The Surprise of Command Staff

Being a subordinate is easy -- you are focused on your job and completing tasks. Especially as a back seat firefighter, you wake up, get some breakfast, grab some lunches, water and Gatorade. If things are going well, you get some ice. You get driven to the fire line, told what the plan is and put your head down and work. You get done with work and get driven back to camp to get some dinner and rinse and repeat. It’s the most fun job in the world -- work hard when there is work to be done and sometimes there's down time to play cards, read, or solve all the world’s problems with some of your best friends.

We go from easily the greatest job in the world and take that giant step to being the boss. Crew boss, engine boss, firefighter type 1 -- over night you go from being one of the crew to being the “the man”, supervisor, middle management, fun police. Yes, I know I am being overly dramatic, it takes a week or so. But I had my eyes opened by my former “fun police” and mentor, who shared a very complex and deep realization that I had never really considered or confronted before.

The step up in leadership comes with some unrealized and dramatic changes that can be so quickly overlooked, and not completely understood by a new leader.

1    You are now part of the command staff.

Promotion to a new leadership position means you are now part of that chain of command. All the good, the bad and ugly that you used to look at from lower in the chain, you are now part of it. This was pointed out to me, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. In conversations I referred to the agency and the leadership like I used to, but now I am literally part of it. 

We have all seen that leader get promoted that was part of the crew, maybe a little wild, little disrespectful, maybe in a little over the top and they change like a light switch when they are promoted. What happened? How did they go from wild child to company man overnight? How could they not go up there and shake out the problems they lobbied for before their promotion? Well, they just became part of that leadership team and the dynamics are not the same. Once you are there and involved in that new role expectations and needs change. 

For me it was the realization that I now must value things differently than I did before, things that seemed trivial or why is that a big deal, now are extremely important not for me but for the people below me. That role comes with taking care of people below you not about some administrative decision or paperwork that is redundant but about being sure your people’s needs are met: food, water, shelter, training, equipment, payroll.

2.     Acknowledgement of a job well done.

Everyone looks for that pat on the back or words of encouragement from their boss. Tt goes an extremely long way to building your confidence especially as a new leader. Even more so when you have had a couple of those welcome to leadership situations that every new leader gets hit with, the ones that weren't in the training manual or S-131 or S-231. But with your step in leadership or promotion you just become part of that command staff. The expectation for you is to make those tough decisions. 

As that new leader where do you draw confidence and strength when you are struggling through those new position growth? My mentor pointed this out to me, it’s the people below you. Servant leadership, mission-driven leadership, is focused on taking care of the people around you. Are they happy coming to work? Do they have what they need? Are they able to grow and advance? Are you addressing the reasons that you might have disagreed with you leadership in the past and providing a great working environment? I am not advocating that you are going to get a meaningful 'thank you' or a 'you're doing a great job,' but as a leader can you see how the team is functioning and that is your pat on the back, your acknowledgment that you are performing your job well.

These two simple facts seem so obvious. I was dumb struck when he pointed them out, but over the last few days they have really hit home. Being part of the leadership of your crew or agency accompanied with realizing where to look to see if you are having that impact that led you to taking that leadership step will help support you as a new leader when things don’t seem like they are going in the right direction.

Christopher Ayer is a Captain/ Paramedic/ Engine Boss Trainee/ Wildland Coordinator for Corona De Tucson Fire Department in Tucson Arizona. The expressions and views are those of the author.

 

What Kind of Leader Do You Image being?

 Author: Christopher Ayer, Corona De Tucson Fire Department

How do we lead? What does leadership look like in your mind?

Everyone has an image of what a great leader looks like from the outside. We’ve all seen examples of outstanding leadership: Dick Winters leading at Brecourt Manor, Phil Jackson coaching the Bulls to a three-peat, Franklin D. Roosevelt guiding the nation through the Great Depression and World War II. But none of us wake up one day as that caliber of leader. Promotion doesn’t magically give us all the characteristics or skills those individuals displayed when they led with excellence.

Recently, there’s been a lot of discussion around impostor syndrome—a concept that hits most new leaders at some point. Those feelings of inadequacy, of not being good enough, are completely normal. The first few weeks or months in a new leadership role are often filled with doubt, overthinking, and second-guessing. You may ask yourself if you’re truly ready to lead, especially when tasked with guiding your peers.

This isn’t a new struggle. It’s been around for centuries. Consider this quote from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius:

"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment."

After my own promotion, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I stumbled. I second-guessed almost every decision and criticized myself daily. My choices felt either too late or never good enough. This led to hesitation, indecision, and often trying to change course midstream. Before I knew it, I was micromanaging everything—not because I didn’t trust my crew, but because I felt like it was the only way I could prove I was doing my job.

It wasn’t until my most senior firefighter and engineer started joking (and grumbling) about my constant oversight that I realized how off track I’d gotten. Fortunately, I had a great crew—experienced, driven, and many with twice my time in the fire service. Two of them even helped train me when I first got hired. They didn’t need me telling them every step—they thrived with autonomy. Their gentle but honest intervention forced me to take a step back and come up with a plan.

The turning point came when I asked myself: What do I want my leadership to look like? Visualizing my ideal approach helped me step back and truly observe situations. It gave me a better sense of what the crew needed, and how I could support rather than control.

That reflection led to a few core questions I return to often:

• What does leading look like to me?
• What do my interactions with crew members look and feel like?
• What kind of leader would I want to follow?

When you’re stuck in impostor syndrome, it can be hard to see the leader you want to become. It blinds us to the possibility of being the lead-by-example, servant-minded leader we admire in others.

The final piece for me was revisiting Leadership Strategies and Tactics by Jocko Willink. In the section on impostor syndrome, he reframed something that had been weighing me down: the slow decision-making, the self-doubt, the constant worry about how my choices would be perceived. He helped me see that those feelings didn’t mean I was failing—they meant I cared. I cared enough to want to get it right. That realization helped me shift from doubt to preparation. It reminded me that I didn’t need to rush. Taking a moment to think things through meant better long-term results. I began to see the “why” behind my hesitation, and that gave me the confidence to move forward with purpose.

So, I’ll ask again—what does leading look like to you?

Christopher Ayer is a Captain/ Paramedic/ Engine Boss Trainee/ Wildland Coordinator for Corona De Tucson Fire Department in Tucson Arizona. The expressions and views are those of the author.

Time to Get Real: Authenticity and Congruence as a Wildland Fire Leader

 Author: Nick Terrell, National Wildfire Coordinating Group

Can you think of someone you work with, or have worked with, who’s actions and words don’t match? I bet you can, and I can too. It's called incongruence and it's not a desirable leadership trait. The extreme example of this behavior is the “do as I say, not as I do” leader. You don’t need to hear it from me that this method will lose a person in a position of power massive amounts of respect real quick. You know that already, probably from experience. On the less offensive side of the spectrum, this behavior could manifest as someone who is remiss to speak up or who speaks up in a way that they perceive is socially acceptable in their peer group but does not align with their personal character. It's someone who is not living in a way that is true to their personal value system.

I have been this person, and I have known many smart, capable, and competent wildland firefighters who speak and act differently when they are faced with an opportunity to step into a spotlight. No matter how small that spotlight may be, the fear of being judged by our peers can keep us from manifesting our true character. As a Follower developing into a New Leader (reference the Wildland Fire Leadership Levels https://www.nwcg.gov/committee/leadership-committee/leadership-levels) I hesitated to speak up and show my true character) I hesitated to speak up and show my true character.  I believe that was a function of building competency and confidence when making this leadership level transition. In other words, I had not yet built the various skill competencies that wildland firefighters use, so I could not conceptualize how to overlay my personal value system in carrying out my Duty.

It was the transition from New Leader to Leader of People where I hesitated to speak up because of a fear of judgement. At this point in my career, I was confident and competent, and I knew that I did not use my confidence to mask a lack of competence. Some people do that. I bet you have encountered those folks in your career too. I had reached a level of skill competency where I could authentically manifest my personal values in my leadership style, but I did not speak and act in a way that was true to that value system for fear of judgement from my peer group.

So let's back up a bit. I mentioned incongruence as the undesirable leadership trait. What we need to focus on and strive for is congruence in what we say and what we do. Congruence is an effective and desirable leadership trait because of its association with authenticity. Effective leaders are authentic. You can sense it.

When leaders speak and act in alignment, you can tell that it's coming from a genuine place. From a place based on what they value as a person. Through this alignment of action, word, and value, a person manifests their true character. So now think of the person who you have worked with who employs authenticity in their leadership style. Maybe it was someone who wasn't even in a leadership position, but you could feel that they were putting their heart behind what they said and did. On the rare chance that you can’t think of an example, maybe the person is you. This person is a much more effective and likeable leader, the kind of person we all want to work with.

I have worked with too many good people who do not practice congruence and authenticity. I believe that many wildland firefighters hesitate to show their true character and values because they fear being seen or ultimately judged by peers for what we perceive to be deviations from what is culturally acceptable. This phenomenon is difficult for me to cope with and it's hard for me to abide by. I believe it reduces the richness of our wildland fire culture.

Perhaps you don’t have a clear picture of what your personal value system is. No shame if you don’t, values change over time. People change over time. I could not have articulated my personal values until somewhat recently when I completed a values assessment. I have included the assessment I took below and I encourage you to take it to map your personal value system to gain a good anchor point to lead people from.

A wildland fire leader’s ability to manifest their personal value system congruently between their actions and their words is a core skill. A Personal Anchor Skill. We have the Duty to be proficient in our jobs, both technically and as a leader. Effective and proficient leaders lead from an authentic position based in their personal value system. Through authentic behavior, fire leaders generate Respect by knowing their subordinates and looking out for their wellbeing, and they lead with Integrity by setting the example. Speak and act in alignment with who you are and what drives you as a person no matter how unique your style may be. The people you lead will respond to it positively, even if there are aspects of your character that stand in contrast to their own.

References:

1) Further reading to expand your perspective of authenticity and congruence:

“Congruence is what separates the most influential leaders from everyone else. Here’s why.” Matthew Jones. Inc.com. 2018.

https://www.inc.com/matthew-jones/congruence-is-what-separates-most-influential-leaders-from-everyone-else-heres-why.html

2) Personal Values System Assessment:

https://www.guilford.com/add/miller11_old/pers_val.pdf?t=1

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Nick Terrell is a career federal wildland firefighter. Following a career altering injury, he left his position on a handcrew for a wildland fire support position. The career change has allowed him to pursue a master’s degree at Boise State University studying Conflict Management and Leadership. He still maintains operational fire qualifications and is a diligent student of fire.