IGNITE: Listen!

(Photo credit: Kari Greer/USFS)

Leaders who don't listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.

Andy Stanley œ

IGNITE: The Leader's AAR

“Do not go to bed until you have gone over the day three times in your mind. What wrong did I do? What good did I accomplish? What did I forget to do?” - Pythagoras

Photo credit: Justin Robinson, Vale BLM

Remembering Cramer

(Photo credit: Wildfire Today)

In the Salmon River Breaks of central Idaho, fire is a frequent visitor. The area has a somewhat legendary status in the pantheon of wildland fire, known for the steep slopes that rise seemingly without end from the Salmon River to the timbered ridges high above, where bighorn sheep mingle with rattlesnakes, and firefighters know to take extra care at every step. The Breaks play a role in the stories of many fire managers, some amusing, some somber, all taking into account that this is a place where firefighters must take care, or risk being broken by the land.

IGNITE: Communication Matters to the Relationship

Relationships can be built or broken by the quality of the communication. -The Chief’s Aide

[Photo credit: La Grande IHC]

IGNITE: A Learning Mindset

(Photo credit: Redding IHC)

A person is not going to undertake to learn anything that they think they already know. - Epictetus

What if...

(Photo credit: fancycrave1/Pixabay)

As a leader, do you take time to think about what could be or are you happy with what is? Effective leaders tend to buck the status quo and embrace change, often being the agents of change. If we settled for what is, we would stagnate and perish. Innovation (and sometimes mistakes) take us beyond our comfort zone and into the world of what could be.

IGNITE: Know Your People

Leaders learn about people as individuals, developing an understanding of what motivates them and how they derive satisfaction from their work. - Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, page 45

[Photo credit: Brian Gales/USFWS]

IGNITE: One Conversation at a Time

(Photo credit: Platte Canyon Wildland Fire Module)

"Our careers, our companies, our relationships, and indeed our lives succeed or fail, gradually, then suddenly, one conversation at a time."  

Susan Scott , author of “Fierce Conversations—Achieving Success at Work & in Life, One Conversation at a Time

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Teamwork on the Fly

"The issues we face today are so big and so challenging, it becomes quite clear we can't do it alone, and so there is a certain humility in knowing you have to invite people in."

I recently read a statement by Granite Mountain Hotshot survivor Brendan McDonough. He stated, "We have gone from a fire season to a fire year." There is always a fire season somewhere; however, where there were fire seasons with the occasional off-season response, we now have year-round responses. This presents a myriad of problems. For this blog installment, I want to talk about the effect on our teams and the importance of leadership in today's wildland fire service.

IGNITE: Preparation Matters

(Photo credit: Levi Sensening/Cedar City IHC)

“You can’t hope to make progress in areas where you have made no application.”

Epictetus œ