First in Last out or The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature

First In, Last Out: Leadership Lessons from the New York Fire Department

Author: John Salka

What does it take to lead people into a burning building? How do the leaders of the New York City Fire Department develop so much loyalty, trust, and grace under pressure that their subordinates will risk their very lives for them?
As a high-ranking officer of the FDNY, John Salka is an expert at both practicing and teaching high-stakes leadership. In First In, Last Out, he explains the department's unique strategies and how they can be adopted by leaders in any field-as he has taught them to organizations around the country. In a tough-talking, no-nonsense style, Salka uses real-world stories to convey leadership imperatives such as:
• first in, last out-your people need to see you taking the biggest risk, as the first one to enter the danger zone and the last to leave
• manage change-the fire you fought yesterday is not the one you'll be fighting tomorrow
• communicate aggressively-a working radio is worth more than 20,000 gallons of water
• create an execution culture-focus your people on the flames, not the smoke
• commit to reality-never allow the way you would like things to be to color how things are
• develop your people-let them feel a little heat today or they'll get burned tomorrow Illustrated by harrowing real-life situations, the principles in First In, Last Out will help managers become more confident, coherent, and commanding.

Publishers Weekly

Salka, an FDNY battalion chief in the Bronx, has spent 25 years with the department, rising from firefighter to his current rank. He shares his insights on managing people, coping with crises, mentoring, decision making, adjusting to change and more. While Salka uses his experiences fighting fires, he clearly shows how his work has applications in almost any corporation: "[O]ur mission is to protect the people and property of New York City.... Since your customers define this value, your customers define your business. Organizations today need to ask themselves, Who is our customer? Only by figuring out exactly who their customer is and what they want can organizations fully grasp their mission." Salka discusses how he works with his firefighters and how managers can use his tactics. For example, he says, "[T]he most effective way to show your people that you trust them is to delegate to them. This is standard operating procedure in the FDNY. By letting them tackle problems on their own, you demonstrate your belief in them." The book covers key aspects to leadership-establishing trust, connecting with employees, decision making, engaging employees, dealing with crises and nurturing new leaders-in a logical fashion. The writing is solid though not inspiring. Readers who expected thrilling tales of firefighting will be disappointed because Salka's real-life anecdotes are toned down. Overall, this is a solid, but not unique, look at leadership. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

In the wake of the World Trade Center tragedy, the New York Fire Department has achieved near legendary status. So it seems that we might have something valuable to learn from this dynamic organization. Salka, battalion chief and 24-year veteran of the NYFD, offers readers the chance to learn about leadership literally from the hot seat. Follow Salka into burning buildings, watch him make decisions, execute them calmly under pressure, and, in the process, inspire confidence in his firefighters. His straight-shooting style and hair-singeing illustrations are effective in communicating the "first in, last out" risk-taking philosophy of NYFD leadership. Salka deals with communication, relationship building, trust, decision making, and leadership development throughout the organization. His firefighting analogies work well. For instance, "follow the smoke" (it's the symptom that leads you to the problem) is how you get the real scoop on yourself, your organization, and your industry. If an overdose of dry-as-dust leadership books has left your patrons drowsy, this one is sure to kindle their interest. Recommended for public library collections.-Carol J. Elsen, Univ. of Wisconsin, Whitewater Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Table of Contents:

	Introduction	xiii
1	You're the Chief	1
2	The Leadership Triangle: What is the foundation of great leadership?	13
3	Fueling the Leadership Fire: How do you take your leadership to the next level?	31
4	Don't Waste Your Water on Smoke: How do you get your people to focus on the things that matter?	43
5	Every Chief Needs a Radio, a White Helmet, and His People's Trust: How does trust help you get the most out of your people?	57
6	Know Their Names Before You Send Them into the Flames: How do you create strong connections with your people?	77
7	Making the Right Call When the Heat Is On: How do you make the right decisions?	103
8	No One Goes Home Until the Fire's Out: How do you lead for execution?	123
9	Fire Up Your People's Performance: How do you get your people to be fully engaged in their work?	143
10	The Fire You Beat Today Is Not the One You'll Face Tomorrow: How do you make uncertainty and flux work to your advantage?	169
11	Finding Your Top Whip: How can you develop leaders throughout your organization? And how will this help you be a more effective leader?	195
	Conclusion	209
	Notes	211
	Bibliography	215
	Index	217

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