A Firm Foundation

When I was a child, I learned a song about a wise man building a house upon a rock to provide a sturdy foundation and protection when the rains came down and the floods came up. The foolish man built his house upon the sand. You can imagine what happened to his house. This analogy can easily be extended to the leadership environment. What is the purpose (foundation) upon which you are building your team? Why are you doing what you are doing? 

The Wise Leader

• Is proficient in his/her job, both technically and as a leader
• Makes sound and timely decisions
• Ensures that tasks are understood, supervised, and accomplished
• Develops his/her team members for the future
• Knows his/her team members and looks out for their well-being
• Keeps his/her team members informed
• Builds the team
• Employs his/her team members in accordance with their capabilities

The Foolish One

• Is not fit for duty, lacking the capacity to lead
• Makes decisions by him/herself without input from their team
• Has no faith in their team's ability and either micromanages the team or is completely hands-off
• Looks out for self only
• Keeps information to themself

The purpose behind our actions is cornerstone of our leadership framework. Unfortunately, not every team's why establishes a sturdy foundation. Gather your team together and talk about your why. Is your foundation built on rock or sand?

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About the Author: Pam McDonald is a writer/editor for BLM Wildland Fire Training and Workforce Development and member of the NWCG Leadership Subcommittee. The expressions are those of the author.