Leading on 9/11 and Beyond: New York City Fire Department's Joseph Pfeifer

 

Ten years ago, on September 11, 2001, New York City Fire Department Battalion Chief Joseph Pfeifer was on a routine call near the World Trade Center when disaster struck. Seeing the first aircraft hit the North Tower, he rushed to the scene and radioed the alarm, the first FDNY fire chief to take command. Today, Pfeifer is the New York City Fire Department's Chief of Counterterrorism and Emergency Preparedness and a Citywide Command Chief. In examining leaders' insights for a new expanded edition of  The Leader's Checklist, which is due out on September 20, Wharton management professor Michael Useem talked with Pfeifer recently about his leadership during the 9/11 rescue efforts, how that day has affected his command style, and what the New York City Fire Department and other cities are doing to prepare for the unexpected.

The following is an edited version of the conversation.