I was in the newly constructed firehouse of our community during a Rotary meeting and while I was listening, I picked up some lessons on leadership.
Honor Tradition
This new headquarters was finished last year. The construction is beautiful and it includes useful new technology, yet there were some key areas where they did not want to forget their past.
This new building is taller than the old one so they had a pole that had a seam. Why? They wanted to keep the old one and extended it. . . . tradition.
As you come to the building and then as you enter it there are monuments to remember the past. One is a wooden case with memorabilia as a reminder of a firefighter who lost his life while pushing a colleague out of the way of a falling wall. The second is a boulder with a bell in memory of another firefighter. Throughout the building are symbols that honor the past.
As leaders we constantly thing “what’s next.” The tension is we need to also honor and cherish what “next” has been built on. Tension between change and tradition exists, but the tradition of the past created the foundation for the future we are seeking to build. Honoring it honors the leaders that built it and reminds us of the lessons learned.
Personal Identity
As we toured the firehouse two designs exemplified the firehouse’s personal identity. In the garage where the trucks park a giant logo was on the wall. This was not a generic logo, but a design specifically as an identity for this fire station. I learned every station in the community has a unique design to identify themselves.
The second design was along the stairs. The walls were painted wit
h a map of the city and giant shadows of firefighters. These shadows were the shadows of some of the firemen on their staff.
As leaders we can create unique ways for our teams to feel special. Creating an identity that is unique to your team builds pride and strengthens buy-in. Take time to allow the team to create that identity instead of just giving it to them.
Clear Roles
At one point the captain described an emergency situation. As he shared the fact that in emergency situations everyone was quiet something he said jumped out at me.
Everyone knows their role and responsibility.
When a group knows their role, stays in that role, and does their job it seems less communication may be needed. As leaders we need to take the time to clearly clarify roles and expectations so when emergencies arise everyone can calmly focus on solving the problem. When we fail to have clarity beforehand chaos ensues when the problem arises.
The first two observations relate to culture and the final relates to performance. How are you doing in each of these areas? Which of these areas do you need to improve in the next thirty days? Not sure how you are doing in these areas? Maybe having your team together in a safe, non-threatening, and interactive environment may open up conversation. Contact me to learn about The Leadership Game to build your team and think into your culture and leadership. Lead Well!
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