OPINION:
I've been a firefighter for well over two decades. That period has seen, as they say, the best of times and the worst of times. I have attended some horrific sights - terrible motor vehicle accidents, intense house fires, and awful natural disasters - but in stark contrast to those bad times, I have also built some strong relationships with my fellow firefighters.
As I have risen through the ranks of my local brigade, I have had to reconcile myself with having to give orders to my colleagues. One aspect of a command and control organisation is that if you give orders, you pretty much know that they will be followed. People don't need to like you, they just need to do what you tell them to do. It makes life easier not having to angst too much about consensus and is a necessary attribute of critical incidents.
This approach, however, is in contrast with other situations where consensus and collaboration are critical. In the modern workplace, as opposed to the traditional hierarchical one, it is important to build people up, to give them positive encouragement, and to generally give them lots of love and attention.
I've been thinking of my firefighting life recently in contrast to a fairly bruising situation in one of the organisations I'm involved with. I've been made aware that some of the colleagues or employees with whom I've always believed I had a professional, respectful, and empathetic relationship, in fact have very little respect, genuinely warm feelings, or empathy for myself.