“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Choices!  We all have them!  In our culture, the ability to choose is foundational to our way of life.  We choose where we want to live, who we want to represent us, what car we want to drive, and where we want to eat dinner, just to name a few. Without choices we are simply beholden to someone else.  They get to choose for us!  “They” determine the quality of the service and the price we must pay to receive that service.

Poor Service? No Problem!

In America we generally recognize situations in which we have no control as being an environment in which there’s a monopoly.  We enjoy the fact that when one restaurant gives us poor service we can go to another restaurant, and get better food or service.  When you don’t like the cell phone service we receive, we simply go down to the competitor’s store and get a new provider.  Heck, the new provider will even buy out your previous contract.

Poor Service? No Option!

If you think about it, being in emergency response and operations we sort of operate in an environment in which the people utilizing our services don’t have a choice as to who is coming to their aid.  When they call 911, we are it!  There is no 912!  I would suggest that because the people calling us don’t have a secondary option for services, it’s even more incumbent upon us to make sure we deliver the highest quality service to them as we possibly can.

This makes it even more imperative for us to take the extra time with each caller to ensure we meet their needs.  We need to go above and beyond to make the caller feel like they have our full and undivided attention.  Sometimes this requires us to deliver an actual medical intervention, and at other times it is as simple as listening with an empathetic ear.

It’s Not Them, It’s You!

More than once, I have witnessed those moments when the frustrations of a paramedic or firefighter boil over, and the victim receives the brunt of emotion.  Whenever, this has happened I can honestly say I am saddened to see that “we” missed the mark in serving our fellow “human” to the best of our ability. In short, we failed the patient.  If you are one of those emergency responders who felt it was acceptable to let the patient feel your frustrations then you are a problem, not them!

Correlation

In leadership, its basically the same principle.  The people working for you didn’t really get a choice on who they have as a leader.  It’s not like they woke up today and looked through the “yellow pages” to see who they wanted to work for today.  The leader they have is the one they were assigned.  Someone else made the choice for them.  Sure, they can quit and get a new job.  But the reality is that at the new job they will get another leader they didn’t get to choose also.  Their choice may be to stay in the miserable environment you are creating instead of choosing to work for another leader that may, or may not, make their life better.  Doesn’t sound like a positive slate of choices!

No Choice!

Because the people that follow you don’t have a realistic choice as to who will be their leader, it’s incumbent on you to be the best leader you can be.  It’s up to you to build the environment in which they feel safe psychologically, emotionally, and physically.  Just like in emergency response, followers don’t have a 912.  Their options are limited.  Either you create the psychologically safe work environment or nobody does.  Whether you like it or not, you are the 911.

If you’re in emergency services, remember that the people calling you for assistance are doing so on what they believe to be one of the worst days of their lives.  They called you because you are the only game in town and they have no other choices.  Take the time to make sure you are adding value to their lives.  If you’re a leader in a field other than emergency services, remember that those who follow you didn’t get to vote for you as their leader.  They rely upon you to lead in the best way possible.

Don’t you dare give them less than your best!

There’s honor in serving others, and as a leader you are in the best position to live this out!

“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” Booker T. Washington