Leadership from the Bottom Up with Dr. Candace Ashby

Leadership from the Bottom Up with Dr. Candace Ashby

From Code 3 - The Firefighters Podcast by Scott Orr

January 29, 2026 · 30 min · Episode 358

About this episode

Dr. Candace Ashby discusses the importance of leadership from within the fire department and taking ownership of station culture.

You ever walk into *that* firehouse? You know the one. The crew is burnt out. They’ve given up on morale. And they’re constantly complaining that "Downtown" or "The Brass" have ruined the job. But my guest today argues that if your station’s culture is toxic, you shouldn't be looking at the Fire Chief for help... you should be looking in the mirror for solutions to your problems. Yep. The most powerful person in the department isn’t the one with the bugles on their collar—it’s the Company Officer sitting at the kitchen table. Dr. Candace Ashby is a Battalion Chief with the Indianapolis Fire Department. She holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership. She is the creator of "Leadership from the Bottom Up," a no-nonsense approach that challenges firefighters to stop playing the blame game and start taking ownership of their department. She joins me today to talk about why we need to stop waiting for permission to lead, how to turn bitterness into betterment, and why the future of the fire service depends on the men and women riding the engines

People in this episode

Host: Scott Orr

Guest: Dr. Candace Ashby

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • fire service culture
  • organizational leadership
  • morale
  • ownership
  • toxic environments

Keywords

  • leadership
  • firefighters
  • morale
  • toxic culture
  • ownership
  • organizational leadership
  • Company Officer

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Indianapolis Fire Department

Books & works: Leadership from the Bottom Up

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