Challenge #39 - 2023 WFLDP Campaign

 

Challenge #39:  Effective leaders genuinely care about their people and express concern through their actions.

• Read “Becoming Authentic: The Heart of Leadership in Wildland Fire Management” by Alexis Waldron and Mike Alarid.
• Journalize:
• What are three new and specific actions I could take tomorrow to show care and concern?
• Dig deeper on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal.

IGNITE: Surrounding Yourself

“Great leaders surround themselves with people who complement their skills. An honest and fair assessment of your abilities enables this to happen.” – Colin Powell, former Secretary of State

[Photo: Tallac IHC]

IGNITE: Does Your Kindness Ever Extend to Yourself

"Does your kindness ever extend to yourself or is it only reserved for strangers, does your energy ever touch oceans within you or does it only leave shore for everyone else, do you ever give your(self) second chances at love or is that only saved for lovers and friends?" ― Billy Chapata, Velvet Dragonflies

[Photo: Justin Vernon]

Challenge #38 - 2023 WFLDP Campaign

Challenge #38; Servant-Leaders are mentor minded.

• Read/Reread “Being Mentor Minded” in Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership, pp. 40-42.
• Journalize about Sipe and Frick’s questions:
• Is my mentoring about me or the person I am mentoring?
• Do I get ego “goodies” out of being the expert?
• Am I evolved enough to allow others to find their own ways, even when they are different from my ways.
• Click here to dig deeper on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal.

IGNITE: Acting On What We Believe

 “Acting on what we believe by what we do is at the heart of Servant Leadership.” – Robert Greenleaf as quoted in" Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership"

[Photo: Inciweb/CDT/Calf Fire]

The Weight of the World

(Photo Denis Doukhan/Pixabay)

Whether you make the choice to lead self, people, teams, or organizations, there is great responsibility. Caring for self is hard enough, but when you transition to taking care others, the pressure of leading can feel like Atlas holding up the world.

Once we commit to becoming leaders, our focus is no longer ourselves. Fire leaders assume the serious responsibility of putting others into harm’s way and for making decisions that profoundly affect citizens, communities, and natural resources. Leadership is a tough choice. Leaders choose to sacrifice their own needs for those of their teams and organizations. They routinely face situations and make decisions that others criticize and second-guess. Leaders take risks and face challenges every day. - Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, p. 6.

IGNITE: There Is a Difference

 

There’s a difference between working together and working on the same team. – Simon Sinek

[Photo: Jackson Hotshots]

Challenge #37 - 2023 WFLDP Campaign

 

Challenge #37: Servant-Leaders take care of their psychological well-being.

Journalize/Self-Reflect

• Are you giving too much of self to those your serve?
• Do you have a mechanism to ground yourself before and after your mentor others?
• Do you nurture the growth of self, other people, institutions, and communities to stimulate thought and action for building a better, more caring society?

[Adapted from Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership]

Click here to dig deeper on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal.

IGNITE: A Cause Greater than Ourselves

 

Our passions are ignited when we set out to advance a cause greater than ourselves. – Simon Sinek


[Photo: Lassen IHC]

IGNITE: There is Joy

There is joy in transcending self to serve others. - Mother Teresa

[Photo: Cody Ravenscroft]

Challenge #36 - 2023 WFLDP Campaign

 

Challenge #36: Effective leaders self-affirm.

• Watch Amy Cuddy’s “Feeling Anxious? The Last Thing You Should Do Is Lie to Yourself

• Journalize/Self-Reflect
• What are your core values?
• Why do they matter to you?
• Write about a time when you expressed this?
• Click here to dig deeper on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal.

On a Walk with Colin Powell

"Solving problems is what leaders do. The day you are not solving problems or are not up to our butt in problems is probalby the day you are no longer leading." ~ Colin Powell

(Source: John Hess's website)

Throughout "It Worked for Me," Colin Powell stresses the need for leaders to get out of their offices and interact with their followers. Powell is known to do walkabouts to get to know his followers and hear their concerns. You could find Powell anywhere, including the parking garage and boiler room. He believes that "all followers need to feel they belong to a team, a tribe, a band."

IGNITE: The Joy of Giving

 

The joy of giving is its own reward. – Kahlil Gibran quote from 7 Pillars of Servant Leadership by James Sipes and Don Frick

[Photo: Kari Greer/USFS]

A Calm Moment

 

Spike Camp - Orleans, CA; credit Christopher Ayer

Radios squawking, people constantly chatting and yelling, diesel engines idling away, and saws humming away in the distance; yet, I’m more content and relaxed sitting listen and relaxing to all the hustle and bustle while waiting to get assigned to our next task. Everybody knows the frantic uptick in radio traffic as IA (initial attack) starts are called out or slop overs are relayed out to everyone on the fire.

As a newly minted Engine Boss Trainee, the experience has definitely been more stressful than I expected. I find myself talking fast and thinking at warp speed. When I look at older seasoned division sups (supervisor) or strike team leaders, they have a never-in-a-hurry way about them. Their briefs are slow and methodical; their communication is flat and unemotional; they convey all the needed information at a rate that every can write down. This command presence creates calm around them. When they need to get stuff accomplished, the job gets done.

Communication is our greatest liability and strength. We have also come a long way in developing uniform terminology and standardizing how we share information through our briefings/debriefings. As a new leader trying to get my feet set, I find myself hustling to share all the information I acquire. My people would be better served if I take 5 minutes to go slowly an methodically through my briefing. The process of exchanging information isn’t a race. Our seasoned overhead have this dialed in. My goal is to learn by example and take some time to gather myself before dumping my thoughts out onto the ground.

How about you? I encourage you to watch your seasoned overhead. Practice being “slow and methodical” when giving your briefings/debriefings. With practice, you will be the one others watch for an example.

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IGNITE: The Toils of Labor

The harder I work the more I live. - George Bernard Shaw

We send strength and thanks to all those working this Labor Day. Your sacrifice is greatly appreciated and not gone unnoticed. 

[Photo: Tallac IHC]

Challenge #35 - 2023 WFLDP Campaign

 

In Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership, Sipes and Frick refer to Robert Greenfield suggesting “one should have ‘unlimited liability’ for others…refers to an attitude of love.” (p. 40)

• What does “an attitude of love” look like for you?
• Which wildland fire value/principle does this most closely represent?
• Click here to dig deeper on the Portal.