By Luigi Davoli
When thinking about effective leaders in high-performing, high-stress professions, we often picture someone who naturally commands respect and authority, and whose accomplishments inspire greatness from the lower ranks. Yet, authentic leadership does not manifest through accolades or the tallying of personal accomplishments. Instead, true leadership thrives in humility — in the belief that success has a thousand mothers. For these leaders, accomplishments belong to the team and not to the individual.
Humility: The foundation of fire service leadership
For some, the word “humble” evokes thoughts of someone who is timid, perhaps generally unwilling to take charge, but this idea could not be further from the truth. There is strength in humility, in being confident enough to admit that you don’t have all the answers. It’s the ability to acknowledge that, no matter how experienced or decorated you become, you will always depend on the team. Humble leaders do not see themselves as the great hero; they know success comes from the collective effort of the crew — on the fireground and beyond. Bottom line: The humble fire service officer seeks input, asks questions and admits their mistakes.
In their book, “The Dichotomy of Leadership,” Jocko Willink and Leif Babin assert that “humility is essential to building strong relationships with others, both up and down the chain of command, as well as supporting teams outside the immediate chain of command.” In this way, humility builds trust, which leads to respect.
For example, a humble fire officer at the scene of a house fire would never assume their plan is flawless. They will listen to the reports from the crews that are situated in established tactical positions. The same type of thinking applies to a chief officer seeking to implement a new administrative strategy. Eliciting input from those closest to the problem will enable better performance and smoother implementation. By valuing input from all directions, the humble leader reinforces the idea the team is responsible for producing the successful outcome.
Success belongs to the team
The fire service is structured by rank and title in a defined chain of command. At the same time, it’s a profession deeply rooted in teamwork. While structure and titles are important, trust and cohesion matter more. The officer may be the one directing the operation; however, if the crew lacks confidence in the officer, those orders don’t carry much weight.
Leadership is not about showcasing individual brilliance but about creating an environment where every person can succeed. In Frank Viscuso’s book, “Step Up and Lead,” he writes, “The success of an organization depends very much on a leader’s ability to inspire.” The humble leader recognizes the role is less about being in the spotlight and more about directing that light onto others; their role is to empower, guide and support the team to success.
After a successful response, it can be tempting to take the credit. After all, your decisions and strategies contributed to the incident’s successful outcome. It’s important to resist this urge. Instead, choose to demonstrate humility and acknowledge the team’s efforts in achieving overall success.
Remember, no one can extinguish a fire alone. A well-coordinated fire attack on a burning building is the result of a well-coordinated effort by the team, from the well-placed ladder, the swiftly stretched hoseline, the safety officer providing feedback on ever-changing hazardous conditions and the incident commander quarterbacking the entire operation. Each piece is interdependent and crucial to the overall success of the incident. The IC may have provided direction, but the execution lies in the many, well-capable hands of the crews on scene.
Furthermore, it’s not just about giving credit where it’s due, although acknowledging the work of your crews boosts their morale and fosters a sense of ownership of their actions. Members will feel trusted and appreciated for their efforts and, as a result, will be repeatedly motivated to go the extra mile, not for approval but because they feel vital to the mission. The same applies when developing and implementing a strategy or program. The strategic vision may originate from one individual, but the collective is responsible for executing the strategy, identifying gaps and rolling it out to everyone.
A true fire service leader knows it’s not about the title, medals or awards bestowed upon them; it’s about the inspired legacy of development and trust they leave behind for those who remain to carry on.
The humble leader’s refusal to claim personal credit will strengthen the entire organization.
Leaders, set the humble example
Those at the top who exhibit humility in the fire service understand that their behavior sets the tone for the next generation of firefighters and fire service leaders. Officers are being closely monitored, particularly by junior members who are paying attention to how the officer speaks, their demeanor and how they handle success and failure. If the officer claims all achievements, it signals to the up-and-coming firefighters that self-promotion is acceptable. Conversely, when leaders consistently elevate the contributions of the team above their own, it teaches humility as a core value of the fire service.
Officers who make it a point to praise their crews after an incident are also promoting a culture of gratitude, such as a chief officer who gives credit to their team when receiving accolades from the commissioner, mayor or local city council. The fire department becomes an environment of support, respect and teamwork rather than self-promotion and ego.
Beware the ego monster
In the book “Extreme Ownership: How Navy SEALs Lead and Win,” also by Willink and Babin, they write, “When personal agendas become more important than the team and the overarching mission’s success, performance suffers, and failure ensues.”
Ego-driven leadership is especially dangerous in the fire service, both on the fireground and in the boardroom — a leader who views department accomplishments as their own overlooks and undervalues the contributions of the team. These kinds of leaders will eventually lose the trust of their team, erode morale and create a division in the department as wide as the Grand Canyon. Firefighters will eventually feel unappreciated or invisible, which could further fester into disengagement and resentment, creating a toxic work environment and the erosion of the department’s culture. In high-risk situations, such as the fireground, even small cracks in trust can have life-or-death consequences.
Leaders who prioritize personal recognition are more likely to make decisions that serve their own reputation rather than the mission, leading to catastrophic consequences for the organization and for those caught in its wake. This is not leadership — it is recklessness that jeopardizes both the mission and the people entrusted to carry it out. Humble leaders do not need or seek to prove themselves. They realize the job is not about looking good but about doing good. It’s about leaving a legacy worth carrying forward.
A daily, embedded practice
Humility must be shown every day and throughout every aspect of the fire service, both on the fireground and back at the fire station.
When conflict arises, the humble leader seeks a resolution that does not cause further division. They realize they may not have all the answers or be the smartest person in the room on every topic. They will, however, seek and draw wisdom from those around them to find and solve concerns.
Additionally, humble leaders actively participate in training, showing that improvement is a lifelong endeavor, regardless of rank.
The humble leader also stays connected to the team, rolling up their sleeves to help wash the truck, grabbing a chair at the station kitchen table to share a meal, and showing genuine interest in the well-being of their team. Leadership, at its core, is about shared humanity.
These daily habits reinforce humility more powerfully than any formal leadership seminar could.
Legacy: What the humble leader leaves behind
The true measure of a leader is not what they accomplished over the course of their career, the number of awards they earned or the title they held, but rather how they left their agency. A leader who seeks to hoard all the recognition may leave behind more than just memories of an ego and destructiveness — they can leave behind a toxic work environment that demotivates and deflates members, stifling the long-term growth of the organization. On the flip side, when a humble fire service leader leaves, there is often a palpable void at the department, not because they have lost a star performer, but because the department has lost a servant who quietly sought to elevate the team. The greatest compliment a fire service leader can receive is not, “We could not have done it without you,” but rather, “We will continue doing it because of you.”
How humility saves lives
Humility is not a weakness; it is the foundation of effective leadership in the fire service. It enables leaders to set aside egos, lift the team and make decisions that focus on safety, trust and collective success. For the humble leader, every achievement stems from teamwork.
In a profession where lives depend on collaboration, humility ensures that leaders serve their crews and not themselves. The humble fire service leader may never seek recognition but will leave the fire service empowered and stronger. That is the greatest achievement of all.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Luigi Davoli is a 26-year veteran of the fire service. He previous served as a platoon chief with Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services in Ontario, Canada. Davoli holds a master’s degree in public safety from Wilfrid Laurier University as well as a certificate of fire service leadership and an advanced certificate of fire service administration Dalhousie University.
