Posts Tagged ‘leadership’
From Drive-Through’s to Emergency Scenes: The Pain of Indecision
In this series of articles, I have been writing about the fourteen leadership traits identified by the U.S. Marine Corps. This week’s topic is decisiveness which is the “Ability to make decisions promptly and to announce them in a clear, forceful manner.1” Indecisive People I loathe the drive through lane at fast food restaurants for…
Read MoreDo You Have the Courage to do What’s Right?
Courage is one of the fourteen leadership traits the Marine Corps has identified, and it is the physical and mental control of fear. Notice that courage is not the absence of fear, it is controlling fear. Physical and Mental Control of Fear On Sunday, August 17, 1975, there was a tragedy, multiple alarm fire at…
Read MoreFrom Arlington to the Apparatus Floor: Bearing in Every Step
Reading the blog title, you may be asking yourself, “I’m not out in the woods with a compass, so what are you talking about?” I’m writing about how you carry yourself and how you present yourself to those you lead. As I continue the series on the Marine Corps leadership traits, this week’s topic is…
Read MoreLeadership and Knowledge
Knowledge is the “Understanding of a science or an art. The range of one’s information, including professional knowledge and understanding of your personnel1.” The No Knowledge Firefighter It does not matter what state or country we are in, there is always a firefighter that somehow made it through the academy, but still has no concept…
Read MoreWhy Are You Judging Me?
How often have you heard someone proclaim, “Don’t judge me!” It is a phrase that is frequently used, especially when someone is feeling guilty about their behavior and decisions. This week’s topic from the Marine Corps leadership traits is judgement, “The ability to weigh facts and possible courses of action in order to make sound…
Read MoreIs Loyalty a Thing of the Past?
As I continue writing about the Marine Corps leadership traits, this week’s topic is loyalty, which is “the quality of faithfulness” to your country, spouse, family, or organization.1 However, is loyalty a disappearing trait? Is loyalty taking the same route as an outdated computer mainframe? Faithfulness is a cherished quality. I entered the fire service…
Read MoreUnselfishness
This week let’s take a look at the leadership trait of unselfishness which is, not “providing for one’s own comfort and personal advancement at the expense of others.”1 A helping hand or stab in the back? We all know two types of people. There are those unselfish individuals who are always ready to lend a…
Read MoreA Solid Foundation of Character: Integrity
Integrity is one of the fourteen Marine Corps leadership traits. What exactly is integrity? Noah Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language, defines integrity as: The entire, unimpaired state of any thing, particularly of the mind; moral soundness or purity; incorruptness; uprightness; honesty. integrity comprehends the whole moral character, but has a special reference to uprightness in mutual…
Read MoreWhy Do You Keep Interrupting Me?
The last two blog posts were titled, Are You Listening and Are You Practicing the Skill of Listening. This post addresses the rude and inconsiderate behavior of interrupting someone else while they are speaking. Mark Twain said, “There is nothing so annoying as to have two people talking when you’re busy interrupting.” Two Examples Unless…
Read MoreAre You Practicing the Skill of Listening?
The title of last week’s blog was Are You Listening? Listening is an active skill, and the process goes far beyond staring at the other person when they are speaking. In his book, Situational Awareness for Emergency Response, Dr. Richard B. Gasaway writes, “The act of listening requires a substantial amount of cognitive horsepower.” He…
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