Some people look at leadership as something obtained through years of experience. The truth is that just being around leaders or acting as a leader is not enough to make you a great leader. One thing I see a huge problem with is most people don’t have a clear picture of the competencies that need to be fostered and built upon to become a good leader. There are many models and lists however like many leadership subjects, the military has had centuries to perfect the type of leadership we use in the fire service. With that in mind I compiled a list of leadership competencies that are required of military leaders in all of the branches of the military.
Exercising Sound Judgment
- Developing and applying broad knowledge and expertise in a disciplined manner, when addressing complex issues
- Identifying interrelationships among issues
- Taking all critical information into account when making decisions
Adapting
- Maintain composure in stressful situations
- Work constructively and resourcefully under pressure
- Demonstrate flexibility and resilience
- Seek and accept constructive criticism
- Balance change and continuity
Inspiring Trust
- Establishing open, candid, and trusting relationships
- Treat all individuals fairly and with respect
- Maintain high standards of integrity
- Place mission success over personal gain
- Demonstrate loyalty to the unit, the mission, and the chain-of-command
Leading Courageously
- Display both moral and physical courage
- Maintain and project confidence in all situations
- Project credibility and poise even when challenged
- Show a willingness to take risks and act independently
- Take personal responsibility and accountability for actions
- Maintain focus, intensity and persistence, even under adversity
Demonstrating Tenacity
- Take persistent, repeated action to overcome an obstacle
- Keep with a difficult task even after meeting rejection
- Be resilient
Leading by Example
- Manage and publicly demonstrate personal and professional priorities that are consistent with Core Values and Competencies
- Show subordinates that actions and words support one another
- Embrace and demonstrate qualities of excellent followership
Assessing Self
- Develop a personal leadership development plan that motivates me to pursue further improvement
- Base this development on an increased awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses, values, performance, preferences, and styles
- Understand how these impact my decisions and relationships with others
- Continually learn
These competencies are a place to start focusing on and may require many different skills and traits to be able to become proficient in them. The key to becoming a good leader revolves around being willing and able to constantly improve yourself to be someone that others want to emulate.
Fire Officer Mentor 