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Friday, February 12, 2016

Yes to the Mess - 2016 WFLDP Reading Challenge

Yes to the Mess cover page

The Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program (WFDLP) is issuing the 2016 reading challenge!  The book chosen as the primary focus for this year is Yes to the Mess by Frank J. Barrett. Yes to the Mess is a book about leading well in dynamic, complex environments, where conditions are frequently changing, chaos and confusion are common, and innovation in the face of adversity is needed.  At its core, it’s about how leaders and followers can adapt and find success when things get “messy,” when plans fall apart and leaders are confronted with new or unfamiliar obstacles and challenges.  Using his experience as a jazz musician, as well as examples from other areas of business and industry, the author shows that adaptability and innovation in groups is critical to success.  While the examples in the book are primarily from the business world, the ideas and concepts apply well to wildland fire organizations.

The intent of the challenge is to promote the reading and discussion of the book throughout the spring and summer. Discussions are encouraged on the WFLDP Facebook page, the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center Fireline Leadership Reading Room, and ready rooms, engine bays, and fire caches across the land.

A new tool for 2016 and beyond is the discussion guide for this and other titles, located via the Professional Reading Program website

Jazz and improvisation in leadership not your thing?  Several other books have been selected for this year’s reading list, and more will be added to the website throughout the year.  Pick one and start a discussion with your coworkers!

Happy reading!

Brain Rules coverIt Worked for Me coverTurn the Ship Around cover


Yes to the Mess Discussion Guide
Leading well in dynamic, complex environments, where conditions are frequently changing, chaos and confusion are common, and innovation in the face of adversity is needed.
Brain Rules Discussion Guide
Leadership is at its core a human interaction. Understanding human factors, including the way our brains work to interpret what happens around us, is an important part of being a competent leader.
It Worked for Me Discussion Guide
Colin Powell shares leadership and life lessons, notes, observations, and insights that he has acquired over a lifetime of experience in the military, the State Department, and his personal life.
Turn the Ship Around Discussion Guide
The author explores how he empowered his followers to be leaders at all levels in the high-stress operating environment of a modern nuclear submarine.
Smokejumper Discussion Guide
The author takes readers alongside his personal journey as a wildland firefighter, from his early years in California to his time spent as a smokejumper in the Washington Cascades.

If you have questions regarding the Professional Reading Program, send an e-mail to BLM_FA_Leadership_Feedback@blm.gov.

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