Crisis Talks S2 Ep. 9 - Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons - The Importance of Empathy in Leadership

From a 15 year old volunteer firefighter in Duffy’s Forest Fire Brigade in 1985 to leading 70,000 firefighters during the response to the 2019-2020 fires, Shane Fitzsimmons rise to being the most trusted face in the bushfire crisis has been a story of resilience, hardship and humility. From losing his father in a routine back-burning operation to overseeing the fire season which claimed the lives of community, volunteer and international firefighting professionals, the qualities that stood out to all of us was his calmness, empathy and authenticity. 

In this episode of Crisis Talks we talk about the season that was; his insights into crisis leadership; what his new role as Resilience Commissioner holds for him; and the leadership legacy he wishes to leave.