IGNITE: Safe Connections

[Photo credit: UAF Wildland Fire Crew]

Cohesion happens not when members of a group are smarter but when they are lit up by clear, steady signals of safe connection. - Daniel Coyle, Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Effective Groups

IGNITE: From the Field for the Field Campaign Challenge

2018 WILDLAND FIRE LEADERSHIP CAMPAIGN CHALLENGE
Time for a bigger challenge for our annual campaign. This one may stretch you a bit. As a team, select another team with whom you can develop a common purpose (beyond a fireline task) and accomplish that task. You can also choose to help another team develop their leadership. Here are some ideas:

• Challenge another team to a team building activity. 
• Team with another group to do something for your community (could be fire camp). 
• Start a roving leadership library. Pass books on to another team. 
• Conduct a preplanning exercise with another team.

We would love to hear other ideas and see the fruits of your action.

IGNITE the Spark for Leadership and SHARE through your spheres of influence.

Is Your Trust Triangle Wobbling?

(Credit: Geralt/Pixabay)

How do you go from a "toxic pirate culture that included numerous allegations of sexism, ethical corner-cutting and a take-no-prisoners approach*"  to a company customers and employees can trust? How do you rebuild broken trust?

IGNITE: Complacency

(Photo credit: Redding IHC)

“The danger is greatest when the finis“The danger is greatest when the finish line is in sight.” ~ Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles ~ 

is in sight.”

~ Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles ~

IGNITE: Safety - The Foundation of a Strong Culture

[Photo credit: Mark Von Twillow, sundowner effect on Whittier fire, July 14, 2017]

Safety is not mere emotional weather but rather the foundation on which strong culture is built. - Daniel Coyle

America's Prepareathon! - Building Relationships with Community Partners

(Credit: FEMA/Ready.gov)

As wildland fire leaders, we look beyond ourselves and to the greater good. Involvement in community wildfire preparedness is one way we can nurture our mission-driven culture. One way to build relationships within your community is to hold an America's PrepareAthon! Day of Action.

Happy Memorial Day 2018

[Photo: Pioneer Peak IHC]

“The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” ~ Benjamin Disraeli ~

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! 

We send our gratitude to all those supporting operations this holiday.

IGNITE: Your Behavior Speaks Volumes

Photo: Kari Greer/USFS

“Culture is an emergent phenomenon produced by structures, practices, leadership behavior, incentives, symbols, rituals, and processes. All those levers have to be pulled to have any chance of success. However, one driver of culture change is more important than the others. Culture change fails when the most visible symbols of it fail to change. Those key symbols are almost always the top leader’s behavior, which speaks much louder than anything they might say.” - Paul Gibbons, “The Science of Successful Organizational Change”

Thank You - Thank You - Thank You

(Photo credit: Mohamed Hassan/Pixabay)

A few weeks ago, I got to spend time with a co-worker who was in town for a meeting about leadership. One would expect that members meeting to talk about leadership would lead by example. This person embodies the values of duty, respect, and integrity. I am honored to call him "friend." (For the sake of this blog, I shall call him "John.")

IGNITE: The Power of "No"

(Photo: Kari Greer/USFS)

A ‘No’ uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.” — Mahatma Gandhi