This article is the third in a series regarding the top three complaints about battalion chiefs (BC) that I hear when I travel to and teach at different fire departments…
My blog posts this month revolve around a conversation with a fire department captain who told me he had no interest in pursuing a promotion to battalion chief (BC). His…
The title of my January 11, 2023 blog post was Why Don’t You Want to Become a…? In that post, I wrote about a conversation with a fire department captain,…
Last month I was out of state teaching incident command, hazmat response tactics, and decision-making to a group consisting of firefighters, county health employees, and a police officer. I had…
In December 2022, I visited the Yanks Air Museum1 at the Chino Airport in California. Low and behold, the Mystery Machine2 was sitting in the hanger amidst a large collection of aircraft.…
The photo above was taken earlier this year as me, family members, and friends departed Atlantic Beach, North Carolina for a half-day fishing trip. The sun was rising, the fishing…
Looking at the photo you may wonder what planet these figures just arrived from. The people on the right are wearing Level A fully encapsulated chemical protective clothing and those…
In a little over two weeks, 2022 ends and we begin 2023. Are you reflecting on this past year before flying into 2023? Why should you even bother to take…
The product label reads, Liquid Leadership: Guaranteed to Fix All Your Leadership Needs! Are you desiring more responsibility on the job, or maybe a promotion to the next level in…
The interview A young man wearing a suit and tie entered the room, introduced himself, and took a seat before an interview panel of which I was participating in. He…
Recently, I was asked at a networking event if my book, The Furnace of Leadership Development was only for firefighters. The answer is no. My book is written to those…
November 10th and November 11th. What is their significance to the United States? November 10th, 1775 The United States Marine Corps was formed 247 years ago on November 10,…
What organizational monsters are lurking around your organization or business? If so, what has been done to address them? Do you want to hire the monster that suddenly appears after…
The title of last week’s blog was Are You Walking Through the Smoke of Career Development?1 Myra commented, “The worst thing a person can do is leave their career development…
The title of last week’s blog was Brick and Mortar: Certified or Qualified? I compared bricks to certifications and qualifications to the mortar that holds the bricks together to build…
The photo above is a small oven made from brick and mortar. If the oven were only made from stacked bricks, the structure would quickly fail from the weight of…
As we move into October, are you reaping the 2022 harvest? I’m not referring to a harvest of pumpkins, corn, apples, or other fruits and vegetables. I’m writing about the…
Two cups of coffee. The one on the left is watered down and weak. The one on the right is robust and full-flavored. The cup on the left is disgusting,…
The photo above is the monument to the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment located along the Wheatfield Road in the Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania. This soldier is keenly peering into…
Last week’s blog asked if you would enter a toxic atmosphere. Addressing employees, I compared a choking cloud of chlorine gas to a noxious work environment and the impact to…
Would You Enter a Toxic Atmosphere? The two firefighters in the picture above are part of a drill simulating a chlorine leak in a one-ton chlorine container. We used white…
Do You Have Knots in Your Communications Rope? Look closely at the photo and you will see a system of ropes and knots supporting the hammocks on either end. The…
The Bonds of Camaraderie The fire engine in the photo is a 1961 GMC with the body built by Great Eastern Fire Apparatus. The rig served the Cedarville Fire Company…
My last two blog posts compared the anchor and garbage grinder on the U.S.S. North Carolina battleship memorial1 to areas in our lives. This article addresses the scuttlebutt and how…
In May, my wife and I visited the battleship U.S.S. North Carolina, now a floating museum in Wilmington, North Carolina1. If you are ever in the area, I recommend you…
The photo shows one of the anchors for the battleship U.S.S. North Carolina (BB-55) now on display in Wilmington, North Carolina. The length of the ship is 728’, she has…
The photo shows a fire department ladder truck at the scene of a small fire. Notice the size of the two hoses. The larger yellow hose is 5” diameter and…
Dual Footprints Part 7 – A Commitment to Accountability Dual Footprints and Mentoring In June, I began writing this series addressing the commitments needed for a successful mentoring relationship. Previously…
Dual Footprints Part 6 – A Commitment to Grow and Listen Mentoring and Commitment At this point in the series on mentoring, it would be well to review the…
Dual Footprints Part 5 – A Commitment to Listen Mentoring Over the past four weeks I have discussed several areas related to mentoring including: A commitment to time A…
Dual Footprints Part 4 – Kill the Ego Dual Footprints is a multi-part blog on mentorship and this week it is either kill or be killed…by your ego. …
Dual Footprints Part 3 – A Commitment to be Transparent This is the third article in a series about coming alongside someone else and mentoring them. Part 2 discussed the…
Dual Footprints Part 2 – A Commitment of Time This series of articles addresses coming alongside someone else and mentoring them, hence the dual footprints. Today, I am writing about…
Dual Footprints Earlier this year I shot the above photo when my daughter and I took an evening walk along the beach in North Carolina. The footprints are a visual…
When I took the photo above, I was standing along the banks of the York River in Yorktown, Virginia. On the other side is Gloucester, Virginia. I had three options…
“As a result of collaborative decision making, battle experience, and efficient execution, the Yorktown air group was the only one that arrived over the target in a timely fashion and…
In 1942, Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance assumed command of Task Force 16 prior to the Battle of Midway. His assignment resulted from Vice Admiral William F. Halsey’s admittance to…
“Regardless of the profession or situation, earning trust is paramount in leadership.”1 The photo shows two firefighters attacking a propane fire during a training session. Both individuals were assigned to…
“One trait that Meade evidently possessed was absolute coolness under fire.”1 The quote above from Meade at Gettysburg, describes the general as he and his troops weathered a heavy artillery…
“The most difficult part of my work is acting without correct information on which to predicate action.”1 Those were the sentiments expressed by Major General George G. Meade, commanding general…
The photo above is a statue of General George S. Patton, Jr. taken in front of the General Patton Memorial Museum in Chiriaco Summit, California.1 In my opinion, General Patton…
Think back to a time when you attended a conference or training class, and lunch time rolls around. You and your friends decide to go out to eat followed by…
Every year, organizations invest millions of dollars purchasing equipment, vehicles, software, etc. in a bid to be more efficient and effective. Additionally, thousands of dollars are spent to train personnel…
What in the world does a picture of a 2003 Toyota Corolla car engine have to do with enthusiastic employees? Everything! Mileage and More Mileage Although our Corolla is…
During the American Civil War, artillery batteries often fired canister shot as a defensive measure against the attacking enemy. In the photo above, canister is the item preserved in plastic…
Anger is a powerful emotion and uncontrolled it can bring about consequences that last a lifetime. January Emergency On a cold and sunny Monday in January 2006, fire department…
The title of this blog is my life purpose, relating to Luke 12:48, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much…
The afternoon of February 1, 2017 was sunny and pleasant, but by sundown the temperature began dropping, a light rain fell, and then quickly turned to snow. The wet road…
My recent blog posts have been about team building and last week I wrote about integrity, trust, and allowing dissent. The team-building theme continues this week and revolves around a…
The title of last week’s blog was Team Building Is Not a Mystery1 and I addressed the successful team building efforts of a local realtor. If there is no mystery…
So What’s The Secret? Is there a mystery to team building? No. Team building is no more mysterious than the construction project pictured above. However, all too often the mystery…
This week I read an online article from Fast Company, Inc. titled Why no one on your team wants to be a manager anymore – and how to change that1.…
Each day, firefighters influence hundreds of people whether it be through an emergency response, a business inspection, or a young person visiting a fire station. Two individuals who have…
Earlier this week my attention was drawn to a headline on 9 News in Denver that read, “Broncos fire Fangio as head coach after three seasons.”1 This action took place…
The photo depicts an artillery demonstration at the Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland1 where Americans from the north and south clashed on September 17, 1862, the bloodiest day in American…
Christmas 2021 has passed, but not the memories. Two weeks prior, my mother-in-law became sick and the Sunday afternoon before December 25th an ambulance transported her to the hospital. Given…
The photo above is from a diorama of a World War I German solider cutting barbed wire at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania1. The display…
The egret in the photo is about to take flight but look closely and you will see that the bird is staring into its reflection in the waters at Emerald…
Honor, courage, and commitment1. These are the values of the United States Marine Corps developed from over 246 years of resolute and selfless service to our country. On December…
Climbing the ladder often refers to vertical movement through an organizational hierarchy. The phrase has also been attached to success, but that topic will be addressed in a future blog.…
The photo above is the old firehouse at Lowry Air Force Base (A.F.B.) in Denver, Colorado. The Air Force closed the base in 1994 and for a short period the…
Do You Have an Organizational Monster in Your Midst? In my November 3rd blog, I wrote about organizational monsters and asked if you wanted to hire someone like that. Of…
USMC Birthday & Veteran’s Day November 10, 1775, and the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month. Two significant days with deep meaning for me. The first…
Are You Losing Your Head? The photo above depicts the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow holding his carved pumpkin head in the palm of his hand. Are there times you…
Succeeding With Teamwork I took the photo above near my house on October 16 when the United States Navy Blue Angels® performed two shows that weekend. As a veteran of…
Are You Bridging or Creating Gaps? Do you believe a generation gap exists in our society? Do you complain that the younger generation doesn’t listen, or they don’t care? As…
Gators Gobbling Gators Earlier this month media outlets including USA Today ran a story showing video of one alligator eating another alligator in Horry County, South Carolina.1 The video is…
What Does Pumpkin Spice Have to Do with Leadership? Last week I read an article in the news about pumpkin spice and my video of September 29 revolved around that…
Are You a Fatalist or a Cliché Quoter? After reading the title of this article your reaction may be, “No, I’m not a fatalist and I have no idea what…
Who Are You Imprinting, Following, and Impacting? The photo shows our dog Java. She is a fifteen-pound, Toy Australian Shepherd/Rat Terrier mix, and in my opinion one of the smartest…
Is Your Leadership Growth Diluted? Throughout my career in the fire service, I responded to a wide variety of emergencies, including one at a local convenience store in the summer…
They’re dead… Turning on the television set in our family room the morning of September 11, 2001, I heard the eerie sound of multiple PASS devices emitting ear-piercing cries indicating…
Essential Leadership Development As we move into September, what have you done to develop yourself as a leader over the last eight months? Did you start the year with good…
Serving or Deserving? A young man wearing a suit and tie entered the room, introduced himself, and took a seat before an interview panel of which I was participating in.…
Liquid Leadership: An Easy Fix for Growth The product label reads, Liquid Leadership: Guaranteed to Fix All Your Leadership Needs! Are you desiring more responsibility on the job, or maybe a promotion…