Don’t Go Burning Down the City – Just Talk

 

("Character matters; leadership descends from character" by Aaron Gustafson is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.)

Every person in the fire service knows at least one boss, subordinate, or colleague who believes certifications (chasing papers) is what makes a good firefighter and others who claim experienced (time on the job) is what matters to be a good firefighter. Interactions between these two individuals often leads to generational differences and arguing around the table about who is most qualified to do the job. Each may lack the ability to embrace change or lack respect for the other. These differences ultimately affect the whole team.

Both individuals have merit and relate to one’s credentials (either by certifications or years of service. Maybe what we should be discussing is the difference between credentials and character, but we are too afraid to have those hard one-on-one conversations to address the issues between us, especially when it comes to one’s character.  

As a community, we are quick to condemn motivated individuals when their goals or perceived path is different from our own. So how do we go about having these difficult conversations? Addressing matters of character can ruin relationships and hurt organizations. I do not propose the burning of cities, relationships, or individuals at the stake. These encounters may be red flags (or giant neon signs) guiding us to a conversation to clarify a misunderstanding, gain insight into a person, or inform someone that we do not completely understand their character. Is there a win-win where we can grow and walk away with an understanding of the situation?

Ponder what John Maxwell says about credentials versus character. He explains in a simple yet extremely powerful way why character is important to leadership success. He shows the importance of character in servant leadership.

In ancient times, brick makers, engravers, and other artisans used a symbol to mark the things they created to show that they were the makers. The symbol that each one used was his “character.” The value of the work was in proportion to the skill with which the object was made. And only if the quality of the work was high was the character esteemed. In other words, the quality of the person and his work gave value to his credentials. If the work was good, so was the character. If it was bad, then the character was viewed as poor. The same is true for us today. Character comes from who we are. But some people would like to be judged not by who they are but by the titles they have earned or the position they hold, regardless of the nature of their character. Their desire is to influence others by the weight of their credentials rather than the strength of their character. But credentials can never accomplish what character can. Look at some differences between the two:

CREDENTIALS                                                             CHARACTER

are transient                                                                 is permanent

turn focus to rights                                                        keeps the focus on responsibilities

add value to only one person                                         add value to many people

look to past accomplishments                                         build a legacy for the future

often evoke jealousy in others                                        generates respect and integrity

can only get you in the door                                           keeps you there

(Source: How to Influence People: Make a Difference in the World by John C. Maxwell pp.38-39, pdf version)

A Personal Example

I started with fire service later in life with almost a decade of professional basketball experience. The skill set and the leadership skills I brought from my previous career were rejected by my new team. I felt disrespected, treated unfairly for what I had accomplished, and undervalued. Eager to learn and be more than a “right wheel chalk back seater” and gain some respect, I began taking classes early. I became known as a “cert chaser” with no experience or no understanding. I neither earned nor was given the respect I desired. In fact, my path led to a couple of (well more than a couple) poor outcomes, arguments, and broken relationships. Fortunately, I had a few things going for me. I had experience in leadership, including courses in for better communicator. These and the ability to admit mistakes and apologize following a confrontation were my saving grace.

As things became clearer to me, I learned that knowledge complements experience, but you must have both to truly understand something. I have earned back lost respect from those older than myself and moved past the criticism (with a lot of lumps in the process).

Character Matters

Character is the one thing that makes and or breaks our leadership. When a leader is great, followers immediately respond with trust and offer understanding or take responsibility for failed plans. When a leader is bad, followers fail to trust and talk of mutiny. Leaders have marks of character just like the mason, an engraver or artist. Servant leaders have critical conversations about character. Through these hard, but rewarding, conversations, we gain understanding or insight into how we can build each other up and correct our shortcomings. Servant leaders help others display quality marks of character.

Ponder this idea of how we could better build each other up instead of grabbing our pitchforks and torches to tear down our people or burn our cities (our organizations) to the ground.