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 of 2017. We had been dispatched to a report of a gasoline leak over ten gallons. Upon our arrival, we were met by the clerk who said a customer drove off from the gas pumps with the nozzle still in his tank. The emergency shut-off for the pumps engaged but not before gasoline had spilled onto the ground. What compounded the problem was the action taken by the clerk before we got there. The employee felt it was necessary to whip out the garden hose and attempt to dilute the fuel. This did nothing but spread it over a wide area of the parking lot and cause the water/gasoline mixture to run into the storm drains. We referred to this action as dilution equals pollution.

What about your leadership training and personal development? Was it diluted in 2020? What about 2021? Are you using COVID as an excuse to not do anything? Are you waiting for your boss or your organization to provide the training? In a couple of weeks, we will enter the fourth quarter of the year and it is not too late to invest in your development. Ignite the internal flame of motivation, act now, and contact me to discuss what you can do to grow.