Vision. Where Are We Going? Are We All on the Same Path?

(Photo credit: FEDmanager)

Let's talk vision. Were you aware of NWCG's Strategic Plan? As you review some of the highlights below, answer the following questions:

• Does the NWCG Strategic Plan communicate a clear direction?
• Do you know your organization's direction?
• Do you buy-in to the vision?
• What part will you play?

The NWCG's Vision for the Future

The nation's resources and communities are protected and enhanced through safe, comprehensive, and cohesive interagency wildland fire management.

NWCG's Mission

Provide national leadership and establishment, implement maintain and communicate policy, standards, and guidelines for wildland fire program management.

NWCG's Guiding Principles

Safety

• We believe safety is our core value; therefore, public and firefighter safety is out first priority in all wildland fire management activities

Cost Effectiveness

• We believe the wise and efficient use of funds is a high priority, therefore, we will consider and evaluate the costs associated with implementing NWCG's objectives.

Interagency Communication, Coordination & Cooperation

• We believe that interagency communication, coordination and cooperation are vital to the effective and efficient use of the nation's wildland fire management resources, therefore, we will base our actions on the collective needs and capabilities of the interagency community.

Leadership

• We believe effective wildland fire management is the result of leadership at all levels, therefore, we will provide and promote leadership throughout all NWCG activities.

Trust & Integrity

• We believe trust and integrity are inherent to the success of the NWCG, therefore, deliberations will be open and transparent and we will honor, respect, and support the decisions of the NWCG.

Respect

• We believe in mutual respect for the differences in member organizations' responsibilities, missions, and capabilities, therefore, NWCG decisions represent a consensus and are supported by all.

Excellence

• We believe in excellence throughout all NWCG activities; therefore, we are deliberative in our decision-making process and are accountable for our actions.

NWCG's Goals

Qualifications, Standards and Guidelines

• Wildland fire organizations share common qualifications, standards, and guidelines which are developed through collaborative interagency processes.

Workforce Development

• Agency and cooperator organizations are staffed with qualified employees who meet the needs and goals of wildland fire programs today and in the future.

Communications

• Multi-directional communication regarding wildland fire programs and concepts fosters understanding, acceptance and support of wildland fire organizations.

National Framework for Wildland Fire, Including the Cohesive Strategy

•  Differences in federal, state, tribal and local policies are recognized at all levels of wildland fire organizations; adaptations in fire management are incorporated locally.

Program Implementation & Delivery

• Wildland fire agencies and cooperators share common business practices for wildland fire programs.

Incident Management

• Wildland fire organizations respond to, manage and support incidents safely, seamlessly and efficiently.

Another Reference

• PMS 900 - NWCG Operating Principles and Guidelines

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Thanks to Jeremy Bennett, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Leadership Committee agency representative, for this blog suggestion.

Honoring Our Veterans on Memorial Day 2013

Leadership Development - Do the Math

"When you lead followers, you add; but when you develop and lead leaders, you multiply." ~ John Maxwell

As a leader, are you about developing yourself and having followers? Or, are you a leader who leads yourself and then takes that knowledge and turns your followers into leaders? John Maxwell believes the majority of leaders lead their followers and fail to develop more leaders.


John Maxwell - Developing The Leaders Around You from CreateOne on Vimeo.

A leader's job is to:

• Go beyond self and develop followers into leaders.
• Do the math and reproduce yourself by developing more leaders.

The Difficult Right over the Easy Wrong

Moral Courage (taken from Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, pp. 63 - 64)

Wildland fire leaders demonstrate moral courage by adhering to high ethical standards and choosing the difficult right over the easy wrong. We avoid ethical dilemmas by directing team members to operate in ways that are consistent with our professional standards and by directing them only to actions they can achieve ethically.

When we make mistakes, we handle them in honorable and effective ways, fixing the immediate problem then searching for root causes. Leaders with moral courage look for causes, not scapegoats, learning and improving, looking for ways to turn weaknesses into strengths.

An outgrowth of strong character, moral courage enables us to build trust with our teams and gain respect from peers. Although some may judge that leading ethically compromises short-term gains, leading ethically allows us to accomplish more than our mission.

Because the consequences of ethical decisions can be great and those who make such decisions may be asked later to justify their conclusion, following a careful and thorough process is a wise approach in situations with ambiguous courses of action. The values of duty, respect, and integrity should weigh heavily in any ethical decision.

Super Leaders

(Photo: Kari Greer/USFS)



Leaders are superheroes…minus supernatural powers. Leaders choose action, involvement, influence, teamwork and responsibility. Their values and principles parallel those of superheroes.



Take a look at some of the well-known superheroes. Professor X, leader of the mutant X-Men, fights against mutants that seek humanity’s demise and tries to resolve problems between mutants and humans. Leaders create resolution. Members of the Fantastic Four deal with interpersonal issues and later are bound by teamwork. Leaders value teamwork. Iron Man chose to be remembered for his contributions rather than power. Leaders respect legacy. The Transformer Autobots are superior heroes that risk their lives to save and influence humans. Leaders see potential for development.

Leaders develop people for the future, build the team and set the example, just like superheroes. Wherever they are, leaders find needs and step forward to get involved and meet them. Instead of watching things happen, they make things happen. Leaders influence others’ thinking, challenge assumptions and create awareness of different realities. Leaders don’t need to put on a costume or morph into a character. Leaders are superheroes in themselves.

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Thanks to Jenn Smith, NIFC External Affairs and NWCG Leadership Committee member, for this blog submission.

2013 Lead by Example Award Spotlight - Anthony Escobar

(Assistant Fire Chief Brian Fennessy, San-Diego Fire-Rescue Department; LBE Recipient Anthony Escobar; Forest Supervisor Peggy Hernandez)

Anthony Escobar
Chief (retired 2012), Los Padres National Forest
Honored for Mentoring and Teamwork

Anthony Escobar has been selected as one of the recipients for the 2012 Paul Gleason Lead by Example award. Three individuals from across the wildland fire service have been chosen to receive this national award.

The award was created by the NWCG Leadership Committee to remember Paul Gleason’s contributions to the wildland fire service. During a career spanning five decades, Paul was a dedicated student of fire, a teacher of fire, and a leader of firefighters. The intent of this award is to recognize individuals or groups who exhibit this same spirit and who exemplify the wildland fire leadership values and principles. Your work in support of the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program has been a demonstration of mentoring and teamwork.

Anthony was recognized for 37 years of service and numerous contributions he has made to the wildland fire service through his leadership and mentoring. Anthony's legacy includes formation and leadership of the Kern Valley Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC) for 17 years, a 20-year commitment to the California IHC Steering Committee, authoring such documents as “Support and Concern,” assembling an all-superintendent S-230 cadre for the Apprenticeship Academy, sought after instructor and public speaker, and most notably his vision and leadership of the Bakersfield Fire Innovation Conference.

The Character Behind Your Command Presence

Command Presence (taken from Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, p. 20)

More than anything else, the leader's command presence sets the tone for the command climate. Command presence is how we present ourselves to others, the myriad of personal attributes and behaviors that communicates to others that we are worthy of their trust and respect.

Character is the foundation of command presence. All people reveal their character in every interaction, and character shapes and permeates a leader's command presence.

2012 Paul Gleason Lead by Example - John Lauer

John Lauer
Tatanka Interagency Hotshot Crew
2012 Paul Gleason Lead by Example Award - Initiative and Innovation

John Lauer has been selected as one of the recipients for the 2012 Paul Gleason Lead by Example award. Three individuals from across the wildland fire service have been chosen to receive this national award.

The award was created by the NWCG Leadership Committee to remember Paul Gleason’s contributions to the wildland fire service. During a career spanning five decades, Paul was a dedicated student of fire, a teacher of fire, and a leader of firefighters. The intent of this award is to recognize individuals or groups who exhibit this same spirit and who exemplify the wildland fire leadership values and principles. John's work in support of the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program has been a demonstration of initiative and innovation.

As a seasonal crewmember of the Tatanka IHC, John's advocacy that federal seasonal firefighters be given access to federal health insurance quickly garnered national media attention. John's determination spawned several congressional efforts aimed at including seasonal firefighters in the federal health insurance programs. On July 10 2012, President Obama, using executive order authority, directed the Office of Personnel Management to issue a rule change to open up federal health insurance to approximately 15,000 federal seasonal firefighters.

John's accomplishments are a true demonstration of leadership in action. Specifically, they are consistent with the notion that we should look out for the well-being of our peers and subordinates. Access to affordable health insurance is something that is a significant issue for many in our nation, and John's work to bring about this access for fellow seasonal firefighters is a shining example of leadership.

Learning from Failure

Developing a Learning Organization (taken from Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, p. 42.)

Leaders evaluate performance at all levels to understand the causal factors of successes and failures. All those involved learn incrementally, applying today’s lessons to the next assignment. This focus on continuous improvement brings with it a responsibility to share lessons learned throughout the organization.

In a learning organization, leaders treat honest mistakes as opportunities to do better next time.  Understanding that failure is a part of learning, they establish command climates in which young leaders are motivated by desire to succeed rather than fear of failure.





John Lauer - 2012 Lead by Example Award

John Lauer
Tatanka Interagency Hotshot Crew
2012 Paul Gleason Lead by Example Award - Initiative and Innovation

John Lauer has been selected as one of the recipients for the 2012 Paul Gleason Lead by Example award. Three individuals from across the wildland fire service have been chosen to receive this national award.

The award was created by the NWCG Leadership Committee to remember Paul Gleason’s contributions to the wildland fire service. During a career spanning five decades, Paul was a dedicated student of fire, a teacher of fire, and a leader of firefighters. The intent of this award is to recognize individuals or groups who exhibit this same spirit and who exemplify the wildland fire leadership values and principles. John's work in support of the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program has been a demonstration of initiative and innovation.

As a seasonal crewmember of the Tatanka IHC, John's advocacy that federal seasonal firefighters be given access to federal health insurance quickly garnered national media attention. John's determination spawned several congressional efforts aimed at including seasonal firefighters in the federal health insurance programs. On July 10 2012, President Obama, using executive order authority, directed the Office of Personnel Management to issue a rule change to open up federal health insurance to approximately 15,000 federal seasonal firefighters.

John's accomplishments are a true demonstration of leadership in action. Specifically, they are consistent with the notion that we should look out for the well-being of our peers and subordinates. Access to affordable health insurance is something that is a significant issue for many in our nation, and John's work to bring about this access for fellow seasonal firefighters is a shining example of leadership.

Leadership Lessons from Braveheart





Check out Braveheart, the final installment from Drexel's LeBow College of Business's winter course for the Leadership in Cinema program. Check it out in the Leadership in Cinema LeBow College of Business library today!

Captain Sully on Leadership - Campaign Update

Looks like a link in the 2013 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign has gone bad for the Captain Sullenberger interview under the Framework for Leadership section. The CBS interview with Katie Couric is a bit longer, but well worth your time. With the potential for an active fire season, fire leaders should watch what "Sully" has to say about leadership in crisis.

We Will Never Forget

Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (adapted from "Two More Chains - Spring 2013")

In 1994, the wildland fire community lost 14 of our brothers and sisters to Colorado’s South Canyon Fire. (A total of 38 wildland firefighters died in the line of duty that year.)

In response to this tragic season, a private company was commissioned in 1995 to study the wildland fire safety culture. Their 1998 TriData Phase III report recommended that the wildland fire community create a lessons learned center. In 2002,  the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (LLC) was established in Tucson, AZ. Last year marked LLC's 10th anniversary. To honor the "South Canyon 14," LLC has changed their logo.

The new LLC logo has 14 stars surrounding the central, bigger star. These 14 stars represent the "South Canyon 14"—forever watching over us. The larger, central star represents the wildland fire community.

Wildland Firefighter's Foundation (information below taken from WFF's website)

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation honors those who have been killed in the course of protecting our lands, our homes and our property. The Foundation's purpose and mission is intimately linked to this concept. It is charged with maintaining the national monument located at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. The Wildland Firefighters National Monument represents a physical manifestation of the honor and gratitude that the Foundation expresses.

When a death occurs, the Wildland Firefighter Foundation presents a statue to the family. Those statues are from us, the wildland community of interagency firefighters, vollies, and excellent private sector firefighters, and supporters - from us, provided by money we all raised with fundraisers like Ken's Run, raffles, auctions, or donated via our Wildland Firefighter Foundation's 52 Club members or our general fund.

The statues are tangible evidence of our wildland firefighter community's love and respect for our fallen brothers and promise of support for their families.

Our statues are our runners' fundraising steps; the strain of our fire crews' uphill strides, bump; the pulaski's cuts; the chainsaw's roar; the rappeller's descent, the smokejumpers' leap; the sweat and smell of our brows, pits, and feet; the long, hot smoke-filled days and nights... the elements of the wilderness, including fire.
View a tribute to those taken from us way too soon at Wildland Firefighter Memorial website.

We will never forget.

Managing Your Technology

As today's fire leaders, we are all challenged on how to better incorporate (or simply manage) new technology to help us make better decisions within the ever-elusive time wedge. With handheld radios, smartphones, and tablets, how much is technology helping with information efficiency and how much is it taking our eyes off the fire environment and assessing our situation awareness with those we are leading? Today’s fire leaders need to better filter information sources while maintaining situation awareness for those they lead.

Challenges with technologies are always going to exist. View the "How It Feels [through Glass]" video below and comment on how Google Glass or a similar technology could help fireline leaders or distract them from their situation awareness as a leader?



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Thanks to Mike Ellsworth, Assistant BLM Fire Training and Workforce Development Program Manager and NWCG Leadership Committee BLM Representative  for this blog submission.

This blog is not an endorsement of Google Glass.

Olpin Recognized for Leadership

(Heath Cota presenting Shane Olpin with his award)

Congratulations to Shane Olpin for being one of four individuals selected for the 2012 Paul Gleason Lead by Example Award.

Shane Olpin
 Fire Management Officer, Bitterroot National Forest, USFS

Leadership Citation for Motivation and Vision 
Shane was recognized for contributing to the greater good of the wildland fire service through mentoring and engagement of upper management as well as his participation with numerous collateral duty projects supporting the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program (WFLDP). Oversight of the L-180 and L-280 courses as well as working to incorporate leadership principles and decision making into the Annual Fireline Safety Refresher has influenced thousands of firefighters and multiple agencies. His dedication to and support of the L-180 online project will open access to leadership development to many state and local agencies, giving all users a new way to experience human factors training. Additionally, Shane's participation with the L-180/280 Train-the-Trainer program has helped change the landscape of all-hazard response.