From the Officer’s Desk: Managerial Leadership, Part 2

A question commonly asked of those in supervisory positions is, “Do you lead or manage your team?” Ultimately, the EMS officer must do both and embrace the role of a managerial leader. In the preceding article we addressed the managerial component of the managerial leader. This article focuses on the leadership role.

Understanding the Leadership Role

Leadership is influence, and it’s all about your team. Providing your employees with a road map of what is expected of them and inspiring them to reach a successful place within the organization should be your goal as a leader. This effort will benefit you, your employees, and your organization as a whole.

Leaders must be passionate about working with people while keeping the vision, mission, purpose, and values of the organization in mind. Many examples of good leadership can be found outside the world of EMS. For instance, the Walt Disney Company, Zappos, Copa Airlines, and Southwest Airlines are all known for their good managerial leadership culture. These organizations are successful at what they do and in tune with their employees and customers.

To be successful in a leadership role, you need to put your people first. One of the first things to consider is organizational behavior. Organizational behavior is how people behave within an organization and reflects the organizational culture. Culture is what makes the organization function the way it does. Members must embrace the expected norms, values, and beliefs set by the leadership team. Therefore, it is critical for your team to believe in you and support your direction as the leader. If they do not, the culture will be severely affected, and the organization will not perform as well as it could.

Leadership Styles

Once you understand your organization’s culture, you will have a better understanding of the type of leadership style that would be most beneficial for your team. Several leadership styles are commonly referenced in business texts; however, what works best for you might not fit neatly into one of these styles. Consider whether it would be appropriate to develop your own style, perhaps using elements of the styles discussed here. Keep in mind, too, that different situations may call for different leadership styles—for example, your leadership style in an emergency will likely be different from your approach during a budget meeting. Adjust your leadership style to engage your team.

Common leadership styles include the following:

• Situational leader—The situational leader takes a leadership role during challenging situations. This leader can adjust and lead the team in different business environments but may have difficulty adapting their style to meet the needs of the organization.
• Servant leader—The servant leader’s priority is helping team members succeed. This leader works to ensure the team keeps moving in the right direction, supports members in achieving their goals, and promotes a good working culture. This style is supportive for team members but not recommended where quick decisions are needed.
• Autocratic leader—The authoritarian leader always has the last word and does not seek input from team members. Under certain circumstances this form of leadership may be beneficial—for example, when quick decisions are needed, and the leader is a subject-matter expert. However, it can be demoralizing to team members and will ultimately lead to frustration and underperformance.
• Participatory leader—The participatory leader works cooperatively with employees to get tasks completed. The goal with this form of leadership is to get everyone involved, but the leader is still in charge and has the final say. Participatory leadership promotes a good working culture, engages employees, and improves morale. It will not work well if members are not interested in the work being done or don’t believe their ideas will be considered.
• Transformational leader—Transformational leadership plays a critical role when the organization needs to reboot the way it’s doing business by establishing a new vision and getting everyone on board. This form of leadership is most useful when the organization is seeking a new direction.
• Consensus leader—This leader relies on consensus when making decisions, making sure all team members have an opportunity to be part of the process. Such a leader may appear indecisive or create discontent among team members if decisions are made without their input.
• Affiliative leader—The affiliative leader is empathetic and works to establish cohesion and harmony among team members. They put employees first and are generous with praise. Such a leadership style may cause the leader to overlook troubling situations.
• Expert leader—This leader is knowledgeable in their assigned responsibilities and believes being right and efficient is more important than establishing relationships with team members. Such a style can lead to lost opportunities for member input and to member frustration.
• Laissez-faire leader—This leadership style is nonauthoritarian and offers minimal guidance to the team. The laissez-faire leader allows team members to work independently and at their own pace. Members feel they can get the job done without being micromanaged, reducing stress and creating a productive working environment. However, poor outcomes may result due to the lack of supervision.

A good leader knows and understands their team members’ full potential. This is vital in ensuring members are assigned tasks that match their strengths. A good leader can detect when a team member is underperforming and assist that individual in getting back on track. A good leader also knows when to step out of the way and let team members maximize their potential. As a leader you have the opportunity to create an environment of learning and motivation, promote a positive work environment, and support a culture of inclusion.

Implementing Managerial Leadership

How can you start becoming an effective managerial leader? First be honest with your employees. Don’t pretend you have all the answers and are fluent with all the processes and systems when that is not the case. Doing so will cause you to lose credibility. This is one of the many reasons why every managerial leader must consider using the five business priorities described in recent literature: people, strategic objectives, financial objectives, learning objectives, and achieving an organizational culture of quality. These priorities will not only help move organizations in the right direction but will also provide the EMS officer (and managerial leader) with a plan of action to ensure the necessary management and leadership responsibilities are addressed.

Orlando J. Dominguez, Jr., MBA, RPM, is assistant chief of EMS for Brevard County Fire Rescue in Rockledge, Fla. He has more than 30 years of EMS experience and has served as a firefighter-paramedic, flight paramedic, field training officer, EMS educator, and division chief. He hosts the EMS Officer Exchange podcast; has authored two books, including EMS Supervisor: Principles and Practice; and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Follow him at @ems_officer.