The Company Officer: How to Lead Beyond Systemic Status Quo-ness

So, I get it. You’re tired of the flavor-of-the-month catchphrase to motivate you to new heights to do amazing things for your fire department. Tired of the quote of the day in an email. Of poster-size signs on the firehouse walls that are littered with mission and value statements that you must know by heart.

Yes, these are positive reminders for attitude, which drives performance. In return, they provide a succinct synergy that unites forward-thinking with a strong customer-service mentality.

However, as reality in the firehouse sets in, these are just words on a page: fantastic intentionality but maybe something that’s quite distant from the real world because of fractured relationships, distrust, poor communication, lack of motivation and an unfortunate willingness on the part of individuals to settle for the status quo.

All that said, how do we, as leaders, enact necessary change to shift from status quo-ness to greatness? How do company officers push themselves and their crews to move beyond systemic status quo-ness and lead their shift and fire department in the best ways? Simply put, what will it take to be better, do better and lead better?

Systemic status quo-ness

The phrase “systemic status quo-ness” came to me recently as I thought about motivation, encouragement, rallying the troops, and how cyclical the fire service is with ups, downs and in-betweens. Something “systemic” affects the whole instead of just the parts, and all of us who are within the fire service have been affected by some sort of disappointment and/or motivational lull, whether it be in ourselves, our leaders, others or our organization.

One-time late night talk show host Craig Ferguson famously stated, “Sometimes people think you’re smart if you question the status quo, if nothing else.” As a leader, questioning is a strong trait, because it causes you to reflect, imagine, decipher, learn, decide and take action.

Partially handcuffed with systemic fire service issues and loss of personal motivation, when you look in the mirror, you see a person who should ask the difficult question of “Why are you content with the status quo?”—particularly when people’s lives depend on your decisive action and problem-­solving. Why, as leaders, do we allow ourselves to settle, despite recognition that leaders influence others and can affect the perception of those who we are entrusted to lead? Plain and simple, systemic status quo-ness is a detriment to people.

From good to great

A momentum-building organization is one that cultivates future leaders. It relies on stories, experiences and wisdom from current tenured leaders. The fire service needs the seasoned, salty firefighters to share their wisdom with a new generation, so the latter can learn beyond how YouTube (even though it’s a great tool) teaches.

Both generations of firefighters need each other for different reasons, and within a reciprocal relationship, moving from good to great no doubt is attainable.

Good organizations promote embracing of unique qualities of the people who they hire: Company officers strategically foster an environment of attitudinal personal growth through strength, personal and corporate motivation, and collaborative efforts, where personal views align with organizational values to succeed as one integral unit. Best-selling author Jim Collins wrote that great organizations are ones that deliver superior service through performance to internal and external customers, where the long-lasting effect results in generational legacy handoffs of passion, mission and preparedness for people to lead. Three distinct objectives cultivate the maturation of this: preparation, application and replication (PAR). This process enables movement on the continuum of cultivation. Personal and organizational growth isn’t a destination but a reciprocal process that regenerates leaders to lead with greatness.

Passion

Personal passion promotes positive people. I challenge you to say that 10 times!

Passion raises the pulse of people and the organization through a transparent mission for the organization. This empowers people to serve and to implement cultural expectations and to be the catalyst by which the DNA of an organization replicates into the lives of others. For healthy organizations to continue viable wellness from goodness to greatness, leadership sets the pulse for the organization through strengthening circles over power pyramids. Power from passion is generated from the core of the circle. Each layer of leadership in the organization reverberates energy through edification, encouragement and enlargement of organizational capabilities through the greatest resource, people.

Often, the term “leader” is confused, abused and misinterpreted by those who only hold supervisory positions by title. In fact, leadership is about influence of others and motivating the masses toward accomplishing group objectives collectively at any level of an organization. Recognizing the pulse of the organization, of the fire station and of the shift is key to the overall health of an organization. A multitude of “heart rhythms” dictate health of the body, as many parts form one integral, dependent functioning “self” by utilizing the strengths and individual passions for homeostatic organizational life.

A trip to Leaderville

Yes, Leaderville is a place. As we move from good to great alongside passionate people, we have the opportunity to break systemic status quo-ness and gain traction to make a difference every single day for someone. Road trips entail expressways, toll roads, wide open spaces, curves, inclines, declines and occasional breakdowns of the engine. All of these drive ingenuity, innovativeness and introspection. Love of call (job), empathy for others (people who we serve, both internally and externally) and personal passion (what drives our engine) becomes an introspective initiative through self-reflection and critical thought. Perspectives shift as we are open-minded.

As a fire service officer, it’s imperative that you get your people involved. Each of these people fills a seat on the bus to Leaderville and serves as a sort of collaborative cruise control. Your recruitment of bus riders is a key factor. Self-motivated, self-disciplined occupants are recruited selectively for the journey. Talent is a commodity and can be recognized through intentional relationships that serve to enhance the bus ride to Leaderville.

Always remember, people are the engine that provides the power; the organization is the vessel that the power moves. Yes, movement might be incremental, but together, people push, push some more and, when they get tired, people push again.

For the bus to continue on the journey, the engine requires consistent maintenance. That maintenance is based on core values that define how leadership prepares, applies and replicates growth initiatives to be better, do better and lead better.

So, when you start to sense status quo-ness, envision greatness as a leader and effect change by simply influencing others on a road trip to Leaderville.