What Michael Jordan Can Teach You About Firehouse Leadership
What Michael Jordan Can Teach You About Firehouse Leadership
There’s a price to pay for greatness — Jordan knew it.
The firehouse isn’t a democracy.
You don’t have to be a jerk.
But you also don’t have to be everyone’s best friend.
Leadership isn’t about being liked.
It’s about making the people around you better —
even if they don’t thank you for it right away.
Michael Jordan understood that.
And in a way that should matter to every firehouse leader,
he never once apologized for it.
The Jordan Mentality
Jordan wasn’t just great — he demanded greatness.
He pushed hard in practice.
He called out teammates who coasted.
He took losses personally.
And he made everyone around him feel it.
He didn’t just want to win.
He needed everyone around him to want it just as bad.
That’s leadership.
He didn’t tolerate passengers.
And neither should you.
You Can’t Lead if You’re Afraid to Challenge People
In the firehouse, this shows up in a hundred small ways:
- Letting laziness slide because you don’t want to create tension.
- Staying silent when something’s not done right.
- Avoiding feedback to avoid conflict.
That’s not kindness.
That’s neglect.
Jordan’s greatness didn’t come from handshakes and high-fives.
It came from standards.
From holding the line — even if it meant getting under people’s skin.
Sometimes leadership means being the one who says, “That’s not good enough.”
Even when no one else will.
You Lead by Example — and Pressure
Jordan didn’t lead with inspirational quotes.
He led with intensity, presence, and performance.
He was early. He was prepared. He was on.
Even in practice. Especially in practice.
And the fireground is no different.
You don’t raise the bar with words.
You raise it with how you show up:
- First in, last out.
- Gear squared away.
- Tools handled with care.
- Training done like it matters.
Not because it’s cool.
Because you care about the job.
That’s pressure — the good kind.
The kind that makes the people around you rise up.
You Don’t Have to Be Loved — You Have to Lead
Jordan’s teammates didn’t always like him.
But they respected him.
And years later?
They admit it:
He made them better.
That’s the question you’ve got to ask yourself:
Will the people you work with say that about you?
Not “he was cool” or “he kept it light.”
But:
- “He challenged me.”
- “He made me sharper.”
- “He held the line.”
Because that’s the kind of firehouse leadership that actually lasts.
There’s a price to pay for greatness.
Jordan knew it.
The best leaders in this job do, too.