Letter to My Captain

("Mailbox" by mrjoro is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

Letter to My Captain

e. L. Pelletier

On the eve of a new fire season, excitement, anxiety and anticipation stirs in the soul of every wildland firefighter, young and old. Every year thousands of firefighters come together all over the United States to form the crews, engines and modules that are going to be battling one of the greatest forces in nature, wildfire!

While some organizations are blessed to have a returning cast of characters, most will have an infusion of new faces, personalities and expectations. For engine bosses, crew bosses, and line officers this can be as intimidating or worrisome as a large fire on their district. They have a small period of time to take their reports from being strangers to family.

I don’t hold any titles or ranks in my day-to-day life, but I still consider myself a leader. I have initiative, I take responsibility, and I give back, all qualities of a true leader.

The following is the letter I sent to my engine captain, but what I say to him is pertinent to anyone who aspires to be a leader and has charge over others in any career field.

Captain,

I am very excited to be a part of your engine crew and the opportunity to better myself under your leadership. You’ve got a difficult job ahead of you molding ten individuals with different experience levels, aspirations, energies, and beliefs into a cohesive crew. I am confident you will be able to take our individual talents and weaknesses and transform them in a way that, at the end of the season, we all will have grown into better versions of ourselves.

“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” - Steven Spielberg 

There is a story I’d like to share with you. It’s about eight monkeys:

A researcher puts four monkeys in a cage. There’s a bunch of bananas hanging from a string at the top of the cage, with three wooden crates on the cell floor. The monkeys see the bananas and the crates and quickly go to work stacking the crates to reach the top of the cage. When the first monkey goes for the bananas, the researcher sprays all four monkeys with freezing water for five minutes. Sometime later, when a second monkey inevitably tries to go for the bananas, the researcher again sprays all four monkeys with the cold water for five minutes. The researcher then puts the hose away and never touches it again. But, when a third monkey tries to go for the bananas, the other three attack him to prevent him from climbing up to that bananas. They are afraid of the punishment that may come.

Then, the researcher replaces one of the monkeys with a new monkey who wasn’t part of the original experiment and was never sprayed with water. And, as soon as he touches the crate to go for the bananas, the other three monkeys attack him to keep him from doing so. If he tries again, they attack him again. Thus, the new monkey learns not to go after the bananas because he’ll get mauled if he does.

The researcher replaces a second monkey with another new monkey. When this monkey goes for the bananas, the other three attack him, including the new monkey, who was not sprayed with water. The researcher then continues to replace all the monkeys one by one until all four of the original monkeys are removed from the cage. Each time the newcomer goes for the bananas, the others attack, even when they have never received punishment for going after the bananas.

The researchers hypothesize that if they were to ask the monkeys why they don’t go for the bananas, they’d answer, “because that’s the way it’s always been done.”

I might not be far removed from the monkeys in this story. We are all coming in with past experiences and beliefs of “the way it’s always been done.” Please, challenge me to go after the bananas, look at obstacles from a different perspective and overcome old ways of thinking. I am committed to you and the rest of the crew to make improvements and not excuses.

“A person’s true strength will be known in his revival, not in his survival.” - Professor Jagedeesh Kumar

In just a few days, we’re all going to be standing shoulder to shoulder (or six feet apart) on a hill somewhere fighting a fire. Thank you for this opportunity to serve and live an extraordinary life.

Kindly,
e. L. Pelletier

“You can, you should and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” - Stephen King

As you continue down your path of leadership, development and accomplishments, don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there. Leadership isn’t a title; it isn’t a position. Leadership is a mindset, an attitude, and humbleness.

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**NOTE: The fictional monkey/banana story is one of many online variations that have no real citation. Some believe the story is loosely tied to G.R. Stephenson's 1967 research with rhesus monkeys.** 

e. L. Pelletier held a career seasonal position with FWS and BIA. He left the wildland fire service to pursue other avenues but will return this season. e. L. is passionate about leadership and self-development. We appreciate e. L's willingness to share his thoughts with our audience. The thoughts are those of the author.