Leadership

NomadicMedic

NomadicMedic

I know a guy who knows a guy.
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What does your agency do to prepare someone for a leadership position?
 
Is there anything specific you can share? For example, the reading list? I’ve got my new team reading extreme ownership.

What classes and conferences? I’m just finishing the Fitch ASM program. It’s been surprisingly valuable. Do you send your team members to National Fire Academy for their EMS management and leadership classes?

What kind of internal classes? Things that you’ve adapted from other places or programs that you rolled on your own?
 
Regarding reading material, I think "Up the Organization" by Townsend and "In Search of Excellence" by Peters and Waterman are still tough to beat.
 
NomadicMedic said:
Is there anything specific you can share? For example, the reading list? I’ve got my new team reading extreme ownership.

What classes and conferences? I’m just finishing the Fitch ASM program. It’s been surprisingly valuable. Do you send your team members to National Fire Academy for their EMS management and leadership classes?

What kind of internal classes? Things that you’ve adapted from other places or programs that you rolled on your own?
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So our reading list isnt rigid. It's basically just some leadership books and they pick one they think would be best for that person I'll go find the book and let you know what it's called.

For conferences we use mostly Pinnacle and various courses from Missouri Ambulance Association.

For internal we have an officers training program that focuses on leadership development as well as educational theory. Also the normal ICS stuff.
 
Having been through several fad type leadership programs (anyone remember TQL and TQM?), I've learned something very valuable. Quality leaders are NOT created by some whizbang program, conference or reading list. Quality leaders are those who have a deep understanding of your company, it's policies and perhaps most importantly why those policies are in place. They know when it is acceptable to question something, and when something needs to be done without question. They earn respect by repeated demonstrations of their competence, not by their credentials or conferences attended.

There are definitely certain books and programs that can help improve their leadership style, but they can't creat a good leader out of nothing. Every leadership program has one thing in common - the claim that if you don't follow their program then you're going to fail. That is absolutely BS.
 
ffemt8978 said:
Having been through several fad type leadership programs (anyone remember TQL and TQM?), I've learned something very valuable. Quality leaders are NOT created by some whizbang program, conference or reading list. Quality leaders are those who have a deep understanding of your company, it's policies and perhaps most importantly why those policies are in place. They know when it is acceptable to question something, and when something needs to be done without question. They earn respect by repeated demonstrations of their competence, not by their credentials or conferences attended.

There are definitely certain books and programs that can help improve their leadership style, but they can't creat a good leader out of nothing. Every leadership program has one thing in common - the claim that if you don't follow their program then you're going to fail. That is absolutely BS.
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I think most leadership training is very similar and simple. Do the right thing, don't be a jerk. Every different program just presents it differently.
 
Watch Jocko videos on YouTube.
 
NomadicMedic said:
I think most leadership training is very similar and simple. Do the right thing, don't be a jerk. Every different program just presents it differently.
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True, but sometimes being a leader calls for being a jerk (albeit VERY rarely).
 
NomadicMedic said:
Huge difference between making difficult decisions and being a dillhole.
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Agreed, but being a dillhole is often a matter of perspective and which side of the dill you're on.
 
ffemt8978 said:
Agreed, but being a dillhole is often a matter of perspective and which side of the dill you're on.
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Part of leadership is accepting that. I'm a firm believer in servant leadership, but sometimes you have to be one. I'm younger than half my employees and got my position from work and educational experience.

I know they all aren't my biggest fans, and they're entitled to their opinions. But, hopefully they know I'm in their corner and will fight for them. I cant count the number of times I've stuck my neck way out for them, or gone toe-to-toe with leadership from other agencies that are down on my dispatchers... I will also take them to task when needed.

In 911, there are some courses and seminars, but most of it is learned on the Job. NENA and APCO also have master certifications, but they're still not the complete norm. Personally I take courses and seminars across the business and public safety spectrums. I usually consider them useful if I can gain one or 2 little tidbits.
 
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They give them a white shirt, and hope for the best... seriously... there are some HR standard classes, but very few steps to actually make someone learn what makes to be a good leader. One of the reasons I don't work FT in EMS anymore, too many horrible supervisors.
 
My old company it seemed like your best way to be promoted was to be lazy. If you worked hard, you were too valuable to be promoted, because they needed you on the street too much.
I was actually told that by a manager, and when it pissed me off and I went to the owner he told me that same thing, and gave me $1000 cash.
 
Biggest mistake in almost any industry is conflating real skill and aplomb in a rank and file job with leadership ability. Drop dead, bomb proof ability in any scenario just doesn't mean that individual would make a great leader. If he is, it's just a coincidence. The reality is that the desire for leadership, the willingness to train for it and the character trait of humility (not mutually exclusive of a desire for leadership) is all that is required. That is to say that the individual must have the intention to serve their troops. Doesn't matter the job. A mediocre operator can be a fantastic leader.
 
NomadicMedic said:
What does your agency do to prepare someone for a leadership position?
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IMHO it's far less a question of preparing groups of individuals for leadership than identifying who the effective leaders might be...and a lieutenant is not a captain is not a chief.....
 
Ha.... I just got thrown into it.. but that was in 2010.. I found my groove... and now we are our own state approved training center.
 
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