The Leadership Trait of Initiative
This is the sixth article in a series about the fourteen leadership traits taught by the U.S. Marine Corps. Simply stated, initiative is “Taking action in the absence of orders.1”…
Does Mandatory HR Training Address Character Gaps in People?
Each year during my career in the fire service and time in the military, I attended mandatory training addressing workplace discrimination, harassment, and other topics outlined by the U.S. Equal…
Firefighting Success!
Over the last three weeks, I have written about my fire service journey. Last week I discussed the struggle of becoming a firefighter. This week is the success story. …
The Struggle
The photo above is from the U.S. Marine Corps Museum depicting a World War I Marine in hand-to-hand combat with a German soldier during the Battle of Belleau Wood in…
The Badge
My blog post on March 1st described the first ride I ever had on a fire engine in Cedarville, New Jersey as a three-year old boy. The article laid the…
Are You Passionate About Your Career?
Do you look forward to going to work or do you have to force yourself to go? Are you actively engaged in your career or are you more of an…
Are You Practicing the Skill of Listening?
My blog post on January 18 addressed the top complaint that I have heard about fire department battalion chiefs: a failure to listen. Listening is an active skill, and the…
Fire Officers Who Possess Command Presence
In January and early February, I wrote about the top three complaints I have heard regarding battalion chiefs. Last week, I circled around and began writing about the opposite characteristics…
Technically & Tactically Competent Fire Officers
My past four blog posts revolved around battalion chiefs and the top three complaints that I have heard about them. Last week, I addressed tactically and technically incompetent battalion chiefs.…
The Number Three Complaint About Fire Department Battalion Chiefs
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…