There are many elements that go into the making of a good leader. But solid decision-making skills, the ability to effectively deal with people and the skill to efficiently direct and guide organizations are just part of the mix. For an organization to succeed, a good leader must be able to cultivate and motivate subordinates. The ability to develop junior leaders sets an organization up to succeed when current leaders leave or retire. That, in turn, is facilitated by the organization itself.

Does your organization have a vision of where it’s heading? If you have to look in a binder to find the answer, then the vision isn’t a shared one. The organizational forecast most probably was developed by one or two individuals. For a vision to permeate an organization, it must be shared among all employees. While it may be unrealistic to assume that everyone will support an organizational vision to the same degree, a shared vision captures the heart and soul of the majority of stakeholders and acts as the compass for the department.

Does your organization have a mission statement? If you know you have one but can’t recite it off the top of your head, it may be too long, too complex, or not worth remembering! A good mission statement should capture the essence of your organization. It should be short and easy to remember. Employees should have an opportunity to be a part of its development. The mission statement then becomes meaningful and can become institutionalized within the organization.

Does your department have a strategic plan? If so, how far out does it reach? Five years? Ten? Twenty? A good strategic plan will serve as a blueprint for an organization. It can help you anticipate future developments and can play a major role in organizational success. A strategic plan, however, needs to be a dynamic document that can be adjusted as time passes and the environment evolves. A good plan will establish benchmarks for success and validate the course that has been set for the organization.

Does your department have a professional development plan? If so, does it include officer development and mentoring of all employees? Such a plan will help develop leaders at all levels within an organization. The individuals who make up each organizational level within a department should provide training to the level below, so that eventually those individuals can inherit their jobs. This is a concept that can feel threatening to the unenlightened, but done properly it creates trust, continuity and the atmosphere of a true learning organization, which many younger people seek when considering employment.

Grooming and developing people to take over a higher position in the future will benefit both individuals and the organization in the long-term. Once this process is institutionalized, an organization can replace a key person who leaves or retires with another competent individual. Organizations that can reload, as opposed to rebuild, have proved to be the most successful. This type of organizational culture also can minimize the transitional periods that accompany the loss of key personnel. Organizations without a professional development program often allow a newly promoted individual to succeed or fail through trial and error, to the detriment of the organization in transition.

An officer development program will grow your officer corps. Selecting pertinent how-to issues for program sessions is important. Topics such as how to mentor personnel, how to effectively counsel personnel, how to identify potential leaders within the organization and how to develop the concept of customer service are a few of the key topics that lead to organizational success.

Does your organization have a sponsorship/mentoring program? While most departments have an academy or an orientation program, this isn’t necessarily a mentoring program. The best opportunity to capture the mind and soul of a new employee is when he or she joins your organization.

Many military units assign sponsors to incoming soldiers. These sponsors are responsible for helping new members of the unit adjust to their environment. They also explain the organizational culture and the rules of engagement for their new place of “employment.” In a fire department, selecting the right mentors to accomplish this task is a key component in the process. Also, the head of the organization must spend some time with the new employees. No matter how large the organization or how busy the chief, taking time to meet with each of the new employees and explain what’s expected can pay huge dividends. It also lets new employees know that the organization cares about their future.

In successful organizations, employees are indoctrinated as soon as their employment begins. They are taught the organization’s culture and expectations, as well as other necessary technical skills. This instructional process should be ongoing and not stop until the employee retires or leaves the organization. Developing and investing in human resources and molding and mentoring current and potential leaders will pay off in the long term.

A military manual, FM 22-103: Leadership and Command at Senior Levels (1999), devotes an entire appendix to the subject of professional development: “Leaders must recognize that they have an obligation to continue their professional development so that they maintain their professional focus.” Physicians and attorneys practice this line of thinking, tooo, as they continue their professional development throughout their careers. Such development in these fields of endeavor is mandatory, not optional. The fire service should ensure its leaders follow a similar course.

“Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” This adage applies not only to individuals, but also to organizations. Those that fail to prepare their personnel for greater accomplishments and higher positions are setting themselves up for failure. Quite frankly, progress in the fire service often is impeded by its own traditions. Many fire service personnel are quite resistant to change, although such resistance isn’t limited to the fire service. When people must leave their zones of comfort, there is a natural tendency to resist.

The military and the corporate world have taken a more progressive approach. Leaders in these fields believe change is a factor that will occur with or without action. To achieve progress, change must occur. Without change and its associated risks, stagnation will result. Progressive and proactive leaders do not allow this to befall their organizations. Progressive leaders do not simply wait for change to occur and then react to it; rather, they shape and mold change to benefit their organizations. A habitually reactive posture is indicative of poor leadership and incompetent management.

While the military has had a professional development program in place for decades, only recently has the program received more emphasis. The military wants professional officers and soldiers equipped with solid decision-making skills, progressive and proactive thinking ability to anticipate problems before they occur, and the ability to adapt to a constantly changing environment. These are the same characteristics that CEOs look for in their employees, and they can be taught to those within the ranks and incorporated into mentoring programs.

Does your department have as an objective to promote your best and brightest? Or are promotions based solely on seniority? Is education emphasized during the course of an employee’s development? While seniority can equate to experience, education coupled with experience creates a more well-rounded individual and one who’s better prepared to lead. Becoming an incident commander on the fireground is a huge responsibility, and you most certainly want your best employees making critical decisions. While still a very sensitive issue within the fire service, seniority alone doesn’t guarantee success in such situations. Education alone doesn’t guarantee success either. The two together create a synergy that assists in the development of potential department leaders.

Are you familiar with the concept of “adhocracy”? Defined, an adhocracy is a sophisticated organization that typically uses work teams or committees to operate effectively and efficiently in a complex, dynamic environment. Of course, this calls for the CEO or fire chief to decentralize the power base and empower personnel with enough autonomy and authority to make key decisions. While moving through such a process, calculated risks must be accepted and considered as part of the development within this type of environment. But it also creates an atmosphere of trust and allows creativity and innovation to flourish. This type of organization can then react more swiftly, and progression can occur more rapidly. What better environment for this to occur within than the fire service — an organization already used to thinking quickly and adapting to dynamic environments on a daily basis!

What all of this boils down to is leadership. Effective leadership has and will continue to be a key component in every successful organization. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s always found at top levels on the organizational chart! Mentoring and developing personnel, emphasizing education, creating a learning organization for employees to grow within, and promoting your best and brightest are all integral variables in the creation of an efficient, effective, and flexible organization.

So how does your organization stack up? Observing the practices of progressive fire departments or even successful private-sector organizations will help you gauge where your organization stands. National standards, such as the fire service accreditation process, also will assist in benchmarking your organization. Organizational climate surveys can help with this process by identifying strengths and deficiencies. If you currently sit atop the organizational chart and you truly believe you can’t alter the course of your organization or assist it to become even better than it already is, then perhaps it’s time to retire or move on! This is the essence of what leadership is all about, and great leaders never settle for the status quo.

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Mitchell R. Waite, Ph.D., is the chief of the Wisconsin Rapids (Wis.) Fire Department.