Posts Tagged ‘executivefireofficerprogram’
When the Home Crowd Cheers for the Opposition. What Is Wrong with That Picture? Part 3
This series is based on my observations of the fan base, or lack thereof when the Colorado Rockies play a home game in Denver. I have noticed many people rooting for the opposing team and not the Rockies. What is wrong with this picture? Why does the crowd in the home city of Denver sound…
Read MoreWhen the Home Crowd Cheers for the Opposition. What Is Wrong with That Picture? Part 2
This series is based on my observations of the fan base, or lack thereof when the Colorado Rockies play a home game in Denver. I have noticed many people rooting for the opposing team and not the Rockies. What is wrong with this picture? In his book, Organizational Culture and Leadership, Edgar H. Schein wrote,…
Read MoreWhen the Home Crowd Cheers for the Opposition. What Is Wrong with That Picture? Part 1
Imagine that you play for a professional baseball team and you are in your home stadium. You made it to the big leagues and are excited to play for your team in front of thousands of fans at home. As you take to the field you notice something disturbing. There are more fans wearing hats,…
Read MoreAre You Protecting Your People or Enabling Them?
Strong leaders care for the people who work for them. Good leaders mentor, support, and help their team members succeed. However, there is a significant difference between protecting people and enabling poor behavior. Too often, leaders confuse loyalty with avoidance. A supervisor may excuse repeated tardiness, poor attitudes, or lack of accountability because they want…
Read MoreThe High Cost of Avoiding Conflict
There are too many fire department officers that unintentionally weaken their authority because they avoid conflict. Rather than confronting a crew member about mediocre performance, they push the issue up the chain of command and hope someone else handles it. While this may provide temporary relief, it creates long-term damage for both the officer and…
Read MoreMemorial Day: Remembering the Cost of Freedom
Two dates have carried deep meaning in my life—November 10, the birth of the United States Marine Corps, and November 11, once known as Armistice Day and now recognized as Veterans Day. As a veteran of both the Air Force and Marine Corps, those days are personal. But Memorial Day reaches even deeper—it is about…
Read MorePart 3: From “Deserve” to Serve
In the last two blogs, you have met Andy Arrogant. An egotistical individual with no fire service experience, yet when asked where he saw himself in five years, he responded, “I see myself as the fire chief of this department.” Clearly this individual suffered from a common medical malady: cranium rectosis (head up his rear-end).…
Read MorePart 2: The Two Faces of “Deserve”
Last week I wrote about Andy Arrogant. In the interview process I described, Andy had no fire service experience yet arrogantly presented himself as being not only qualified to be a fire chief in five years, but deserving of that rank. In and of itself, the word deserve isn’t the problem, it’s how we use…
Read MorePart 1: The Danger of “Andy Arrogant”
A young man wearing a suit swaggered into the room, introduced himself, and sat down before the interview panel I was sitting on. He had no fire service experience, yet he spoke like a seasoned veteran who had battled fires for decades. Some may call that confidence, but I will call that attitude for what…
Read MoreMomentum Wins Wars—and Leadership Battles
After the 1943 slapping incident in Sicily, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, placed General George S. Patton, Jr., in command of the Third Army in France. Arriving in France in late June1944, Patton unleashed one of the most aggressive campaigns in military history. His Third Army advanced relentlessly across…
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