BALANCING WORK & HOME LEADERSHIP

BALANCING WORK & HOME

LEADERSHIP

By Frank Viscuso International Speaker, Best Selling Author, Deputy Fire Chief (ret.)

Imagine you’re the head coach of a competitive college baseball team with a 35-player roster. That roster includes scholarship players, walk-ons, and multiple athletes who can capably play each position on the field. Your goal as the head coach of that team is to prepare your squad to perform at the highest level possible and put your best players in each position so the team can win games. After all, if you don’t win games, you'll be out of a job in no time.

Now imagine that in addition to coaching that team, you have a six-year-old son who just signed up to play baseball for the first time in your local rec program, and you decide to coach his team. Your goal is to spend quality time with your son, while also teaching him – and the other eleven boys and girls on the team – the fundamentals of baseball so they can have a great experience and come back to play again next year. Your plan is to give every child the opportunity to play multiple positions on the field. After all, as the coach of a college team, you’re aware that a few of your top pitchers played multiple positions when they were younger before deciding to focus on the mound. In both examples, you’re coaching baseball; however, the team of talented 19 to 22-year-olds is playing to win a championship, while the team of six-year-olds is playing to learn and have fun. Take a moment to contemplate the following question. Would you coach or lead these two teams the same way? Of course not. The two teams are different ages, with different skill levels, and different goals. You may not be coaching an athletic team, but you may be leading a team in the fire services. And, at the same time, you may also be a parent, raising children at home. The question is the same. Would

you lead your team at work and your team at home the same way?

Firefighters and emergency service workers exist to solve problems. When someone dials 9-1-1, it is not their first option. It’s their last. They make that call when they run out of options and ideas, and they call in the professionals to solve their problem, whether it’s a cardiac emergency, a chemical spill, or a multiple alarm structure fire. It would benefit any leader in the fire service to recognize that once that call is made, it’s no longer “their” problem. It is now “your” problem. You and your crew don’t lose sight of the fact that chose to inherit their your house is not going to burn down problems as your own when if the pantry you took your oath. is not in order Although it may be their home that’s on fire, it’s your house fire. And everything inside that structure belongs to you for as long as you are on the scene – the belongings, the pets, and the loved ones. The actions of you and your crew can be the difference between success or failure, and even life or death. When you stop and contemplate the weight of that responsibility, it’s obvious that leading in the fire service is not something that should be taken lightly. We use words like accountability, standards, structure, competence, and responsibility. And for good reason. An organization that

lacks high standards may

also lack strong leaders. If an officer lowers the standards to accommodate incompetence, that officer also weakens the culture, because the culture of an organization can be significantly influenced by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate.

Balancing leadership styles at work and home can be difficult, especially for those of us in the fire service. Correct behavior starts with doing the simple things like writing reports in a timely manner, and conducting a thorough inventory after a fire. A person who cannot do these simple things is likely to pack the hose incorrectly, or advance the line poorly, or conduct a lazy, partial search.

PEOPLE DO NOT JUST TURN RESPONSIBILITY ON AND OFF: THEY ARE EITHER RESPONSIBLE, OR THEY ARE NOT.

For these reasons, it benefits a fire service leader to hold his or her crew to the highest standards possible. But the biggest challenge for many of these individuals, may come after a 24 or 48 hour shift. The drive home may be all the time they have to decompress and shift gears from leading men and women on the fire ground to leading young boys and girls who haven’t learned how to make their bed or tie their shoes yet. This is where the concept of balance comes in.

If you read 50 articles on the topic of balance, you’ll hear 50 different definitions of what it is and how you can apply it in your life. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about balance. I can’t tell you that my thoughts are the best you’ll read or hear, but I can tell you that what I am about to share has helped me tremendously, and I believe it can help you as well.

BALANCE CAN BE BEST ACHIEVED BY ALLOWING YOURSELF TO BE IN THE MOMENT.

When you’re at work, be focused on what you need to do to successfully lead your team in the fire station, on the training ground, and on the fireground, as well as the other calls and incidents your crews will respond to. When you’re at home, be at home. Be the parent, spouse, and family member you know the others in your household need. There will be similarities in the way you lead in both areas. For example, you’ll want good, healthy relationships at work and at home. You will also give everyone around you the time, training, tools, guidance, support, and the environment they need to succeed. And you will also want to set a high standard – but for different reasons.

A high standard or performance in the fire service is needed if your crew intends to save lives and property. A high standard at home is needed if you intend to prepare your children for the challenges that they will encounter in life. The difference is that your son or daughter will not lose much if they fail to tie their shoes, make their bed, or keep the pantry in order; therefore, your reaction to these situations should be different at home than at work.

LEARN TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH, LAUGH MORE, AND SEE THE LIGHTER SIDE OF THINGS. NOTICE WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF GETTING FRUSTRATED BECAUSE A TASK AT HOME WASN’T COMPLETED IN THE TIMEFRAME YOU EXPECTED.

You may become frustrated because you would never allow the firefighters under your command to “slack” when you gave them an assignment. But did your five-year-old daughter really fail to change the roll of toilet paper because she chose not to, or because she didn’t realize she was supposed to? After all, she’s five. Be the parent she needs. Break out the board game, make cookies, and yes, explain why and how she should change that roll in future. And don’t lose sight of the fact that your house is not going to burn down if the pantry is not in order.