IGNITE: A Way of Thinking

Leadership is a way of thinking, a way of acting and, most importantly, a way of communicating. - Simon Sinek

[Photo credit: Asheville Hotshots]

IGNITE: Humility in Fire

[Photo credit: Kari Greer/USFS]

The best leaders are not in the business for personal glory or iron-fisted control.

Joe Scherrer œ

The Art of Leading Up

The magic of leadership was best captured by Lao Tzu: “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” This is the art of leadership at its best: the art that conceals art. - Michael Shinagel

For quite some time, I have been pondering the following question (even before all the unrest in fire and politics): How do you deal with a poor leader?

Teach Them to Fish

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Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

Chinese Proverb

Leaders help their people grow by mentoring and sharing experiences. Mentoring them begins their journey from followership to leadership. Fire leaders coach and then step back to allow people to take on new responsibilities. Providing the opportunity to test new waters and try new behaviors is important in developing people for the future.

IGNITE: All Jobs Matter

(Photo credit: Union Interagency IHC)

Great leaders don’t embrace only the jobs that will get them a lot of attention; rather, they’re willing to do whatever it takes to advance the greater cause. - Perry Noble

IGNITE: Resilience - The Ultimate Team Result

(Photo Credit Josh Neighbors/South Dakota Wildland Fire)

The ultimate team result is resilience: teams that can bounce back when problems or errors threaten cohesion and synergy. - Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, p. 55

“Survive and Thrive - You Matter - You Are Not Alone - Help is Available”

One of the most meaningful things in safety work is helping others stay injury free, both physically and mentally. One of the hardest parts is bringing up difficult conversations and hard truths, but it fulfills the meaningful part that drives me.

IGNITE: Vision with Action

(Photo credit: Entiat IHC)

Vision without action is merely a dream. 

Action without vision just passes the time. 

Vision with action can change the world. 

- Joel Barker -

IGNITE: Like Stars

(Photo: Kyle Miller/Wyoming IHC)

If you treat your subordinates as stars, they will work to fulfill that expectation.

 Sherman Morrison œ

When Beliefs Become Reality

Pygmalion Effect: People will adapt their behavior to meet an expectation.

There is an old saying that "garbage in = garbage out." I became familiar with this phrase learning while programming computers. The concept can also work with leadership. "Leadership gets what it emphasizes." (Coach Chris Petersen) As leaders, our influence can have huge impacts on those we lead. Our perceptions of those we lead and the actions we take because of those beliefs are powerful forces. As humans, what we think of ourselves can easily be what we are or become.

IGNITE: No Work Is Insignificant

“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

 Martin Luther King, Jr.

[Photo credit: Globe IHC]