The 360 Within: Building a Foundation for Fire Service Leadership On and Off the Fireground

On the fireground, the 360 is nonnegotiable. It’s how we assess risk, anticipate hazards and ensure the safety of everyone who’s involved. However, there’s a 360 that we often overlook—the one that happens within ourselves. As firefighters and leaders, our personal condition matters just as much as what we see on scene. The state of our foundation—physically, mentally, spiritually and relationally—determines the strength of our leadership when it matters most.

The truth is, many of us are leading from a foundation that has cracks—unseen, ignored or simply accepted—but leadership demands more. It demands that we treat ourselves as the greatest asset that we’ve been entrusted with and that we build a strong, reinforced life—not just for our own sake but because the way that we show up affects the whole crew.

I know this, because I lived it. I led while out of balance. I justified reactions based on deeper issues that I hadn’t dealt with, particularly in my personal life. I failed to invest in myself and paid the price. However, I also rebuilt. I did the hard work of taking a personal 360 and choosing to lead from a solid foundation.

That’s what my message here is about: doing the work, asking the difficult questions, and building the life and leadership that we were meant for.

The Four Pillars: Your foundation matters

In my journey, I’ve found that real, sustainable leadership stands on four main pillars: physical, mental, spiritual and relational. When one is off, the whole structure suffers.

Physical. This is where discipline lives. Fitness is about building endurance, mental toughness and the ability to respond when your team needs you most. The body leads the mind. When I train my body, I strengthen my resolve. It’s a leadership multiplier.

Mental. What we allow into our mind and how we manage our thoughts determine how we lead under pressure. You can’t pour into others from an empty or toxic cup. Our profession has become extremely good at multiple things—one of which, “building up walls,” isn’t so good.

Spiritual. For me, this is my cornerstone. My faith anchors me, gives me purpose and reminds me of a higher calling. Your spiritual pillar might look different, but without a deep-rooted “why,” your foundation lacks rebar. The gifts and talents that we were given are for more than just us. They often are for others, too.

Relational. We weren’t meant to do this alone. Isolation is a leadership killer. Investing in real relationships—with family, crew, mentors—provides both support and accountability. When this pillar cracks, it affects everything else. The firefighter title might one day come to an end, but the title of father, mother, son, daughter, friend or family will remain and leave a legacy.

What’s your rebar?

Rebar gives concrete its strength. Your “why” is the rebar in your life.

Why do you lead? Why do you wake up and train? Why do you keep showing up?

If your answer is surface-level or undefined, don’t be surprised when the pressure exposes weak spots. I learned the hard way that motivation without meaning burns out fast. My rebar is my faith, family, my calling and the legacy that I want to leave. Life has a unique way of not stopping just because we are on shift.

Doing a 360 within

We all know the importance of a fireground 360. What if we flipped the script and did a 360 on ourselves? What would we see? Where are the hazards? What’s strong and working well? What’s broken or needs attention?

This internal 360 isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a habit. Just like skipping a fireground 360 endangers the team, avoiding a personal 360 puts your leadership, your family and your health at risk. Daily self-assessment is the key.When you level up, everyone around you benefits. When you’re stuck or broken, others feel that, too.

CEO of your life

If you were the CEO of your life, how’s the business running? What would your daily operations report look like? Are your priorities in order? Is your mission clear? Are you investing in growth or just surviving the chaos?

The fixed mindset often holds us back, when new is just over the next steppingstone of change. We just must be willing to take the first step.

I had to confront the fact that I wouldn’t tolerate certain patterns or excuses in others that I allowed in myself. That was a wake-up call. If we run our department the way that we sometimes run our personal life, we’d be out of service.

Start treating your life like the high-stakes operation that it is. You’re the chief. Lead accordingly.

Remodeling season

Sometimes, a few patches won’t cut it. Sometimes, the damage runs deep. It takes humility to admit that. It takes courage to rip out rotten studs and rebuild. However, the reward is worth it. When you remodel from the inside out, you create a structure that can weather storms, lead others and stand the test of time. You start leading from a place of health, clarity and integrity.

Final charge

Leadership isn’t about having all of the answers. It’s about doing the work, asking the questions and refusing to settle for surface-level living.

You aren’t just a firefighter. You’re someone’s example.

You aren’t just an officer. You’re someone’s hope.

You aren’t just a leader. You’re someone’s legacy.

These same principles apply in your home and personal life.

Take the 360 within. Inspect your foundation. Strengthen your pillars. Find your rebar. Lead like it matters. Your crew needs you. Your family needs you. Most of all, the future version of you is counting on you to get this right.

Build something worth standing on. Lead from the inside out. Do the 360 within.