Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the “What Firefighter Want in 2024" digital edition. To download your copy and find more department resources, visit the “What Firefighters Want” resource page.
The 2024 What Firefighters Want survey clearly highlighted the need for effective leadership as a major concern, with 76% of the 1,316 respondents expressing dissatisfaction with the leadership in their departments. Furthermore, retention is a widespread issue among fire departments, and when asked about the factors affecting it, poor agency leadership was the most frequently mentioned concern, surpassing issues like compensation, staffing challenges and health risks.
Over the past decade, I have studied first responder mental wellness, peer support and suicide prevention. Among the variables affecting wellness, I have found that effective leadership significantly impacts overall wellness and fire department culture. While available research has uncovered numerous examples of poor leadership contributing to mental health issues, there was a noticeable gap in research focused on the leadership traits that foster a positive culture in the fire service.
As part of my Executive Fire Officer (EFO) capstone research, titled “Organizational Leadership and Its Impact of on the Mental Wellness of Firefighters,” I sought to identify leaders who exemplify positive leadership traits and to understand their practices. These leaders were nominated by nationally recognized fire service thought leaders. Here we’ll review some of the trends and behaviors identified from their leadership practices, and offer recommendations to inform and enhance fire service leadership.
Psychological safety
Overwhelmingly, the single most important theme identified by these leaders was the willingness to nurture psychological safety within their sphere of influence. While psychological safety has become a buzzword – even dismissed by some as “soft” leadership – its attributes are fundamental to connection, learning and performance.
Put simply, psychological safety is a shared belief among team members that it’s safe to take risks, express ideas and concerns, speak up, and admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences. As author and organizational psychology expert Adam Grant writes in “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know,” psychological safety is not about lowering standards or simply being nice; it’s about creating a climate of respect and trust where people can speak candidly.
Additionally, in his book “The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups,” Daniel Coyle explained that combining high standards and psychological safety is the “secret sauce” to a healthy culture, as seen in successful groups from Disney’s Pixar to the Navy SEALs. A prime example of this type of culture is the New Zealand All Blacks, the most successful professional sports franchise in history. James Kerr’s book “Legacy” outlines the elements leading to their success, including my personal favorite, Whanau, which emphasizes their “No Dickheads” policy. This principle underscores the importance of character over talent, highlighting that the strength of the pack is found in the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is found in the pack.
After-action reviews (AARs) are the perfect opportunity for leaders to model behaviors that can increase psychological safety by utilizing them as an opportunity to model humility, admit what they did not know, what they could have done better, and demonstrate the value of asking questions. A few years ago, at the Training Days Conference, Assistant Chief Dan Shaw, Fairfax County (Virginia) Fire Department, explained that during AARs, he always led with his mistakes first as the IC, and shared that he believed the four most important words a leader could say are, “I screwed that up.” Through modeling this sort of humility, the leader effectively creates the atmosphere of learning from the top down.
Psychological Safety | How could the fire chief better serve your agency?
- “Do not dismiss ideas.”
- “Listen to ideas and new tactics. Get rid of the good old boy system.”
- “Acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the team, ensuring that all members feel valued.”
- “Demonstrate willingness to learn from others, regardless of their rank or experience. This fosters a culture of mutual respect and teamwork.”
- “Do not bully; show respect for officers and firefighters.”
Servant leadership
Shifting back to the EFO research, the key question posed was, “What leadership styles dominate your leadership team?” Each of the leaders interviewed discussed the importance of servant leadership for creating a positive culture in their organization.
FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Frank Leeb shared this feedback: “In our organization, our leaders learn the styles based on our personalities and individual traits. Most people don’t fit neatly into one box. However, when you lead with trust and understanding, your leadership style will create space for them to succeed, and they will do anything for you.”
Baltimore City Deputy Chief Khalilah Yancy shared that her leadership style was built from a combination of “servant leadership, transformational, and leading with love.”
Of course, none of this is easy, as Indianapolis Battalion Chief Dr. Candace Ashby underscored: “It’s a grind. It’s not easy. It’s work, day in and day out. Leadership is not a destination that you will ever reach, it’s a grind every single day with how you show up. You have to be the best person you can be every single day.”
Furthermore, previous research into servant leadership found that culture is best supported when it blends servant leadership with the components of building community and empowerment.
Servant Leadership | How could the fire chief better serve your agency?
- “Open, clear communication about why policies and decisions are made – servant leadership.”
- “Trust in our abilities to execute tasks, which empowers us and builds confidence.”
Positive attitude
Each of the leaders interviewed expressed the value of modeling those behaviors they wished to see in their members and the organization. While there is a lot of lip service being paid to leadership, the truth is, leadership is not a catchphrase but rather a practice.
In his book, “High Road Leadership,” John Maxwell shared, “You can say you stand for integrity while lying and stealing. You can say anything, but what you do shows who you really are. So, the next time you see something you believe to be wrong, don’t make a statement. Do the right thing. And keep doing it. Eventually, anyone who wants to know what you value or believe will realize your life is your statement.”
John Oates, CEO of the International Public Safety Data Institute, explained that the little things go a long way; as a leader, you must model teamwork and respect because when you set the standard, you are better positioned to get buy-in.
Fort Walton Beach (Florida) Fire Department Chief Shannon Stone shared this: “When I make a mistake, I will be humble enough to own it, learn from it, share it and fix it. This is through example. I look for opportunities where I did not make the best decision to say, ‘you know what, guys, I screwed up, let’s talk about what will work better.’”
This modeling behavior helps people lower their guard so they can be open to making both decisions and mistakes. Each of these interviewees also explained the danger of gossip and the steps they take to discourage the behavior.
Raleigh (N.C.) Fire Department Division Chief Preston Gaster added: “Gossip does not build good teams. It goes back to leading by example; if they see that I feed into it, it will continue to grow.”
Positivity | How could the fire chief better serve your agency?
- “Step in to make positive changes.”
- “Recognize both positive contributions and address negative behaviors constructively.”
Humility
There is often a fear that by admitting mistakes, leaders lose respect, but the research found the opposite. In discussing humility, 100% of the respondents expressed that it is a positive trait that should start with leadership. Chief Leeb shared that leaders who model humility become more relatable and therefore approachable. Additionally, Chief Gaster shared, “Nobody knows everything. I know I will screw up, and as a leader, I must model the behavior I expect. When I tell people I don’t know something, they become empowered to help me and help our organization. By asking for help, people feel included, respect you more, and know it’s OK to do the same.” Atlanta Battalion Chief David Rhodes said it best, though: “If you build a team where you are the dumbest person in the room and capitalize on people’s talents, you will be more successful.”
John Maxwell recently shared a conversation he engaged in while speaking to C-suite leaders. An attendee approached him afterward to challenge his thinking and said that a leader should never show weakness to employees. Maxwell replied: “You’re working under a misconception. You think your people don’t already know your weaknesses and flaws? The purpose of admitting them isn’t to give them new information. It’s to let them know that you know what they are.”
Humility | How could the fire chief better serve your agency?
- “Show empathy, show humility, show that you care about the rank and file.”
- “Treat people with humility and dignity.”
Effective communication
Previous research has identified gossip as a key indicator of an unhealthy culture and a lack of psychological safety. Effective communication emerged as a significant theme when exploring methods for managing gossip and fostering a positive environment. As Chief Shaw explained: “Gossip comes from not having all the facts. The way we address it is, number one, transparency, and number two, communication.” Chief Oates, who previously served as fire chief in East Hartford, Connecticut, added: “You defeat gossip by being conversational and intentional. Transparency in communication is key. In times of critical change, be deliberate. Rumor-mongering is like an Olympic sport for the fire service. A steady stream of open communication is the way to nip it in the bud.”
Today, the Fairfax County (Virginia) Fire Department is known for its positive culture, which is a direct result of deliberate leadership. I was fortunate enough to interview Fire Chief John Butler, who shared some of his department’s strategies to achieve this positive change. In terms of trust and accountability, effective communication was crucial for increasing information flow while reducing gossip. They have utilized multiple mediums for communication, including a quarterly newsletter, health and wellness newsletter, peer support newsletter, battalion chief roundtable, senior leadership meetings, Fire Chief’s Officer Council, Fire Chiefs Equity Council, monthly firehouse visits, information bulletins, social media, a master calendar, and even a podcast where they share new information.
Communications | How could the fire chief better serve your agency?
- “Be more transparent with operational staff.”
- “Develop a strong communication strategy.”
- “Increased frequency and depth of communication. Communicating goals and expectations.”
Care for your people
A fascinating finding from my EFO research was the profound level of love these leaders exhibited for their members and the fundamental importance of genuinely caring about people. Chief Leeb stated: “If you’re mindful and truly love your team, it shows in your words and actions. The higher your standard, the higher your bar, the better they will perform, as long as you show them that you care for them and that you love them, they will do anything for you.” Chief Yancey emphasized: “I try to lead with love and treat others as I would want to be treated. If you love your people, it creates a better work environment, and even if everyone doesn’t always agree, we can still care about them.” Madison (Alabama) Captain Michael Sedlacek succinctly added, “You have to care about your people, learn who everyone is as an individual, and you have to want to see their success.”
Care | How could the fire chief better serve your agency?
- “Care about ALL your personnel.”
- “Give the job to someone who cares about the department.”
- “Show some respect and truly consider what the line peoples’ concerns are.”
Mission-driven culture
Mission-driven culture also emerged from the comments by our group of leaders. As Meridian (Idaho) Fire Chief Kris Blume wrote about this approach: “This leadership strategy differs from traditional emergency management strategies in which subordinates must obey commands and follow strict policies/procedures or face consequences despite the potential for improved outcomes obtained by deviating from the rules. Therefore, Mission Driven Culture (MDC) focuses on each mission and allows subordinates more freedom to make life-or-death decisions in face of unforeseen and unfamiliar circumstances.”
MDC disrupts the hierarchy by allowing all parts to make critical life-and-death decisions based on their understanding and commitment to the mission, vision and organizational values. Blume explained that because firefighters make decisions in time-compressed situations with limited information, “we as leaders must focus on reviewing the task, the purpose, and the end state when a decision is made.” Leaders must ask, “what are we doing, why are we doing it, and what is the desired outcome?”
To illustrate MDC in action, Blume shared the story of an officer who decided to damage a community’s security gate to reach a cardiac arrest victim. At the time, the organization had a strict policy regarding apparatus accidents, specifically striking stationary objects. However, reviewing the situation from the lens of MDC, the task (to damage the gate) for the purpose (to reach a cardiac arrest victim) created conditions for the end state (a successful resuscitation). Chief Blume noted that under a policy-driven culture, the decision to damage the gate would have been punished; however, following MDC, “we reward this decision by understanding the task, purpose and end state.”
Chief Yancey shared her perspective on MDC: “If people have not bought into the mission, slamming policy down their throat won’t mean a thing. Because while it’s impossible to remember every policy, you can remember the mission and act decisively based on your understanding of the mission.”
And while Chief Butler did not specifically reference MDC, he underscored that a healthy organization trusts each other and the leadership, and does not check boxes simply for accreditation, but rather to lead through equity and inclusivity, which ultimately breeds trust.
Finally, Chief Leeb shared that leaders will at times give up hard-earned credibility and trust if they enforce all policies to the letter of the law. He explained that sound practices have sound reasoning, and while we have to play by the rules, we must speak up to change bad policy.
Mission-Drive Culture | How could the fire chief better serve your agency?
- “Delegate and empower your command staff. Give them authority to make decisions.”
- “Defend our decisions. Be an advocate.”
Leaders must …
If you’re looking to improve the culture within your organization, the only leader you can change is yourself. While we can’t transform an entire organization overnight, we can start within our sphere of influence, regardless of our rank. For many of us, this will require patience and allowing our leadership ripples to expand gradually.
Here are a few key recommendations from the leaders involved in this project – leaders who are setting the standard:
- Leaders must demonstrate a visible commitment to developing a positive culture by ensuring they are authentic and reliable in ensuring their daily practices match their words, and consistently modeling positive behaviors.
- Leaders shall foster trust through extending trust, modeling reliability and speaking with candor.
- Leaders must be humble about their capabilities and knowledge. They must admit mistakes, commit to learning from mistakes, and create space for others to contribute.
- Leaders must demonstrate curiosity about others by speaking with candor and maintaining awareness of their own biases. This means they must ask questions, learn the why behind decisions, and practice diligent active listening.
- Leaders must adopt a flexible leadership style focusing on building community and empowering members. They must recognize when to shift into an autocratic leadership style.
Thank you to the leaders who shared their insights: Captain Michael Sedlacek, Assistant Chief Dan Shaw, Chief David Rhodes, Chief John Oates, Division Chief Michael Warmuth, Deputy Chief Khalilah Yancey, Deputy Chief Frank Leeb, Chief John Butler, Battalion Chief Candace Ashby Ph.D., Chief Shannon Stone, and Division Chief Preston Gaster. You are leading the way with better practices and setting a high standard for us all.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dena Ali is a battalion chief with the Raleigh (N.C.) Fire Department and the program manager for behavioral health with the First Responder Center For Excellence. Prior to becoming a firefighter, Ali served five years as a police officer. She has a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina Pembroke, where her research focused on firefighter suicide. Ali is an adjunct instructor with the NFA and the founder and director of North Carolina Peer Support.
