The Path of Self-Leadership

(Photo: geralt/Pixabay)

Since the early 2000's, the wildland fire service has had access to a leadership development program. Prior to the establishment of this program, leadership development was likely more reliant on your supervisor’s ability to plan for your progression, circumstances that would lead to leadership moments and other activities outside of work that would lead to leadership experience.

The key element in either scenario is the desire to develop leadership traits. The value or lessons of self-leadership is frequently discounted or forgotten in discussions about the process of developing leadership skill. Completing a course or choosing a specific leadership element to work on and develop is probably the most common straight line analogy in building skill as a leader. There is a lot of value in this process, and it is a good way to achieve specific goals but there are other paths to leadership development.

Self-leadership lends itself to the alternate paths that allow us to build our leadership skill. Knowing ourselves well enough to raise our hand and take the tough assignment or being aware that it is outside our wheelhouse. We need to continue to see these opportunities and effectively evaluate them for the opportunity they are.

Self-leadership is having a developed sense of who you are, what you can do, where you are going coupled with the ability to influence your communication, emotions and behaviors on the way to getting there.

In addition to the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program, which provides a framework of planning and assessment tools for leaders and specific leadership courses that prepare you for your role in providing direction to firefighters, there are many other avenues that will get you the experience you seek.

Another Example

One that I recently became aware of is the Prescribed Fire Training Center’s Fire Leadership for Women.

What students can expect to get from the session:

• Discussions on perspectives from working in a male dominated world – challenging supervisors, barriers to long-term fire roles, family/life choices, practical experiences of working alongside men for positions in leadership.
• Establish a network of women committed to pursuing long-term careers in wildland fire management.
• Find mentors who are invaluable for career progression.
• Improve self-confidence.
• Gain practical leadership experience as RXB2, FIRB, ENGB & FFT1. 
• Compare thoughts with counterparts facing similar struggles, and those who are successfully working in fire-related careers.

“It influenced my ability to learn. I was able to focus on obtaining skills and knowledge rather than managing social approval.”

Check out the PFTC website for more information.

Wildland Fire Leadership Challenge: Digging a Little Deeper  

• What are some other programs you have benefited from?
• Be sure to check out the WLFDP website, especially the self-development tool.

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Thanks to John Wood, Asst. UAO/ATGS for the U.S. Forest Service and NWCG Leadership Committee Co-Chair, for this blog submission.