Leadership
The 7 Qualities Fire Service Leaders Must Possess — Consistency
During this series we will be examining the seven qualities that are necessary for a leader to be successful Doug Cline in leading the organization and the team. You cannot be an effective team leader without being Consistent in all you do. Part 6 will focus on Consistency.
The definition from Webster’s Dictionary of Consistency: “A steadfast adherence to the same principles,
course, form, etc.” Through the years I have been taught that,“the correct or appropriate consistent actions and behaviors will lead to desired results.” Basically you get out of something what you put in. Frequently we see in the leadership world that consistency or the lack thereof, is common. It is important to understand that having consistency or lack thereof is a big defining factor between success and failure. I know I pay close attention to people’s actions, behaviors and attitude and how consistent they are with these on a daily basis. Not being consistent will send conflicting or confusing messages, which can be detrimental
to developing trust of people and obtaining results. I use the example of a personal physical fitness plan and the results you get from following that plan consistently. If you follow it irregularly, then you will most likely not have the desired fitness level the plan is designed to give you.
Consistency Requires Commitment and Dedication Commitment is about one’s obligation, while dedication is about one’s passion in the performance of those obligations. Committed means feeling dedication and loyalty to a cause, organization, people, activity or job. Leaders must remain vigilant to maintaining consistency. It is
very easy to waiver on what you are doing or how you do things just too please people. It is far more difficult to have the tough conversations of telling people what they need to hear not what they want to hear. It is easy to make a promise or commitment and far too easy not to keep those. When you fail to keep promises or commitments you can lose respect and buy in very quickly. If inconsistent behaviors become routine, people around you will most likely begin to question what is truly real and what is not. As a leader be conscious in your decisions, behaviors as well as taking the time to reflect on situations and intra-inspect yourself at all angles.
Consistency Creates Personal Responsibility Personal is the idea that human beings choose, instigate, or otherwise cause their own actions. A corollary idea is that because we cause our actions: we can be held morally accountable or legally liable. Responsibility focuses on your obligation to someone or something, but personal responsibility or accountability takes it a step further. It means being responsible and ultimately answerable for your actions. Being personally responsible isn’t always easy. It requires courage, acceptance and a realistic view of your life circumstances. This is why it is important that you take a step back and think about your own personal responsibility. As leaders we are demanding consistency in our members in regards to performance to meet the goals of the organization. With the demand of consistency from leaders, it should be expected that our members should expect consistent support and service from their leaders as well. To achieve optimal results, leaders should establish regular routines and practices for good communications with the members of their organization. This level of communication and routine helps building strong buyin process. This ensures there are no last-minute surprises and creates an environment of mutual accountability and respect.
Consistency Equals Predictability I am sure everyone has been in an environment or worked for a supervisor who has a personality or actions that are consistently inconsistent. With that said, I am sure you have found how hard that is to work in that type of environment. It is a known fact that employees perform best when
16 Summer • 2021
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