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 50 episodes available.

Leadership in the Line of Fire episodes:

September 21, 2026 Do I Even Want to Be a Leader? Is It Worth It?
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Is being a leader still worth what it costs you? In this episode of Leadership in the Line of Fire, Brad Hauck explores the question many managers, business owners and volunteer leaders quietly ask: “Do I even want this anymore?” When leadership stress and growing responsibilities follow you home, it’s worth examining what needs to change.
Drawing on firefighting lessons and workplace research, Brad shares three unexpected ways to assess your leadership role and decide what comes next. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, trapped by responsibility or guilty about wanting to step back, this episode will help you think clearly about whether to stay, change the conditions or prepare to move on.

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
September 13, 2026 How Do I Stop Doing & Start Leading?
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Busy leaders can become so focused on tasks, deadlines and daily problems that they stop noticing what’s changing around them. Warning signs are missed, team members feel unheard and an effective plan can quietly become the wrong plan.
In this episode of Leadership in the Line of Fire, Brad Hauck explores the weekly leadership questions that help you uncover blind spots, improve team communication and make better decisions. Drawing on lessons from the fireground, you’ll learn how a simple leadership check-in can strengthen situational awareness and help you act before small problems become major fires.

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
12min
September 06, 2026 Better Leadership Starts With Better Questions
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Busy leaders often become so focused on getting work done that they miss the warning signs building around them. Small changes in the team, the plan or the working environment can quickly become bigger leadership problems when nobody stops to notice them.
In this episode of Leadership in the Line of Fire, Brad Hauck shares a simple weekly leadership check inspired by fireground situational awareness. Discover how better questions can uncover blind spots, improve communication and help you adapt before small problems become major fires.

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
13min
August 31, 2026 Dodge These Leadership Traps New Leaders Fall Into
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Stepping into leadership changes more than your job title. In this episode of Leadership in the Line of Fire, I explore common new leader mistakes and why the pressure to prove yourself can quietly damage trust. Through firefighter leadership lessons and workplace examples, discover how to move from capable team member to confident, trusted leader.
Whether you’re a first-time manager, volunteer leader or business owner, this episode will challenge your assumptions and help you lead people more effectively. For one-on-one leadership mentoring, visit 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
13min
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
Send us Fan Mail
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
Send us Fan Mail
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

FAQs about Leadership in the Line of Fire:

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

The podcast currently has 50 episodes available.