Chief Chris Armstrong
Retired Fire Chief | Leadership Consultant | Author | Leadership Coach
Leadership. Organizational Culture. Values. Mentorship.
Chief Chris Armstrong brings more than 35 years of public safety experience to a conversation about leadership, organizational culture, trust, accountability, and developing future leaders.
In this Firefighter Mentors interview, former Fire Chief Eric Lang sits down with Chris to explore the experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy, from his early career in South Florida to leading fire departments in Colorado and Georgia.
Chris challenges leaders to look beyond rank and title and consider how the decisions, values, and everyday actions of people throughout an organization shape its culture.
Since this conversation was recorded in 2025, Chris has continued expanding his work through The Thinking Chief Leadership Group, developing resources, coaching programs, and approaches to understanding organizational culture.
A Conversation with Chief Chris Armstrong
An in-depth conversation about leadership, organizational values, culture, mentorship, and the challenges of leading fire departments across the country.
Approximately 63 minutes · Recorded in 2025 · Watch the full interview on YouTube ↗
Five lessons to carry forward
Choose a conversation to watch on YouTube.
Who Do You Choose to Follow?
Chris challenges firefighters to consider the people they follow and how integrity, support, and everyday leadership shape organizational culture.
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Creating and Living Organizational Values
Values should be more than words on a wall. Chris explains how shared principles can build trust and guide decisions and accountability.
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Climb the Ladder. Pull Someone Up.
A story about professional development reminds us that leadership includes creating opportunities for others.
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Who Shapes Organizational Culture?
Who has the greatest influence on culture: the chief or the people throughout the organization?
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Want a Mentor? Just Ask.
Taking the initiative to seek guidance can open doors and create lasting professional relationships.
Watch on YouTube ↗About Chief Chris Armstrong
Chief Chris Armstrong began his fire service journey in South Florida, attending the Broward Fire Academy in 1983 before joining Miramar Fire Rescue in 1988.
Over the next 26 years, he served in numerous operational and leadership positions, retiring from Miramar as Deputy Fire Chief in 2013.
His career subsequently took him across the country, serving as Fire Chief of Littleton Fire Rescue in Colorado and later Hall County Fire Rescue in Georgia.
Throughout his career, Chris developed extensive experience in emergency operations, organizational leadership, strategic planning, professional development, and firefighter education.
His commitment to teaching included serving as an instructor in EMT and paramedic education at Broward College, technical rescue training, and involvement with Florida Task Force 2.
Chris also served on and chaired the International Association of Fire Chiefs Professional Development Committee, contributing to initiatives focused on officer development and professional standards.
Following his service as a fire chief, Chris continued working with fire departments through consulting, leadership coaching, organizational assessments, and strategic planning.
Today, as founder of The Thinking Chief Leadership Group, Chris focuses on leadership behavior, organizational culture, professional development, and helping fire service leaders strengthen their organizations.
Why I Invited Chris
By Eric Lang, Founder and Host of Firefighter Mentors
I invited Chief Chris Armstrong to join me on Firefighter Mentors because of his extensive experience, leadership perspective, and the impression he made on me throughout our professional relationship.
I remember first meeting Chris in Denver, Colorado, during the International Association of Fire Chiefs' Fire-Rescue International Conference. Chief Neal De Jesus introduced us while Chris was serving as Fire Chief in Littleton.
Our paths crossed again years later when he was interviewing for the Deputy Fire Chief position at Key Biscayne Fire Rescue. We reconnected easily, and I had the opportunity to get to know him better.
His passion for the fire service, leadership philosophy, and the experiences he shared stayed with me.
I've continued following Chris's work, particularly his writing and his willingness to address some of the more difficult challenges facing the fire service.
What I particularly appreciate about Chris is his willingness to challenge traditional thinking about leadership and remind us that creating a positive organizational culture is everyone's responsibility.
I'm grateful Chris took the time to join me, and I hope you find his experiences and insights as valuable as I have.
Continuing the Mission: The Thinking Chief Leadership Group
Strengthening Leadership Through Behavior, Culture, and Accountability
Since our interview, Chris has continued building The Thinking Chief Leadership Group, a leadership coaching, training, and professional development practice focused on the realities of fire service leadership.
His approach emphasizes helping leaders examine their own behaviors, improve judgment, strengthen relationships, and understand the organizational conditions that influence performance.
The Command Culture Index™
One of Chris's initiatives is the Command Culture Index™, designed to help fire departments assess differences between how executive leadership views organizational culture and how battalion chiefs experience it.
The assessment examines leadership alignment, trust, accountability, and organizational perceptions, providing information that can guide improvement efforts.
Learn about the Command Culture Index
Leadership Coaching and Training
Through The Thinking Chief, Chris provides leadership behavior coaching and professional development programs tailored to fire service executives, command officers, and company officers.
Books, Articles, and Leadership Resources
Chris continues sharing his leadership perspectives through books, educational resources, and articles examining the challenges facing fire service leaders.
Books and Publications
Explore Chief Chris Armstrong's Books on Amazon
Selected LinkedIn Articles
Connect with Chief Chris Armstrong
Website: The Thinking Chief Leadership Group
LinkedIn: Chief Chris Armstrong
Professional Email: Info@TheThinkingChief.com
Sharing Experiences. Developing Leaders.
Firefighter Mentors brings together experienced leaders to share the lessons, challenges, and experiences that have shaped their careers.
Our goal is to make those experiences accessible to current and future leaders and encourage a culture of mentorship, professional development, and continuous learning.