Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table Episode 56: Shannon Stone, Fire Chief - Adversity & Opportunities Release Date: October 28, 2024 Host: Berlin Maza

Introduction

In the 56th episode of Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table, host Berlin Maza engages in a profound discussion with Chief Shannon Stone, the Special Operations Chief and Fire Chief of the Midway Fire District in Gulf Breeze, Florida. With nearly 35 years of experience in the fire service, Chief Stone brings a wealth of knowledge on leadership, adversity, and the cultivation of high-performing teams within the fire department.

Chief Shannon Stone’s Career Journey

Chief Stone begins by sharing his extensive career path, which started in 1990 after high school. Inspired by his father's tenure as a fireman, Stone transitioned from contemplating a career in a burger joint to enrolling in the fire academy—a decision that "absolutely fell in love with" him.

• Early Career: Stone spent 29 years with the City of Fort Walton Beach Fire Department, progressing to Battalion Chief before moving to Escambia County Fire and Rescue in Pensacola, known as the busiest fire department in Florida.

• Current Role: Five years prior to the interview, he joined the Midway Fire District as Deputy Chief of Operations, eventually being promoted to Fire Chief in August 2024. Stone emphasizes his transition back to a "rookie position," highlighting the continual challenges and learning opportunities that come with each advancement.

Leadership Philosophy

Chief Stone’s leadership is deeply rooted in servant leadership—a philosophy that prioritizes the well-being and development of team members.

• Servant Leadership: "The purpose of leadership is to serve the people in the community... If you take care of your people, you accomplish more." This approach ensures that decisions are made with the best interests of both the firefighters and the community in mind.

• Transparency and Expectations: Stone is transparent about his expectations, stating, "I'm a very black and white [leader]. You don't have to guess where I stand." This clarity fosters trust and accountability within the team.

Adversity and Opportunities

A central theme of the conversation is the ability to transform adversity into opportunity.

• Problem vs. Opportunity Mindset: Stone outlines a simple yet powerful framework: "You have a problem or an opportunity. That's it." (Timestamp: [00:01]). He encourages firefighters to move past initial frustrations and view challenges as chances to grow and improve.

• Handling Mistakes: Emphasizing accountability, Stone asserts that responses to mistakes are more critical than the mistakes themselves. "How we're going to handle it is going to define us." (Timestamp: [00:01]).

Mentorship and Employee Development

Chief Stone discusses the importance of mentorship and structured development programs to cultivate future leaders.

• Current Initiatives: While acknowledging that formal mentorship programs are still in development, Stone highlights ongoing efforts to foster informal mentoring through opportunities like sending promising individuals to schools, conferences, and involving them in special projects.

• Future Plans: He expresses intentions to formalize mentorship programs within the next 24 months, aiming to create benchmarks and structured guidance for mentorship at every level of the fire department.

Cultivating High-Performing Teams and Culture

Creating a culture that promotes high performance and leadership is paramount in Stone’s strategy.

• Generational Change: Stone believes that lasting culture shifts occur over generations. By instilling values and expectations in new recruits, the department gradually moves the "needle" towards desired cultural norms. "These people that grew up under a certain mindset are the ones that are eventually going to move into the leadership roles." (Timestamp: [27:29]).

• Hiring Practices: Prioritizing character over qualifications, Midway Fire District focuses on hiring individuals with the right character traits, even if it means bypassing more experienced candidates. "If you hire the guy that has questionable character traits... you will have problems." (Timestamp: [16:03]).

Communication and Understanding Human Behavior

Effective communication and a deep understanding of human behavior are critical components of strong leadership.

• Continuous Learning: Stone emphasizes the need for leaders to continuously improve their communication skills, emotional intelligence, and ability to listen. "Understanding human behavior better, understanding how to control my emotions, understanding how to listen better and understanding how to communicate better." (Timestamp: [62:14]).

• Role Modeling: Leaders must embody the behaviors they wish to see. "You need to be good at teaching, is being good at sharing information." (Timestamp: [34:23]).

Addressing Mistakes and Encouraging Growth

Stone highlights the importance of learning from mistakes and fostering an environment where individuals feel safe to grow.

• Owning Mistakes: Leaders should demonstrate accountability by owning their mistakes, learning from them, and encouraging their team to do the same. "If something doesn't go our way... we're going to find the opportunity to exist and we're going to go down that road." (Timestamp: [44:27]).

• Trainable Skills: Viewing adversity positively is partly innate but can also be developed through training and culture. "It is a trainable characteristic to start to a certain extent." (Timestamp: [49:46]).

Advice to New Firefighters and Leaders

Chief Stone offers actionable advice for those aspiring to advance within the fire service.

• Focus on the Basics: "Train more and focus on basics more." (Timestamp: [62:14]). Mastery of fundamental skills ensures operational excellence.

• Develop Communication Skills: As leaders progress, communication and understanding human behavior become increasingly important.

• Stay Engaged: Even as administrative duties increase, remaining operationally engaged helps maintain credibility and connection with the team. "Remain engaged operationally with your people." (Timestamp: [65:43]).

Final Thoughts and Leadership Challenge

In concluding the episode, Chief Stone reiterates the essence of servant leadership and continuous personal development.

• Servant Leadership Manifestation: "Always put others before yourself. Study servant leadership, study human behavior." (Timestamp: [73:54]).

• Continuous Learning: Despite his extensive experience, Stone remains a student of the fire service, underscoring the importance of lifelong learning.

Maza challenges Chief Stone to continue the leadership conversation, to which Stone passionately agrees, highlighting the ongoing need for such dialogues within the fire service and beyond.

Notable Quotes

• Choosing Perspective: "You have a problem or an opportunity. That's it. Which one is it going to be?" ([00:01])

• Servant Leadership: "If you take care of your people, you accomplish more." ([28:08])

• Moving the Needle: "If you're not cultivating that... when they don't move up, guess who moves up? The ones that typically aren't strong." ([15:27])

• Continuous Improvement: "Understanding human behavior better, understanding how to control my emotions, understanding how to listen better and understanding how to communicate better." ([62:14])

• Ownership of Mistakes: "If something doesn't go our way... we're going to find the opportunity to exist and we're going to go down that road." ([44:27])

Conclusion

Chief Shannon Stone’s insights in this episode provide invaluable lessons on leadership within high-stakes environments like the fire service. His emphasis on servant leadership, the importance of mentorship, and the proactive transformation of adversity into opportunity serves as a roadmap for current and aspiring leaders. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and effective communication, Chief Stone exemplifies how to build resilient and high-performing teams dedicated to serving both their members and the community.

For listeners seeking to enhance their leadership skills, Chief Stone’s experiences and philosophies offer practical strategies and inspiring motivation to lead with integrity and purpose.