coach, Manager, Leader: What’s the Difference?). Being a mentor does not mean being a leader. Mentors guide us and provide the resources and tool for our development; they often provide the long-term goal support for their mentors. A leader will be explained more later.
Coaching can also sometimes be considered mentoring. Instead of the 30k foot view, however, coaching is a more detailed in set in the present. As a coach, you must be a keen observer and possess the ability of active listening as well as providing the proper self-refection questions at the appropriate time with the most receptive approach. It’s a skill that many mix in with ‘leadership,’ or ‘mentorship.’ However, coaching is a very informal role that can be direct or indirect feedback from many levels. The key to a good coach, however, is the coach’s awareness of the individual and ability to combine the skills listed before and adapt to the conversation. As I continue my education in Holistic Wellness and Life Coach (through the International Coaching Federation), I am recognizing the absence of genuine coaching in our workforce. Coaches do not offer suggestion or solutions or provide resources in one direction or another, like mentors. Coaches regurgitate the ‘coachee’s’ challenges and provide holistic, self-reflective questions. This provides an opportunity for the person to guide themselves to the answer best fitted for their situation. It can be like an individual After Action Review (AAR).
Leadership. Leadership has no defined boundary or role. Leading from below or leading by example–it can come from many levels. Leadership is not one-on-one, but more for the masses. Leaders inspire and influence their peers, subordinates and cohorts towards common goals. In my opinion, leaders are chameleons working side by side with the group they are influencing. They mend and mold influence through their leadership styles, approaches, and behaviors. They don’t recognize it, they don’t acknowledge it…they just lead. Unlike managing, which one has to listen to the manager that supervises your employment, leaders are followed by people who want to follow them. Who respect and trust them.
David Prezant, M.D. for the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), is a fantastic example of a leadership. During the World Trade Center incident, he was a director of triage east of ‘ground zero.’ He captures moments of his humanity with the absence of leadership, but the majority of his actions and decisions were the very definition of leadership. He later became known for breakthrough medical science for the healthcare of first responders as well as a lobbyist for the cause. He led the masses through his research and proposals. More on him: 20 Years After.
None of these roles are mutually exclusive. In fact, a holistic utilization of managing, mentoring, coaching, and leading will make a person unstoppable. Every individual, group and community needs holistic leadership to challenge conventional and outdated ideologies and promote radical change for our future!
Please check out the books below (click on the linked picture that will take you directly to the book for your convenience). I have read, and re-read these throughout my career. They are sounding board from with to reflect on your own skills and grow into your roles within your field of work. Stay safe and be well, first responders. X
