We often compare the challenges of modern organizational life to fighting fires: putting out fires, plans going up in smoke, navigating a world on fire.

People naturally assume that, to tackle these metaphorical fires, we need to organize in a traditional, militaristic, hierarchical way.

Well, the pros disagree.

I recently read an article in The New Yorker titled The Art of Leaping Out of Planes to Fight Wildfires, and was pretty floored by the teaming insights these “smokejumpers” had to give.

(If you don’t know what a smokejumper is, they’re the exceedingly brave folks who parachute out of planes to fight the most remote fires around the U.S.)

The way they team to fight blazes is far from traditional. Instead, it’s radically non-hierarchical and adaptive and experimental and creative.

Here are 3 things the smokejumpers are getting right that we can apply to modern teaming.

Image Credit: The New Yorker

1. The right person for the job, not the right title

Smokejumpers intentionally defy hierarchy. They operate off a “jump list,” which is an ever-changing record of which jumpers are next in line to hop on a plane to fight a fire. Whoever is first on the flight list is the fire’s incident commander.

This idea that the team lead is actually just the next person on the list is a powerful way to build your leadership structure.

When asked about their teaming, a jumper who has been working for almost 40 years said, "I've never found an equivalent system anywhere on the planet…we intentionally give people responsibility early, and it creates an organization where you have a ton of people that are ready to step forward."

Just like with our Team Charter, roles aren't determined by hierarchy. They're situational. This creates a dynamic environment where everyone has the power to step in and lead when the moment is right.

2. Skill diversity > specialization 

“What needs to get done? What did I get trained in doing? Where do I fit in?” Those are the questions smokejumpers ask themselves when approaching communal tasks.

There’s a core skill set these folks need to have, but outside of that, everyone has such a diverse web of skills. There are scientists, archeologists, bulldozer operators, cartographers…many of them even sew their parachute bags, harnesses, and jumpsuits!

In modern teaming, you can’t just have a narrow skill set built for one job. You need to be able to flex into what the moment requires of you. When skills on a team are diverse and not entirely overlapping, collaboration is both necessary and fulfilling.

3. Risk and experimentation are necessary for success 

The smokejumper crew members are self-described rebels. If things aren’t quite working, they don’t just accept the status quo.

These conditions are a hotbed for innovation. When their firepants were pocketless and uncomfortable, they went on strike until the government made more functional ones. They also tested improved parachute shapes and sent their findings to Washington, D.C., revolutionizing parachutes across the nation.

Modern teams often stall out when bureaucratic processes get in the way. But when people are empowered to experiment, iterate, and learn from their trials, progress and innovation accelerate. Orgs reach heights they otherwise couldn’t.

What stuck with me the most after reading this article, besides the epic teaming practices, was the hopefulness.

One jumper, when asked about the future of smokejumping, said: "I think smokejumping is going to be so much better and more effective twenty years from now." He acknowledged that fires are getting more complex, but the jumpers are ready to take them on.

I think that’s such an inspiring way to think about the future of work.

Yes, things are uncertain. Emerging tech is reshaping the work landscape, and global tensions are making daily life feel unstable. But humans are resilient. We’re creative. With the right tools and teamwork, we can prepare to fight whatever metaphorical fires come at us next.

Karina Mangu-Ward

Partner, August Public