The Power of Humility

(Photo credit: N2Growth - Humility and Leadership)

“Leaders aren’t born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, though hard work.” If you have decided to be a student of fire, the thought of hard work won’t deter you from your task. Although clicking the link to open Scott H. Young's "The Power of Humility: Why Confidence is Overrated" blog and reading his work are not hard work, the thought process and tasks that stem from choosing to improve yourself just might be.

You may have found this blog through the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program web page. Just like the quote above, leadership does not just happen. Although many of the images of leadership that we bring up in our minds eye are likely to be more Vince Lombardi like, a hard-charging and winning football coach, instead of leaders like George Washington and Ben Franklin, both leaders who came to understand the opportunity that humility affords.

Wildland Fire Leadership Challenge

• Read and discuss the following articles with your team:
• "Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and the Power of Humility in Leadership" by David J. Bobb
• "Humility and Leadership" by Mike Myatt

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Thank you to John Wood, U.S. Forest Service and member of the NWCG Leadership Committee, for this post. All expressions are those of the author.