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Numerous studies in management and leadership indicate that one’s decision-making style is reflective of one’s leadership style. In the context of civil protection and the fire service, the ability of the fire officers to adopt the best style of decision-making and leadership in each situation represents a critical factor of success. Therefore, the present study was designed to examine the relationship between decision-making and the leadership style of fire officers. For this study, a quantitative method was used, with the application of questionnaires with closed questions. A sample of 346 officers of Portuguese fire stations answered the questionnaire. Correlations between styles are consistent with findings from other studies. Decision-making styles directly influence the leadership styles adopted. Fire officers prioritize people and social concerns, involving teams in decision-making. Research shows positive correlations between participants’ roles, conceptual decision-making, and relation-focused leadership. Higher academic degrees are associated with relationship-focused leadership. Behavioral decision-making mediates the impact of education on leadership styles.

This study sought to examine how operational demands hinder individual well-being in firefighters, and also the extent to which fire chiefs’ transformational leadership style acts as an operational resource to attenuate this relationship. A total of 115 firefighters participated in the study and completed surveys over seven consecutive days. The results suggest that individuals’ well-being trajectories are not influenced by operational demands while individuals’ well-being is enhanced over time by team leaders’ transformational leadership. The implications of these findings are discussed and future research directions are advanced.