Experience Builds Bias

Us tree burners love belt buckles and their not so subtle significance. A buckle says: “This is where I paid my dues.” How many office pants are held up by a Shot Crew buckle from over a decade ago? I’m not bagging on this; my buckle has wings on it and I rock it proudly. I’m just pointing out the significance we place on experience.

IGNITE: The Key to Achieving Uncommon Results

Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results. - Ifeanyi

[Photo credit: Feather River IHC]

IGNITE: Are You Adjusting Sails?

The pessimist complains about the wind.

The optimist expects it to change.

The leader adjusts the sails.

- John Maxwell

[Photo credit: Kari Greer/USFS]

October Fury - Fires of '47 in Maine

Seventy years ago Maine experienced one of the worst fire seasons on record. We have been sharing bits and pieces about those fires, but not speaks more than hearing from those who were there.

Wildland Fire Leadership Challenge - Digging a Little Deeper

• Read Joyce Butler's book “Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned.”
• What comments do you hear today that were uttered 70 years ago?

Time is Running Out to Nominate

Each year the NWCG Leadership Committee provides an opportunity for exceptional leaders to be recognized through the Paul Gleason Lead by Example Award.

The award was established to remember the contributions to the wildland fire service by Paul Gleason and his many achievements that established the foundation of being a student of fire and set the stage for the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program to provide students of leadership tools, training and guidance in development of leadership skills.

Information about the award and how to nominate a person or group can be found on the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program website.

Nominations are open until December 31.

When making a nomination, provide a detailed description of why the nominee deserves the award. Short statements may or may not do justice to a nominee's worthiness of the award.

IGNITE: Organizations Need Eager Followers

An organization, any organization, needs people who aren’t just willing to follow, but are eager to follow. - Seth Godin

[Photo credit: Plumas IHC, Gap fire, 2016]

IGNITE: Stay Calm

Relax. Look around. Make a call. - Leif Babin, Extreme Ownership

[Photo: Kyle Miller/Wyoming IHC]

There’s Nothing Wrong with the “F” Word

(Photo: Pixabay/Geralt)

There’s Nothing Wrong with the “F” Word

by Riva Duncan

Failure: The neglect or omission of expected or required action. The Oxford Dictionary

Human: representative of or susceptible to the sympathies and frailties of human nature. Merriam-Webster Dictionary

(Photo: Pixabay/DirtyOpi)

Well, I don’t know what all of you might be thinking, but I’m talking about Failure. Yes, that “F” word. It seems we have become afraid to talk about failure. This word is something that is rarely used anymore in FLAs, reviews, etc. We dance around it; we tip toe across it like it’s broken glass; we use other words instead. In our journey towards being a learning culture in fire, I feel the pendulum has swung too far the other way. In the "bad old days" that many of us remember, serious accidents and fatalities resulted in investigations that seemed hell-bent on finger-pointing, finding blame. “Firefighters failed to follow the 10 and 18.” “’Can-do’ attitudes were causal factors.” “Managers failed to keep their people safe.” I’m not saying we need to go back to those dark days. No way. We’ve made great strides in looking for the learning; trying to get to the “why” and not the “who.” But we seem so afraid to talk about failures that I fear we are losing some of these tragic, yet rich, opportunities for learning.

IGNITE: Empower Your People

Empowerment is not just the right thing to do, it is good business and it has a personal payback. -  Patrick Townsend & Joan Gebhardt in "Five-Star Leadership"

[Photo: Baker River IHC]

IGNITE: Practice in the Art

The visible signs of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its practice. - Max De Pree

[Photo: Kyle Miller/Wyoming IHC]

More Questions Than Answers

(Photo: Geralt/Pixabay)

I recently asked our Facebook followers to weigh in on the following question:

"Leadership is more art than science."

[Do you agree/disagree? What does this mean?]

IGNITE: The Voyage of Discovery

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. - Marcel Proust

[Photo: Kyle Miller/Wyoming IHC]

IGNITE: Help One, Help Others

When you help a person become a better leader, you help all the people that leader impacts. - Perry Noble

[Photo credit: Kyle Miller/Wyoming IHC (Snake Fire, 2015)]

Are You a Pushmi or a Pullyu?

Have your ever felt like you were on the most amazing team in the world—the Pushmi-Pullyu team? I know I have, and the results can be extremely frustrating or downright amazing!

IGNITE: Rising Above Followership

It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguishes leaders from followers. - Warren Bennis & Burt Nanus

[Photo: Kyle Miller/Wyoming IHC, Griffin fire (2016)]