Great Leaders are Replaceable

Today, we're lighting a fire under a topic that might raise a few eyebrows: "Great Leaders are Replaceable." Yep, you heard that right! It's all about empowering those around you to step up and lead, especially when you're not in the room.

We're going to explore why the best leaders make sure they're actually replaceable by fostering a team that can think and act independently, yet in harmony with the vision that's been set. Think of it as building up your team so well that they don't miss a beat even when you're off the grid.

So, how can you prepare your team to carry on without skipping a beat? Stay tuned, because we're about to find out!

Transcript

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Welcome back to another leaders in the line of fire. Today, we're lighting a fire under the topic, might raise a few eyebrows. Grape leaders are replaceable. Yep. You heard that right. It's all about empowering those around you to step up and lead, especially when you're not in the room. We're gonna explore why the best leaders make sure they're actually replaceable by fostering a team that can think and act independently yet in harmony with the vision that's been set. Think of it as building up your team. Don't miss a heartbeat even when you're off the grid. So how can you prepare your team to carry on without skipping a beat? Stay tuned because we're about to find out. As a leader, I think it's most important thing in the world that I can be awake and know that our brigade is gonna function. The fire calls will be dealt with. The truck will be run, and the people will continue to grow as firefighters in a professional manner. The 70 years that we've been a brigade, a lot of people putting their time and into building us into what we are today. Our habits, our demeanor, our expectation of each other, all come from our past leaders and members. As the officer in charge, it's my responsibility to see that all those passed on and upheld by our new recruits and officers. I'm not saying that things don't evolve, but our culture and professionalism is an important part of who we are. It's no different in business. When I built my SEO business, I developed study operated procedures and checklists to help people learn what we needed to do when working on websites. I shared responsibility with members of my team and built the business so I wouldn't have to always be there. I couldn't be. I was always speaking at events, running workshops and making fire calls, I suppose. I applied the skills and structures being taught to me in the fire station directly in my business. Why? Because I wanted to build a business that could go on without me and it does. The new owner has continued to grow the business and it thrives today many years after I sold it. So how do we build a team and leaders that replace us? It's a good question. When we get to the fire and I'm the 1st officer of the air, I name and claim the job and then I'll let Firecom know that we have a fire, I'm in charge and this is where the instant control point will be so all incoming units know that. As the fire grows larger and we have more crews turning up, we need to grow our control team. It's just like when you start out as an entrepreneur, you are the one who makes all the decisions. But as the business grows, you need people to help. But who do you hire? It's a big decision. I found the answer from the fire service. The first thing I do on a fire is replace myself. Instead of dealing with all the crews on the fire, I hire someone to be the operations officer. They replace me and deal with what's happening on the fire itself right now, And I step up and overseeing everything else that's going on. I deal with the incident. They deal with the putting out of the fire. It's simple, but it's effective. When you grow a business, the first thing you need to do is replace yourself. So you're free to do higher level tasks. You can't grow a business when you're down in the trenches doing client work. That's okay for a while, but you'll quickly become overwhelmed with everything else that needs to be done. How do you replace yourself when you've got numerous staff? Well, the first step is simple. What's your long term flight plan? The first step is simple. What's your long term plan? There are 5 key things I feel you need to consider. Number 1, mentoring and coaching. You need to work with your existing leaders to help them, and that means getting them advanced training. You need to call them regularly and have a chat, and you need to get the team together for meetings by themselves so that they can say what they think outside of the rest of the team. So your leaders are getting a chance to express their points of view and also get their way of thinking across. Not every decision has to be made for you. Let them also guide decisions. K? Don't play dictator unless it's about safety. Work with them on projects. In my case, I work with them on fires. I see how they tick. I find their weaknesses and their strengths, and I get to know them and how they work with me. Some people get promoted quickly in businesses, and sometimes they're missing chunks of learning or experience. And they don't often realize this, and they need encouragement from you as their leader to see this. You might not be the best mentor, so find them someone who respects the culture of whom can learn. And also remember to pass on your stories. They are the histories people learn from. When we go to fires, we talk about past fires in the local area, what we know, where fire hydrants are, where there's difficult to get into houses, etcetera. But all that history goes on to the next leader, and then they carry that with them when they go out with their team. Number 2, you need to build autonomous teams. Teams make need to make decisions on their own. Teams need to make decisions on their own. They need to get used to handling things by themselves without you having to tell them everything. So set them task, then get them to report back and don't interfere in the process. Sometimes people like to specialize. Don't let them form clicks. In other words, don't let them form little groups of people that don't want other people to join. It makes the rest of the people or any new people feel like they don't, belong to the group. Trust your teams to do their job, but set timeframes and goals. Remember to congratulate them or express your disappointment if necessary. Sometimes having elite teams gives someone something to aspire. So having teams that they can try to become part of is really important. But don't one team become more than the whole team, e g, no first 15s. We all remember the football team from school who were treated like god. We don't need that. We need teams that are equal. We need teams that can split and cross train and work together and depart again and just keep flowing. We don't need first 15s and we don't need 2nd growth. Number 3, building trust. Trust is essential in leadership. If you can't trust your team, you're not a good leader. Leaders, you need to trust your teams to manage things when you aren't around. Trust is best given and then taken away when people fail to deliver. In other words, give everybody a chance to prove that they can be trusted. I trust everyone within reason. If I don't know you, I'm gonna find more out about you before I drop major responsibility on you, especially if I'm dealing with a fire. If you choose your leaders, you need to give them your trust too. If they're not capable of the job, train them, mentor them, or get rid of them. We can't have bad leaders. It's a tough call, but this is your business. In my case, my life, if we're on the fire line that we're talking about. I have no time for wishy washy leaders. Stand up, be strong, and be approachable. You don't need to know everything, but neither do they. Number 4, planning for the future. Who will take over your leadership role? This helps keep things running smoothly if a leader leaves. I've previously mentioned that one week after becoming the officer in charge of my brigade, I was asked by a previous first officer if I knew who my replacement was yet. Always be on the lookout for leaders and give everyone a chance to their to chew for leadership. Sometimes you have to force people to take on leadership roles. Do it on short projects. We often get new recruits to act as crew leaders during training night. It gives them a chance to see what's involved. It challenges their abilities, and it allows us to actually see the potential there. As I always say, you could be hit by a bus tomorrow. Who can take over? Would you lose your business, your income, your lifestyle? Number 5, cultural shifts in leadership. You need to change how people view leadership. Everyone in the team shares the responsibility of leading to some degree or another. Attitudes like they get delayed. It's not my responsibility. Don't help you move up. Yes. Sometimes it is their responsibility, but are they snowed under, or is your leaders just slacking? If you wanna be a leader, you're gonna have to do it for free long before you get paid to. In the fire service, you'll lead long before you get an officer's rank tabs on your shoulders. In many ways, it's irrelevant. We use it mainly to keep control and to keep communications working on the fireground. I've been to a fire where all of the crews were made up of offices, and we literally pointed at 1 guy and said, you're in charge just for functionality. We didn't need guidance, but we function better that way. Build your team so that they want to be a leader. Do it in a way they understand their responsibilities, not just think the privileges they get. They're often outweighed by the workload. Being a leader isn't easy. Thinking about replacing yourself isn't fun, but it is necessary for the success of your organization. We all hate the thought that after fighting so hard to get to the top that we can be replaced. But you only have to look back at history to see that all great leaders actually lose control or pass on. Instead of worrying, see it as your legacy. Ensure that you play your part in the success by making your leadership team the best. So that wraps up today's episode on why great leaders make themselves replaceable. We've covered a lot on the importance of mentoring and coaching to nurturing autonomous teams and building deep trust. We've discussed planning for the future, choosing leaders from your rank and creating cultural shift needed to make leadership perspectives work for the future. Remember, leadership is always about holding onto your position, preparing others to fill it just effectively. It's about building a team that thrives even in your absence. So take these points, reflect on how they apply to your situation and start taking steps to ensure your team can stand strong with or without you. Thanks for tuning in to leaders in the line of fire. If today's episode sparked any thoughts or ideas, don't forget to like and subscribe. We're here to keep the conversation going and help you lead with confidence and foresight. Until next time, keep leading, keep learning, and remember the true mark of a great leader is how well they prepare their team for success today and tomorrow. As always, run towards the flames.