What can we learn from a real fire fighter?

What can we learn from a real fire fighter?

One of the key challenges facing leaders in any sphere is finding ways to keep focused on the big strategic picture. It’s so easy to get dragged into fighting the latest fire to have sprung up in some part of the commercial operation.

Last week I had a rare opportunity to learn from a leader who has spent the last 32 years fighting real fires for a living. Dave Curry is the Chief Fire Officer for Hampshire and I visited his HQ and the fire station at Eastleigh, with some friends and fellow coaches from Aim Higher Leadership. It was a fascinating day during which I gained three particular insights about effective leadership.

  1. Take three steps back

One of the activities we observed at the fire station was a practice session in which the local team extricated a man from a mock road traffic collision. As the action unfolded, I asked Dave what he was looking for in the way the Incident Commander approached the situation. “The main thing I always tell people learning to take on this role is to step back, not forward,” Dave explained. “It’s so easy to get pulled into the action, but you have to resist that temptation and keep focused on the broader picture. You have to take three steps back, literally as well as mentally and emotionally. It’s only then that you can get a sense of what’s going on in the surrounding environment and assess whether you have the resources in place to handle the hazards and risks that are unfolding.”

2. Focus your time where it matters most

Dave took on the role of Chief Fire Officer 3 years ago. I asked him what his most important learning had been since taking on the top job. His response was that in order to deliver the fire service’s central goal – saving people’s lives – he had to shift the focus of his time and attention away from responding to fires. “I see myself as the CEO of a risk management organisation, not just a firefighting service,” he explains.

The surprising fact is that most people who die in fires have expired before the fire service is actually called. Dave’s insight has been that he can make the biggest difference by focusing more on preventing fires. The devastating impact of the Grenfell disaster has also highlighted the importance of protecting people in advance of any potential fire, by thinking about things like the specification of building materials and safety procedures.

The rewards arising from this increased focus on prevention and protection are demonstrated by some compelling facts. Last year there were only two fire fatalities in Hampshire, against a running annual average of five. Even more significantly, Hampshire’s crews now have to deal with 52% fewer fires each year than they did ten years ago.

3. Think about your thinking

In another conversation with Dave Curry and one of his senior HR colleagues, we explored the biggest challenges facing leaders in today’s extraordinary environment. The dramatic pace and scale of change facing the fire service is just as much an issue as it is in other sectors. Digital disruption, artificial intelligence, active citizenship and private sector partnerships are just some of the considerations on the table.

There is a concern that it can be difficult for leaders to even be aware of some of the future challenges that are coming down the track, let alone know how to deal with them. They also have some very awkward cultural trade-offs to make within their organisation. For example, how can the traditional control and order be balanced with the freedom required to enable innovation and experimentation? How can the necessary personal accountability be instilled at the same time as a strong and supportive spirit of teamwork?

For these reasons, a key priority is for leaders to think more about the way they are thinking. It isn’t good enough to think strategically about the issues they face. People need to reflect on what thinking strategically actually means in today’s environment. They need to be more aware of factors such as their personal unconscious bias, their learning mindset and their self-limiting beliefs. Only by deepening their self-awareness in this way will leaders be able to work at the level required to deal successfully with the complex intellectual and human challenges involved.

Together, these three lessons take Dave Curry and his colleagues at the fire service a long way beyond their traditional job as firefighters. From what I saw of their skill and professionalism during my visit, it is reassuring that they clearly remain outstanding in this role. But it is their approach beyond fighting fires which I found most impressive, and there is learning in that for all of us.

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