The High Cost of Being an Expensive Firefighter

by Dan Romano

1 min read

If you spent all day putting out fires, you aren't leading, you're just the most expensive firefighter on the team.

We often celebrate the 'quick fix' and the immediate metric because they feel like progress.

It's an adrenaline hit that we mistake for productivity.

But there is a massive difference between solving a problem and leading through one.

When we focus only on the immediate horizon, we lose the ability to see the underlying patterns.

True leadership is the emotional discipline to step back when everyone else is leaning in.

It's about understanding the wind, the fuel, and the terrain, not just the flame in front of you.

Perspective isn't a gift.

It's a practice of seeing what others miss because they're too busy reacting.

Real authority is earned when you stop fixing symptoms and start addressing the root causes through the horizon.