A supply chain leader recently shared:
โFirefighting is addictive! ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ I resolve gives me an ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ค๐ข๐๐ค!โ
In times of ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ, strong leadership is essential to stabilize the situation.
But some take that firefighting passion to the extremeโeven creating fires just to be the ones who put them out, earning ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ.
Fortunately, not everyone falls into this pattern. The leader I spoke with ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฌ to prevent similar crises. Strong exception management, structured decision-making, and processes like ๐&๐๐ and ๐๐๐ make firefighting less necessary.
๐ To all senior leaders: Recognizing firefighting heroes is important, but donโt overlook those who create the systems that prevent fires from happening in the first place.