First In, Last Out : Leadership Lessons from the New York Fire Department
November 26th, 2005
关于领导力的图书很多很多了，在图书馆的新书架上看到这本书， 一眼就被这标题吸引了。
这可是真正的 赴汤蹈火 ， 而不是那种虚假的阿谀奉承时说的那么好听， 或许这种严酷的环境必须造就服从命令， 并通过刻苦的训练达到自觉执行的高度。
看过那个衡阳大火的纪录片， 深深的为消防员致敬！
领导力， 就如我自己所崇尚的那样，身体力行！
书名：《第一个冲进去 最后一个撤出来》 Amazon
作者：约翰.索卡(美) 贝里特.内韦尔/著
本书简介：
他们是你的人，所以他们为你赴汤蹈火；因为你总是第一个冲进火海，所以他们是你的人。“9.11”的确是一场灾难，却也成就了一支伟大而卓绝的团队。
面对熊熊大火，如何带领弟兄完成任务，冲出重围？纽约市消防队中队长约翰.索卡撼人心弦的故事带您深入领导力的精髓。
A twenty-five-year FDNY veteran explains the battle-tested management strategies that enable commanders to, literally, lead their teams into a raging fire
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
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enter the danger zone and the last to leave
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manage change—the fire you fought yesterday is not the one you’ll be fighting tomorrow
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communicate aggressively—a working radio is worth more than 20,000 gallons of water
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create an execution culture—focus your people on the flames, not the smoke
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commit to reality—never allow the way you would like things to be to color how things are
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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.
Introduction by Dennis Smith
1.You’re the Chief
2. The Leadership Triangle
What is the foundation of great leadership?
3. Fueling the Leadership Fire
How do you take your leadership to the next level?
4. Don’t Waste Your Water on Smoke
How do you get your people to focus on the things that matter?
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?
6. Know Their Names Before You Send Them into the Flames
How do you create strong connections with your people?
7. Making the Right Call When the Heat Is On
How do you make the right decisions?
8.No One Goes Home Until the Fire’s Out
How do you lead for execution?
9. Fire Up Your People’s Performance
How do you get your people to be fully engaged in their work?
10. The Fire You Beat Today Is Not the One
How do you make uncertainty and flux work to your advantage?
11. FindingYour Top Whip
How can you develop leaders throughout your organization? And how will this help you be a more effective leader?
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
First In, Last Out - Other formats:
Paperback: $14.00
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
After twenty five years in the most dangerous of all occupations, John Salka, Battalion Chief of The New York City Fire Department, offers tough and tender lessons in leadership. Salka masterfully leverages examples from fire fighting–"where lack of leadership can kill people"–to create values for leaders in every organization. He alternates vivid summaries of historic and terrifying fires (the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist factory, the 1993 World Trade Center explosion and ground zero) with metaphors from the firehouse to describe three commitments for decisive leadership. "Follow the smoke," is an imperative to uncover reality in yourself, your organization and your industry. Next, Salka counsels, "know their names before you send them into the flames," and encourages leaders to identify the contributions of each employee. The maxim, "Find your top whip" conveys ideas for developing future leaders and making a job into a classroom.
Other standout chapters focus on the nuances of building trust, clear decision-making and execution and tools for aligning individual and organization goals. Those expecting a macho approach to high-stakes leadership will be pleasantly surprised. Salka embraces intuition as "your subconscious trying to offer up a life time of experiences" and he explains how "managing emotional triggers" are ways of gaining competitive advantage. Salka’s inspiring and passionate vision of leadership is a combination of reality testing, self-knowledge, and a shared mission when the heat is on. –Barbara Mackoff–This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From 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.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.–This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Reviewer: Brian Wiggins
Salka’s advice is modeled on the leadership lessons of the New York City Fire Department. He takes many of the basic principles of effective leadership that are used to define the officers of FDNY and applies it to real life situations that can be used at any level of leadership by comparing these situations to those faced by the firefighters and their daily battles.
This book’s real strength comes from Salka’s approach: he writes to the front line supervisor/manager, the folks who are often on the first tier of management. While many books, as good as they are, assume that the reader is in a position to affect policy and choose their entire team, "First In" speaks to managers whose responsibility is the daily performance of the staff.
In addtion to great advice that can be put to practical use by leaders at any level, Salka regails the reader with colorful stories of the men and women of the FDNY. Overall, a great read.