Sometimes Leading People is Difficult - with Chief Jerry Streich

The episode is the first in a series celebrating National Fire Prevention Month. This week our host Dr. I. David Daniels, speaks with retired Fire Chief Jerry Streich about his lived experience as a leader and his current focus as a coach and consultant helping others learn to deal with difficult people. The exact definition of a difficult person varies depending on who is doing the assessment. One Harvard Business Review editorial staff member, suggests that the examples include passive-aggressive, insecure bosses, pessimists, victim mentality, know-it-alls, tormentors, and biased or political operators. Another consultant adds interrupters, ignorers, bores, prima-donnas, work martyrs, whiners, negativity spreaders, rainmakers, and boundary crossers to the list. Chief Streich found his leadership interests blossoming after serving in the U. S. Army. While becoming a leader was extremely rewarding, he also experienced several challenges that have changed him as a human being. Undoubtedly the most significant challenge was one that made national news involving a person whose bullying behavior even caused the Chief to feel fear at work. He uses his experience as the foundation to help leaders identify and deal with difficult people and create a more psychologically safe culture for everyone.