Some Tips for the New Leader

Just the other day, a couple of my buddies and I were reminiscing about what it was like to be a new officer. Truth be told, it was a long, long time ago for each of us. However, the memories which each of us have come to cherish are still clear enough to recall after all the intervening years. I guess that there are some things a guy just never forgets.

It was back in November of 1977 when I walked through the side door at Engine Company 18 on Avon Avenue in Newark, NJ, as a newly-minted fire captain. One day I was a fireman on Engine Company 11. The next , I was on my way to a fire in south Newark as the captain of a different company, on a different shift, in a different part of the city.

Believe me, there was a lot to take in as I assumed my new role as company commander. Every new officer comes with the baggage they created while they were working as firefighters. No one comes to their new position with all of the answers. There may be many who think they have the answers, but that personally-induced myth normally fades quickly under the close scrutiny of their new crew. Firefighters are a very straightforward group.

Many have been the times over the years when I stepped into a new leadership role. It is because of the differences I have encountered on those occasions when I was moved into a new position that I felt I should share what I have learned. This visit with you will involve some of those things I believe an officer should know before they climb into the right front seat as a new leader.

Let me strongly recommend that you come to work your first day motivated and ready to lead your crew. If you are a career officer, I want you thinking about your people and not just the added financial rewards of your new position. If you are a volunteer officer, never forget that your associates thought enough of you to install you as their leader. Also, I want you to forget about all of the new powers of your position, regardless of whether you are career or volunteer. The real amount of power turns out to be a lot less than you think it is or will be.

There is far more in the way of responsibility for you to shoulder than there is power for you to exercise. I am here to tell you that it is your job to set the tone for the fire station. If you are willing and able to lead, then you will be able to motivate your people. Let me offer one more point here. There will be those for whom the velvet hand of kindness is inappropriate.

You may be forced to use the gloved hand of influence, as well as a smack with the disciplinary sledgehammer to get their attention. Unfortunately, this is an area which I failed to use often enough. There are those people who are so ignorant, self-centered, or unreasonable that they will not respond to the reasoned urgings of a motivational leader. There are those who only respond to a smack on the wrist (or other bodily location) which comes from your organization's rules and regulations.

Let me urge you to devote a great deal of time to learning about the parameters of your new position. Be sure of what you say, because people don't trust those who speak of those things about which they know very little. While it is nice to have a solid basis in textbook knowledge, it is also critical to know your department's SOP's, rules and regulations, memo's, etc. Do not talk off of the top of your head. Be sure of your facts.

You will also need to know about all of the jobs which will be performed by your crew and the manner in which they are to be accomplished. How will you be able to supervise others if you have no idea about the tasks they are expected to do or how they should be performing these tasks? How can you assess success if you have no idea what it should look like?

Let me also offer you an important tip. Know how to handle the small things. Examples of these would be the fire company drill schedule, use of the day room in the station, clean up assignments, and the like. Be particularly aware of your role in conducting the daily operations of your company, battalion, district, division, or department. Which aspects of the work routine have been placed into your hands? Which can you delegate?

If you are operating in a volunteer environment, are the officers sharing the various departmental duties? Be sure of your role in the leadership equation. Do your job and help out when asked. Do not rush to take over everyone else's jobs. As I recall, no one likes a know-it-all. People also do not trust the do-it-all people either. How can people learn to do their job if you keep doing it for them? Each person must know what is expected and how to accomplish assigned tasks. If you do not know how to do something, ask for help.

Let me fix in your mind the importance of the need for you as the leader to set the example for your people. If you are in a line position, make sure that you are a firefighter. Nothing causes people to lose the respect of their peers more when there is work to be done and you are to be found standing outside with your ceiling hook looking like a shepherd or up the block hunting for a hydrant.

Please be sure that you have a good handle on performing a proper size-up. For example, if you pull up to a three-story office or row house building, do not just give the occupancy type. Give the construction type as well, and if you don't know what the construction type is, then you are not doing enough preplans. Good leaders know their districts. Do not forget to actually establish command. The way in which you do this sets the tone for the entire operation. Do not scream like a child in kindergarten.

Let me also make it crystal clear that it is critical for you to be able to accept change and new ideas. New is okay. Talk and be proud of the past, but realize that history is something to learn from, not something to revel in. There is nothing worse than having one of your troops ask why something is being done in a particular manner and you replying that, "It is because that is the department's way" or, "That's the way we have always done it so why should we change?" These words had better not be a part of your repertoire.

It is critical for you to know how to use all of the equipment assigned to your company or unit. Not only must you be familiar with all of it, you must know how to teach others about it. A group of dummies led by a head dummy will end up being a drag on the operations of their fire department. There are far too many people with a lot of book knowledge and very little practical experience. Be the person with both.

I can think of a new lieutenant in my world who has a great deal of technical knowledge. He has spent a great deal of time learning how to do things. When I have a question about how to use a particular piece of equipment, I turn to this young man for help. I may have 44 years of experience but there is one thing I know for sure. There is far more in my area of ignorance than in my corral of knowledge. That is to say, I believe that what I don't know has a larger volume than what I do know. Let me offer a word of advice my friends. I am that rare sort of husband: I know how to stop and ask directions. I would rather look a little stupid early on than to act a lot stupid as the journey progresses.

Heaven knows I have spent more than one day in the land of the dumb-asses. Heck, there are days when I feel like the Mayor of Dumb-Ass City. However, it is because of my willingness to admit to my many weaknesses that I am better able to offer advice on how to do things. I would rather get advice from someone who has made mistakes than from someone who tells me they are perfect. Hell, I might be their first mistake and that could make for some serious problems.

It is because of this last point that I suggest that you too learn how to perform research. If you do not know the answer to a given question, say that you do not know and then find the answer. Once you find the answer get back to the person who asked the question with that answer. The ability to research and find answers is a critical skill. You will have rookies and veterans alike asking you all sorts of off-the-wall questions. Some will ask because they do not know, while others will ask questions in order to test you. It is important that if you don't know the answer that you can find it out or point them in the right direction so they get the answer.

I want you to realize that it is okay to be friends with your people. On the other hand, it is extremely important that you also know when to draw the line to keep them in line. I have heard many people over the years tell me that you cannot be a boss and a buddy. To those who say that I reply, "pish tosh." The problem arises when you fail to become the leader before you allow yourself to become the friend. This is not an easy task, but I have seen it done many times.

The keys to this come from one of my favorite books. Favreau (1973) speaks to the following as the basis upon which one should build their career as a leader. He tells us that a leader must be:

• Fair
• Firm
• Able

One of the toughest people for whom I ever worked was also one of the fairest. He did not play favorites. He set the standard and then was tough on all who failed to achieve that standard. Rest assured that there was one standard for all, himself included. If people see that you are not seeking special favors for yourself, it is far more probable that they will mount up and follow you.

Let me close this article with a simple piece of advice. Be consistent. If you are consistent, people will come to trust you. Do not make different decisions on the same topic for different people. Like I said, set one standard for all and be sure that you stick to that standard yourself.

A buddy from out west shared a bit of advice with me recently. There are those people, he said, who reminded him of the old George Costanza (from the Seinfeld show) quotation, "...It's not a lie if you believe it." Folks, I would urge all of you new leaders out here to practice a life of honesty and devotion to duty. Do not, as my buddy suggested, practice a life of better living through self-delusion.

Good luck my friends. Be sure to stay safe and above all, buckle up, obey the speed limit, and stop at all red lights and stop signs.

HARRY R. CARTER, Ph.D., CFO, MIFireE, a Firehouse.com Contributing Editor, is a municipal fire protection consultant based in Adelphia, NJ. Dr. Carter retired from the Newark, NJ, Fire Department and is a past chief and active life member of the Adelphia Fire Company. He recently published Leadership: A View from the Trenches and Living My Dream: Dr. Harry Carter's 2006 FIRE Act Road Trip, which was also the subject of a Firehouse.com blog To read Harry's complete biography and view their archived articles, click here. You can reach Harry by e-mail at drharrycarter@optonline.net.