Volumes have been written about leadership and all the different variations of leading. Higher education offers leadership degrees at all levels. Leadership has become a field of study. Leadership theories abound: authentic leadership, transformative leadership, transactional leadership, Renewed Darwinian Leadership, Leadership Theory in the Perspective of Kierkegaard’s Philosophy, servant leadership, responsible leadership, and followership, just to name a few. Dozens of conferences and workshops are available worldwide for developing leaders, in every discipline and industry segment. We discuss, ad nauseam, whether leaders are born or made, and whether one form of leadership is better than another.
I have observed every type of leader in my research in the fire service. I would argue that there is no right or wrong way to lead. You have to find the leadership style that works for you, for the situation in which you find yourself. This requires self-knowledge...