Leadership in the Line of Fire

By Brad Hauck

A podcast for leaders under pressure. Real stories, hard-earned lessons and practical frameworks from the fireground and beyond on how to stay calm, make better calls and lead well when the heat is

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FAQs about Leadership in the Line of Fire:

How many episodes does Leadership in the Line of Fire have?

The podcast currently has 46 episodes available.

Leadership in the Line of Fire episodes:

August 23, 2026 What Firefighters Do Before Sunrise
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The habits firefighters build before a shift starts, and how the same five leadership routines work in any business.
Discover the leadership secrets firefighters use every day to make better decisions under pressure. In this episode of Leadership in the Line of Fire, Brad Hauck explores why strong leaders plan their escape routes, set clear trigger points, let the right things burn, listen to every person on the team and adapt when conditions change.
You’ll also learn why protecting your team’s energy is essential for performance, safety and resilience. These practical firefighter leadership lessons will help business owners, managers and emergency service leaders stay calm, communicate clearly and lead confidently through uncertainty. For practical leadership mentoring, visit https://www.leadershipinthelineoffire.com

Support the show
Enjoying Leadership in the Line of Fire?
Buy the book: Run Towards The Flames - https://www.amazon.com.au/Run-Towards-Flames-Mastering-Leadership/dp/1763605132/
Subscribe for more leadership lessons from the fireground and beyond.
🎙️ Listen on your favourite platform:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
Connect with Brad Hauck:
🌐 https://www.bradhauck.com
📘 https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=Brad+Hauck
If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another leader.
Remember: Great leaders don't run from challenges. They run towards the flames.
...more
19min
August 17, 2026 How to Lead Under Pressure
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Seven lessons about how to lead under pressure that you only learn the hard way — unclear roles, strengths turning into weaknesses, and the cost of waiting
How do you lead under pressure when conditions change, information is limited and your team is looking to you for direction? In this episode of Leadership in the Line of Fire, Brad Hauck shares seven leadership lessons that are often learned only through real experience.
Drawing on lessons from the fireground, Brad explains how pressure exposes unclear roles, turns strengths into weaknesses and reveals who truly influences a team. You’ll also discover why waiting removes options, how your behaviour affects confidence, when to correct a bad decision and why leadership continues after the incident is over.
This practical episode will help leaders make better decisions, communicate clearly and build stronger teams under pressure.

Support the show
Enjoying Leadership in the Line of Fire?
Buy the book: Run Towards The Flames - https://www.amazon.com.au/Run-Towards-Flames-Mastering-Leadership/dp/1763605132/
Subscribe for more leadership lessons from the fireground and beyond.
🎙️ Listen on your favourite platform:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
Connect with Brad Hauck:
🌐 https://www.bradhauck.com
📘 https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=Brad+Hauck
If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another leader.
Remember: Great leaders don't run from challenges. They run towards the flames.
...more
23min
August 10, 2026 3 Warning Signs You're Ignoring
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The early warning signs of bad leadership that most managers notice too late and what to do the moment you spot one.
Most leadership problems don't begin with a blowup, they begin with a team that quietly stops asking questions, starts hiding risk, and slowly disconnects before you ever notice.
In this episode, Brad looks at how firefighters are trained to read weak signals before a fire turns critical, and how that same discipline helps leaders catch the early signs of a team in trouble.
You'll learn how to read the room when silence replaces questions, why polished updates should concern you more than bad news, and what to do when your most reliable people start slipping.

Support the show
Enjoying Leadership in the Line of Fire?
Buy the book: Run Towards The Flames - https://www.amazon.com.au/Run-Towards-Flames-Mastering-Leadership/dp/1763605132/
Subscribe for more leadership lessons from the fireground and beyond.
🎙️ Listen on your favourite platform:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
Connect with Brad Hauck:
🌐 https://www.bradhauck.com
📘 https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=Brad+Hauck
If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another leader.
Remember: Great leaders don't run from challenges. They run towards the flames.
...more
23min
August 03, 2026 3 Calls That Define You
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The three leadership decisions that separate great leaders from everyone else, and why they are almost always made under time pressure.
What leadership decisions separate great leaders from everyone else? In this episode of Leadership in the Line of Fire, Brad Hauck explores five uncommon leadership decisions that shape trust, performance and results under pressure.
You’ll learn when to stop or pivot, who should be allowed to challenge your thinking, what you may need to let fail, how to lead through uncertainty and when a win is no longer worth the cost. Using practical lessons from firefighting and business leadership, this episode will help you improve decision-making, crisis leadership and team performance when the stakes are high.

Support the show
Enjoying Leadership in the Line of Fire?
Buy the book: Run Towards The Flames - https://www.amazon.com.au/Run-Towards-Flames-Mastering-Leadership/dp/1763605132/
Subscribe for more leadership lessons from the fireground and beyond.
🎙️ Listen on your favourite platform:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
Connect with Brad Hauck:
🌐 https://www.bradhauck.com
📘 https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=Brad+Hauck
If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another leader.
Remember: Great leaders don't run from challenges. They run towards the flames.
...more
21min
July 26, 2026 7 Leadership Blindspots That Hold Good Leaders Back
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Even good leaders have blind spots. The challenge is that you can't fix what you can't see. In this episode of Leadership in the Line of Fire, Brad Hauck explores seven common leadership blind spots that quietly undermine trust, decision-making, communication, and team performance. Drawing on real experiences from the fireground, he explains why these hidden habits develop and how they affect the people you lead.
Whether you're leading a business, emergency service, volunteer organisation, or community team, you'll learn practical ways to become more self-aware and lead with greater confidence. If you're ready to challenge your assumptions, improve your leadership, and uncover what's really holding you back, this episode will give you practical insights you can put into action immediately.

Support the show
Enjoying Leadership in the Line of Fire?
Buy the book: Run Towards The Flames - https://www.amazon.com.au/Run-Towards-Flames-Mastering-Leadership/dp/1763605132/
Subscribe for more leadership lessons from the fireground and beyond.
🎙️ Listen on your favourite platform:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
Connect with Brad Hauck:
🌐 https://www.bradhauck.com
📘 https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=Brad+Hauck
If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another leader.
Remember: Great leaders don't run from challenges. They run towards the flames.
...more
18min
July 06, 2026 How Great Leaders Build Great Leaders | The Power of Mentorship
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What happens to your team when you are no longer there to make every decision?
In this episode of Leadership in the Line of Fire, Brad Hauck explores why many leaders say they want capable people but fail to give them the responsibility, trust and room needed to grow.
Drawing on lessons from firefighting, volunteer leadership and business, Brad explains how strong mentors develop confident decision-makers, share the lessons behind their mistakes and give people opportunities before they feel completely ready. He also challenges the belief that future leaders should think, act and lead exactly like their mentors.
Discover how to mentor without micromanaging, prepare people to lead under pressure and build a leadership legacy that continues long after you step away.

Support the show
Enjoying Leadership in the Line of Fire?
Buy the book: Run Towards The Flames - https://www.amazon.com.au/Run-Towards-Flames-Mastering-Leadership/dp/1763605132/
Subscribe for more leadership lessons from the fireground and beyond.
🎙️ Listen on your favourite platform:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
Connect with Brad Hauck:
🌐 https://www.bradhauck.com
📘 https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=Brad+Hauck
If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another leader.
Remember: Great leaders don't run from challenges. They run towards the flames.
...more
20min
June 28, 2026 Stop Treating Every Problem Like an Crisis
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Why do some leaders burn out while others stay calm under pressure?
In this episode of Leadership in the Line of Fire, Brad Hauck explains how poor decisions often come from reacting too quickly, treating every issue as urgent, and trying to solve problems that may not even belong to you.
Using a fast-moving floodplain incident as a real-world example, Brad shows how strong leaders stop, assess the situation, gather better information, and choose the right response. He then applies the same thinking to workplace stress, difficult people, family conflict, and business pressure.
You’ll learn a simple decision-making framework to help you respond instead of react, protect your energy, and focus on the problems that genuinely need your attention.

Support the show
Enjoying Leadership in the Line of Fire?
Buy the book: Run Towards The Flames - https://www.amazon.com.au/Run-Towards-Flames-Mastering-Leadership/dp/1763605132/
Subscribe for more leadership lessons from the fireground and beyond.
🎙️ Listen on your favourite platform:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
Connect with Brad Hauck:
🌐 https://www.bradhauck.com
📘 https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=Brad+Hauck
If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another leader.
Remember: Great leaders don't run from challenges. They run towards the flames.
...more
18min
June 22, 2026 8 Massive Changes Impacting Leaders Worldwide
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Most leaders know change is accelerating but don't have a clear picture of the eight specific forces reshaping how leadership actually works right now.
In this episode, Brad Hauck explains how fireground principles of constant vigilance and front-line decision-making help leaders get ahead of shifts that run from AI joining the team to geopolitics hitting supply chains to trust replacing title authority.
You'll learn how to hold accountability as AI becomes a teammate, how to lead when authority comes from trust not title and how to push decisions to the front line before the pace of change forces your hand.

Support the show
Enjoying Leadership in the Line of Fire?
Buy the book: Run Towards The Flames - https://www.amazon.com.au/Run-Towards-Flames-Mastering-Leadership/dp/1763605132/
Subscribe for more leadership lessons from the fireground and beyond.
🎙️ Listen on your favourite platform:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
Connect with Brad Hauck:
🌐 https://www.bradhauck.com
📘 https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=Brad+Hauck
If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another leader.
Remember: Great leaders don't run from challenges. They run towards the flames.
...more
27min
June 15, 2026 Unplanned Leadership Moments: The 5 Decisions That Define You
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When something changes on the job and the person in charge isn't around, most people freeze and wait for instructions that never come.
In this episode, Brad explains how the same snap decisions firefighters make when a fire jumps the line translate into the five decisions that separate leaders from followers when a business crisis hits without warning.
You'll learn how to read a changing situation fast, make the call without waiting for permission and step up the moment your team needs a decision.

Support the show
Enjoying Leadership in the Line of Fire?
Buy the book: Run Towards The Flames - https://www.amazon.com.au/Run-Towards-Flames-Mastering-Leadership/dp/1763605132/
Subscribe for more leadership lessons from the fireground and beyond.
🎙️ Listen on your favourite platform:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
Connect with Brad Hauck:
🌐 https://www.bradhauck.com
📘 https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=Brad+Hauck
If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another leader.
Remember: Great leaders don't run from challenges. They run towards the flames.
...more
14min
June 09, 2026 The Leadership Crisis Nobody Is Talking About: Are We Training Leaders or Creating Followers?
Send us Fan Mail
Many organisations say they want leaders but reward compliance and punish initiative until nobody on the team will make a move without permission.
In this episode, I explain how the fireground practice of putting new firefighters into leadership roles in safe, controlled training environments reveals what it actually takes to develop people who can think, adapt and act when conditions change.
You'll learn why compliance culture quietly kills decision-making, how to spot if your team has become approval-dependent and what to start doing to rebuild confident leaders who can step up when you're not in the room.

Support the show
Enjoying Leadership in the Line of Fire?
Buy the book: Run Towards The Flames - https://www.amazon.com.au/Run-Towards-Flames-Mastering-Leadership/dp/1763605132/
Subscribe for more leadership lessons from the fireground and beyond.
🎙️ Listen on your favourite platform:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
Connect with Brad Hauck:
🌐 https://www.bradhauck.com
📘 https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=Brad+Hauck
If this episode helped you, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with another leader.
Remember: Great leaders don't run from challenges. They run towards the flames.
...more
19min

FAQs about Leadership in the Line of Fire:

How many episodes does Leadership in the Line of Fire have?

The podcast currently has 46 episodes available.