Being Chief: Leadership Principles for the ARFF Professional, is the first book of its kind, dedicated solely to leadership in the aircraft rescue and firefighting field. More than thirty ARFF chiefs and leaders were interviewed for this book. Through the process of compiling the information from these discussions, a pattern for success emerged. Similar topics were discussed, and certain traits rose to the top. These came through these four questions:
- What is your advice for the newly promoted chief officer?
- What actions, behaviors, or thought patterns lead to leadership failure?
- What is the top trait or characteristic that you believe every chief officer must possess?
- What have been the key factors to your success and why?
What is your advice for the newly promoted chief officer?
- Listen, to those above and below.
- Learn, from others, from past successes and mistakes, commit to continual education.
- Be with your people, they are the priority.
- Remember where you came from, and how you got here.
- Be consistent, always show up.
What actions, behaviors, or thought patterns lead to leadership failure?
Lack of respect for people.
Failure to recognize and adjust to different personality types.
Poor treatment, demeaning, unfair, unequitable.
Not ‘learning’ your people, or knowing who they are.
Failure to provide discipline and clear direction.
Not trusting your people.
Lack of integrity.
Not being true to your word.
Being inconsistent.
Non-committed to department, people, direction, or vision.
Self-serving.
Poor communication.
Not listening.
Unable to commit to decisions, lack of clarity in decision making.
Unclear vision and prioritizing personal agendas.
What is the top trait or characteristic that you believe every chief officer must possess?
Trust
Honesty
Integrity
Humility (approachable, listen, learn)
What have been the key factors to your success and why?
Knowing the job.
Commit to continual learning.
Stay relevant by listening to others.
Network with other chiefs, organizations, and departments.
Consistency.
Persevere.
Show up everyday at 100%.
Build experience.
Faith.
Family.
Support of...
Succeed for…
Being Chief takes a deep dive into each of these areas and topics, and lets you hear from the leaders themselves, in their own words through their own experiences.
