IGNITE: Seeds of Confidence

“No one has absolute confidence. You just need to find a seed of confidence to create an environment where your full confidence can grow. ” ♦ Kristi Hedges, The Power of Presence ♦

[Photo: Kristi Hedges]

#fireleadership #commandpresence #2020WFLDPCampaign

IGNITE: Inspired by Command Presence

When we meet someone with strong presence, we can feel it. And if the person is a leader, we are inspired by it. ♦ Kristi Hedges, “The Power of Presence” ♦

[Photo: Kari Greer/USFS]

#fireleadership #commandpresence #2020WFLDPCampaign

Challenge #9 - 2020 WFLDP Campaign

Challenge 9:
Appearance affects command presence to a degree.

• Read “Command Presence - Beyond the Physical Attributes” on our blog.
• In your journal, answer Carol Kinsey-Goman’s "Ten Questions to Power Up Your Leadership Presence that are shared in the blog.

#2020WFLDPCampaign #fireleadership #commandpresence

A Fine Line Between Preparation and Paranoia

(Photo: Pam McDonald)

I come from a long line of tough individuals. My mother's family goes back to early Colonial America and westward expansion pioneers. I didn't know a lot of my family history until I dove into my genealogy. Along my quest, I have learned a great deal about who I am and why I do the things I do—why I have a knack for resourcefulness, preparation and calmness in the face of fear.

"Facing the Enemies Within"

(Photo by Gellinger on Pixabay)

Wildland fire operations have inherent risks that cannot be eliminated, even in the best of circumstances. Incident management and response is a competition between human beings and the forces of nature; leaders struggle to manage the effects caused by wildfire and other natural and man-made events. The environment can rapidly and unexpectedly change from normal to emergency conditions to complete chaos. (Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, p. 10)

The above statement reflects what every wildland firefighter knows about the inherent risks of the job. It is during these moments of chaos that leaders are tested. Do those leaders have the courage and command presence to calm the fears of those they lead or do they contribute to the fear? Do they know who they are in the face of chaos?

Challenge #8 - 2020 WFLDP Campaign

Challenge 8: 

Command presence is deeper than charisma.

• Watch James Scouller speak on the topic @ https://youtu.be/hI9A9x_Il9c.
• Take notes in your journal.

IGNITE: Decisiveness and Toughness

While decisiveness and toughness in a leader signal conviction, courage, and resolve, when untampered by empathy or compassion these same characteristics come off as egotism, arrogance, and insensitivity. ♦ Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Executive Presence ♦

[Photo: Kari Greer/USFS]

#fireleadership #empathy #compassion 

IGNITE: Show Them You Care

“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” 

♦ Theodore Roosevelt ♦

[Photo: San Juan IHC]

#fireleadership #care

Command Presence - Beyond the Physical Attributes

(Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)

I am a fan of the '60s television series Green Acres. In the episode "The Ballad of Molly Turgiss," Oliver and Lisa Douglas learn about the curse of Molly Turgiss—a woman the town labeled "ugly" who vowed in her death to haunt anyone who spoke her name.  She let her presence be known in a very tangible way, such as throwing things and stealing vehicles.

So, why did I choose this episode to blog about? I am not condoning the actions of those who judge anyone for their looks, but I am not naive enough to believe that looks don't matter. In fact, someone recently commented on a Facebook question about height being an issue they say affects their command presence. But the outward appearance of a leader only goes "skin deep."  When we talk about the look of a leader, we need to go deeper than the physical attributes.

IGNITE: Living Our Values

Values aren’t something you declare; they’re something you live. ♦ Piyush Patel, author of Lead Your Tribe, Love Your Work ♦

[Photo: Union IHC]

#fireleadership #values