HazMat Response Programs
Leadership Equates to Success
David F. Peterson
Author's Note: Last month this column discussed three basic principles to follow for identifying your organization's (or program) path to achieve success. It must have hit a chord because there was an over-whelming response, especially in the area of how badly leadership is needed in hazmat response programs. Since so many inquired about leadership principles the following column is dedicated to those brave souls who dearly desire to lead their hazmat response programs to success.
A new century has dawned and at first light it has revealed itself to be a very dynamic one, especially for hazardous materials response. Many changes are on the horizon for hazmat programs and the way we respond to these emergencies. Some changes are good and some are bad. One fact is true though; our actions before, during, and after these impending changes demands our total and complete involvement. That is why our leadership is so important.
"When the sky is the darkest the brightest stars come out" is a statement that many of us have heard and may agree with. Leadership, and that of being a leader, can sometimes be a daunting challenge and a difficult role. It is definitely not a role for the faint-hearted; in fact it is commonly associated with being courageous, unnerving, and steadfast. In times that may seem the darkest often the true leaders emerge to assist in solving the problems at hand. It is also their leadership in those critical moments or periods of time in which they are remembered.
So how does a person go about developing their leadership skills? This column will take a look at leadership and its development with the goal of merely assisting in a direction for your own personal development and also to hopefully inspire you to chart your own course and achieve success.
To begin, it is important to realize that there is a huge amount of information pertaining to the subject of leadership. There are numerous books, magazine articles, and papers on this subject. The Internet and web also offer many "leads" on this topic. It is also important to recognize that many of these resources offer "theories" on leadership. We know that theories are "abstract thoughts or general principles of a subject that are offered to explain observable facts". Theories can also be described as merely a hypothesis or a guess. The point here is that there is no concrete definition or "set-in-stone" procedure to follow in developing a leadership style.
While one theory may work in a certain situation that same theory may fail in another situation. As a matter of fact, the U.S. Army requires that generals read a periodical by the name of The Military Review, which characterizes leadership as "one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth". Even our national defenders, who develop leaders, have a hard time with the concept of leadership. Still, realize that many ideas on leadership can be utilized and integrated into your own development. Maybe that is best; the development of your leadership style and your legacy will be unique to you. Like Frank Sinatra, you can claim you "did it your way"!
Developing Your Leadership Skills
Much of what we have learned about leadership has come from the examples that we have observed. This may be beneficial but most likely we have not had stellar examples in which to mold our own leadership styles, at least in the modern day view of leadership. Some long held views of leaders include John Wayne, Steve McQueen, or Clint Eastwood in silver screen depictions or real life leaders such as Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, or JFK. Modern leaders may include people such as, Bill Clinton, George Bush, or even Lee Iacocca, the savior of Chrysler Corporation. Iacocca once said, "Leadership means setting an example. When you find yourself in a position of leadership, people will follow your every move."
Iacocca's example was phenomenal in saving Chrysler in the early 1980's. As a leader, Iacocca recognized the tough decisions that needed to be made to save a company and thousands of jobs. Consider that he agreed to lead the company at half the salary in which he earned at Ford; he worked around the clock at a huge cost to his family; he fired 33 of his top 35 executives; he went to the Federal government and asked for a bailout to help save Chrysler; in 1980 he reduced his salary to $1; and he asked his executives to take a 10% salary cut. All of these tough actions resulted in the success of saving the Chrysler Corporation. In 1981 the company was showing a profit and in 1983 they repaid the Federal government loan completely. Now that's leadership!
Whatever your view of what a leader is remember there are many definitions and theories of leadership. A simple definition of leadership is a person who leads or directs others. Another definition of leadership is a person who has followers. Most likely, we would have very similar thoughts when it comes to defining leadership. Bill Bradley, an ex-Senator and pro basketball player, defines leadership as "getting people to think, believe, see, and do what they might not have without you." John Naisbitt, author of the book "Megatrends" says, "Leadership is finding a parade and jumping out in front of it." The common denominator in all of these views, and most likely yours, is that there has to be someone leading the charge, directing efforts, or coordinating the action.
We would probably also have similar thoughts when it comes to listing the traits of good leaders. In a poll of 2,000 managers in the United States from 1980-1984 the following list was developed on the characteristics of leaders.
#1 Willingness to listen (11%)
#2 Interested, supportive, considerate (10%)
Honest, trustworthiness, integrity (10%)
#3 Open minded, objective, reasonable (9%)
#4 Delegates, trusts people, gives room (8%)
#5 Motivates, inspires, challenges, develops team (7%)
#6 Knowledgeable, experienced, competent, good judgment (6%)
#7 Approachable, teaches, coaches (5%)
Constructive, enthusiastic, friendly (5%)
Decisive, courageous, takes risk (5%)
#8 Goal oriented, makes plans, follows through (4%)
#9 Respectful, a doer, open, candid, sincere, tactful (3%)
humble, consistent, hard working (6)
Very interesting traits are listed and an analysis will reveal that most, if not all, traits listed are basic elements in participative leadership. That is, most people prefer leaders who actively pursue their input and comments. This is opposed to older, out-dated forms of leadership or management where employee input is not sought. The former may be referred to more as Y or Z management while the later is X management.
Leadership Resources
There are excellent resources for the development of your leadership skills and your own leadership style. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephan Covey has many great concepts to consider for leadership.
The 7 habits and their assistance are;
Habit 1 Be Proactive
You are the one who can make things happen. Be a "do-er".
"Act or be acted upon"
Habit 2 Begin With the End in Mind
Formulate your own mission statement or game plan. Follow it!
Habit 3 Put First Things First
Prioritize and organize and plan
Habit 4 Think Win/Win
How can all parties involved mutually benefit?
Habit 5 Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Develop empathic listening skills to understand others
Habit 6 Synergize
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Interdependency
Habit 7 Sharpen the Saw
Self-renewal, self-improvement.
Another excellent resource concerning leadership is a book by Donald T. Philips entitled, "Lincoln on Leadership". This 173-page book is packed with lessons on how to be a leader based on the life of arguably the best president our country has ever had. It is absolutely stunning to read how Abraham Lincoln employed effective leadership and management concepts over 140 years ago. Concepts that are as effective now as they were then.
For instance Lincoln commonly;
- Circulated among the troops
- Built strong alliances
- Perfected skills of persuasion
- Displayed honesty and integrity at all times
- Refrained from vengeful and spiteful actions
- Handled criticism courageously
- Listened intently
- Acted decisively
- Kept his ego out of decisions
- Set goals
- Gave personnel many chances to prove themselves
- Empowered people and let them make mistakes
- Developed his oratory skills and illustrated points with story telling
- Shared his visions
As president, Lincoln did all of these things under immense pressure and in a span of a little more than four years. Lincoln's legacy as a leader provides us with tangible examples of how to lead and the trait's of a leader, and his example can provide us with the knowledge to improve our own leadership skills.
One last resource concerning leadership is a book by Michael F. Staley, a former EMS responder and now a current motivational speaker, entitled, "Igniting the Leader Within". Mr. Staley details the leadership legacy of Benjamin Franklin and the many lessons that this statesman taught us about leadership and living a full and productive life. It is a 156-page book that you will not be able to put down.
Time for Action
With the many resources that can be accessed and those that have been mentioned here the question to ask now becomes, what kind of leader do you want to be? It is all up to you. Reflect upon the leaders that you have observed and decide on the qualities that you want to demonstrate. Read all you can, ask questions, go to seminars, and practice the things you learn on leadership. Keep in mind that being a leader is not something that happens overnight, rather, it is a long process. We are all "works in progress" and we evolve, and learn, as time goes by. The important thing is to strive to become a better leader each and every day.
Because much of being a leader is trial and error, leadership is a dynamic process, and since it is not an exact science the following are some thoughts and considerations that may assist in your own leadership development.
Find your own way
- develop your own style, reflect and decide what is important
Exercise your leadership
- Generally lead from the front, show people the way
- Consider leading from the rear
Empower people and allow them to make their own mistakes Explain tasks, avoid micromanaging, and get out of their way "With the best of leaders, when the work is done, the project completed, the people will say 'we did it ourselves'" -Lao tzu
"The very highest leader is barely known by men, then comes the leader they know and love, then the leader they fear, then the leader they despise" -Lao tzu
- Lead by actions
"Talk less, do more!" -Benjamin Franklin
- Show Enthusiasm
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm" -Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Realize your limitations, think as a team, strengths and weaknesses
Responsibility
- Attitudes, yours and others
- Climate, Do the right thing! Moral, ethical, legal, policies, rules, etc.
- Express expectations, no secrets
- Strive for continual improvement, celebrate successes
- Consistency and Focus, "What is in the best interest of the public?"
- Communicate!
- Teach, Coach, Counsel, Mentor your personnel
Realizations
- Be realistic
- Nothing is perfect, there will be ups and downs, success and failure
Interpersonal Skills
- Strive to improve your "people skills"
- Mutual respect, fairness, positive, confidential
Have Fun!
- If you're not having fun something is wrong
- Lighten up, realize the difference between serious time and play time
- Forgive, forget, and move on in dealing with personnel matters
- Be yourself, show the real you to other people
- Find your bliss!, both personal and professional
Golden Rule
- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Success
Development and application of your leadership skills should bring you a degree of success, especially if you implement the many concepts that are available on these topics. Success is another elusive term that means different things to different people. To indicate the wide variety of definitions contemplate the following;
"Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit."- Conrad Hilton
"Leaders are made, and contrary to the opinion of many, they are not born…they are made by hard effort, which is the price we must all pay for success"- Vince Lombardi
"My formula for success; Rise early, work late, strike oil."- J.P. Getty
"The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people."- Theodore Roosevelt
Success
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded."
Whatever your definition for success, hopefully you attain it!
In closing, hopefully some thoughts were shared that can assist you with your own personal development in the area of leadership and you feel somewhat inspired to act. Your leadership is important and now it is up to you to fully develop this important trait. Go, and seize the day, make your life extraordinary, and prepare yourself for the future and when the times are the darkest your star will shine the brightest.
Related:
About the Author - David F. Peterson, CHMM
David is a 21-year veteran firefighter who is currently a lieutenant with the Madison, Wisconsin,
Fire Department where previously he was the Hazmat Training Coordinator for the Level A Regional
Response Team. He is a certified hazmat IAFF Master Trainer who has trained over 40 private and
public hazmat response teams and several thousand first responders. He is a National Fire Academy
instructor, an Emergency Management Institute presenter, and a FDIC presenter. He has authored
numerous articles for fire service periodicals, newsletters, and websites and is the founder and
past president of the Wisconsin Association of Hazardous Materials Responders, Inc. David can be
contacted at hazmatpetie@aol.com
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