Article Library
Thoughts on Leadership
To Make a Difference: Sometimes You Must Take a Risk-January/February 2007
Posted on February 9, 2007
Recently, a U.S. Attorney filed criminal charges against Ellreese Daniels, who was serving as crew boss when his crew was overrun by the Thirtymile fire in 2001, killing four crewmembers. The situation calls to mind three things about leadership A Solemn Obligation-September/October 2006
Posted on February 8, 2007
I still get to fight fire every once in awhile. I recently took a couple of fire assignments, one as an Incident Commander Type 3, and one as an Operations Section Chief; and I found myself in the unique position of working for my former seasonal employees. We joked that I had come full circle, but maybe it was they who had cycled, like kids who end up taking care of their parents. I couldn’t avoid thinking about how far these guys had come, and how well they had done for themselves. That got me thinking about the responsibility a leader has to develop his or her people and the obligation the leader has to prepare the next generation of their organization’s leaders. Don’t get me wrong, I claim no responsibility for the success of these men; they’ve had no influence from me for nearly fifteen years. However, someone presented them with the opportunities they needed to develop their skills, take on responsibility, gain experience, get noticed, and move up. Given the demographics of many fire agencies, the duty to prepare your successors may represent one of the fire leader’s most important roles. What's Your Philosophy?-June/July 2006
Posted on February 8, 2007
In my last column, I wrote that leadership and management differ from one another substantially and that, while both leadership and management are essential to the function and effectiveness of organizations, they are not the same thing. I also wrote that fire agencies need both competent managers and effective leaders and that management and leadership represent different roles within an organization. However, I also wrote that managers and leaders are not different classes of people and that, in lucky organizations, the same person may be both an expert manager and a skillful leader. The Difference Between Leadership and Management-May/June 2006
Posted on February 8, 2007
I recently heard someone express the view that “Line Officers need to learn more about leadership, things like budgeting.” News flash, budgeting is not a function of leadership. Neither is planning, organizing, staffing, controlling, or problem solving. These are functions of management. One can certainly understand why we might confuse leadership and management, until the 1980s, even the experts largely regarded good management and leadership as the same thing, and some even regarded leadership as simply a sub-set of management. However, our understanding of both disciplines improved, and in the 1980s, these views began to change. Today, experts in both fields generally agree that leadership and management differ from one another substantially, and that they are most definitely, not the same thing. Book Review: Burning for Success
Posted on February 7, 2007
I recently had opportunity to read Burning for Success: How Volunteer Fire Departments Motivate Teams, Coach Leaders And Deliver Killer Customer Service Without Spending A Dime. Being both a fire and leadership junkie, I was excited to find a book that fed both habits. In Burning for Success, authors Scott Harkins and Dr. Frank McCluskey explore how volunteer fire departments create effective teams, leaders, and organizations from an unpaid workforce. The authors’ intent is to transfer lessons learned in the fire department environment to businesses and other organizations. Learning and the Leader-November/December, 2005
Posted on February 7, 2007
Those of you, who read this column frequently, know that I believe that leadership is far from an exact science, and that the edges of what we call leadership are not always clearly defined. However, I do know that the traits that have traditionally described “leadership” in the fire service; rugged individualism, unilateral decision-making, and directive supervision won’t cut it any longer. Of Trust, Teams and Teamwork-July/August 2005
Posted on February 7, 2007
Over the past 30 years, teams and teamwork have come to increasingly characterize the structure of organizations. In the past fifteen years, the use of team structure has exploded across the organizational world and teams have largely become the basic organizational unit. However, people use both “team” and “teamwork” loosely, and I’ve seen all nature of groups referred to as teams. So, for the purposes of this article, let us say that a team means a group of individuals, bound by mutual direction and common goals, who interact interdependently to accomplish work, action and results. Using that definition, we might argue that the fire world is one place where the word team has been used accurately. The Future of Leadership - May/June 2005
Posted on June 28, 2005
Leadership is a social process and, like any social process, to remain relevant, it must reflect the society in which it occurs. Leadership must keep up with the times, so to speak. Our society and its needs are changing, and consequently, so are the needs of our institutions and organizations. The inevitable shift in the nature of the workforce demands that leaders and the very concept of leadership adapt accordingly. Why Leadership is Like Fire - March/April 2005
Posted on June 28, 2005
A while back, my wife and I were driving along in the car, talking leadership. It was during this conversation, that I first thought that, "leadership is like fire." Read on to find out how I arrived at this analogy. Hot Topic: Accountability and Responsibility - January/February 2005
Posted on June 28, 2005
So what is accountability and what role does it play in the process we call leadership? It seems to me that accountability and responsibility represent important qualities for a credible leader to possess.It is credibility that matters and credibility that provides the foundation of personal leadership. That same credibility is essential to effective leadership at the organizational level as well. In this way, the concepts of credibility and accountability are tightly coupled for both individual leaders and organizations. Critical Leadership Skill: Multi-Frame Thinking - November, 2004
Posted on November 10, 2004
Despite our best intentions, we all screw one up now and again. So how does a person avoid the pit-falls that trapped these leaders and become the most effective leader possible? Find out in Multi-Frame Thinking. Leadership - September, 2004
Posted on November 10, 2004
The leadership media, both academic and popular, can be confusing and disappointing, and some very well liked authors in the popular leadership press are just getting it wrong. So just what is this thing called "leadership"? Learn the definition of leadership as well as the "Grand Theory" of leadership, the importance of vision, the role of power, and the distinction between leadership and management. Are You A Credible Leader? - August, 2004
Posted on November 10, 2004
When it comes to leadership, we can, and do, talk about all kinds of traits, characteristics and behaviors that people find desirable in their leaders. The effective practice of leadership involves a complex interplay of critically important elements. Learn more in Are You a Credible Leader? Leading With Openness and Transparency - April, 2003
Posted on November 10, 2004
In this column, I explore the themes of openness and transparency and their relationship to trust, a concept central to the leadership process. I believe that leaders succeed when they communicate with candor, let people see how they make their decisions, allow challenge, and account for weaknesses in their neutrality, objectivity or situation awareness. Nine Leadership Practices - September, 2002
Posted on November 10, 2004
Lately, I have been disturbed by two related trends within fire agencies. First, what seems a growing attitude of hopelessness and helplessness. Second, the use of the word "they." I come from the school of thought that says everybody has the capacity for leadership, and in this article, I identify the two challenges fire agencies must overcome if they are going to get the job done. I offer nine leadership practices.
Longer Articles
A Method for Evaluating the Fireline Leadership Training
Posted on October 17, 2007
This is the master’s thesis of Michael DeGrosky, CEO of The Guidance Group. This project developed a quantifiable and, where appropriate, a statistically supportable method for collecting and analyzing training related data to support the National Wildland Fire Coordinating Group (NWCG) leadership initiative with the intent of validating that the L-380 (Fireline Leadership) training is on track. It also could provide a model or template for ongoing evaluation of, not only the L-380 course, but also the broader NWCG leadership curriculum. It was a paper submitted in partial requirement for DeGrosky’s Masters of Liberal Studies in Organizational Leadership from Fort Hays State University, and was completed under the guidance of Dr. Curtis Brungardt. Risk Leadership
Posted on January 26, 2007
This paper provides a primer on the emerging leadership theory known as "Risk Leadership." The five-page article is available for download. Improving After Action Review (AAR) Practice
Posted on June 28, 2005
This paper suggests ways to improve AAR practice within wildland fire agencies, and advocates three strategic actions necessary to systematically and comprehensively use the AAR process in wildland fire agencies. Strategic Management and Planning for Fire Science Organizations
Posted on September 6, 2004
This paper presents a direct, practical and democratic strategic planning model and explores its application to organizations that study forest fires on a scientific basis. Facilitating Community-Based Solutions
Posted on September 6, 2004
This paper explores ways in which public agencies can initiate and facilitate community efforts, build community capacity, develop commitment and produce lasting results. Evaluate Your Organization's Strategy
Posted on September 6, 2004
This article guides you through a strategic planning effort by providing a useful checklist to help you evaluate your organization's strategy.
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