Career Success in 2022

 

John Wooden said, "When opportunity comes, it's too late to prepare." In order to capitalize on the opportunities that present themselves in a rapidly changing career field, we must be prepared. When the promotional opportunity opens up, it is too late to start taking the classes, or obtaining the certifications, or volunteering for additional responsibilities. We must constantly be preparing ourselves today with the necessary skills and abilities to meet these future opportunities.

How prepared are you for the next opportunity, those opportunities that 2022 is sure to bring?  What is the last conference or presentation that you have been part of? When is the last time you have polished up your resume? Who are you following on social media platforms? Are you recognized as a leader in your field? What do you plan to achieve in the next twelve months?  Your honest reflection and responses to these questions should provide an idea of where you are and where you need to be in your professional development. 

If you knew that there was one magic key guaranteed to make you successful, would you want to take advantage of it? Motivational speaker and self-development teacher, Brian Tracy says, "Here is a rule that will guarantee your success - and possibly make you rich: Invest 3% of your income back into yourself."

Outside of company provided training, every person should be investing in their own professional development. The costs associated with books, classes, conferences, and certifications should be considered an investment, not an expense. The return on investment will be realized in a renewed level of motivation, fresh and new ideas, and an expanded network of professional relationships.

With the rise of online training, webinars, and zoom meetings it seems that there are more avenues of professional development that one could ever pursue. With so many options available it is easy to get trapped by "analysis paralysis" and end up doing nothing. However, by clearly defining your career goals, a pathway of professional development can be formed. Use the following steps to create your professional development action plan. 

1.  Assess where you currently are, and where you want to be.

What are your immediate and long term career goals? What are the things that you want to accomplish? What impact do you want to leave on your community, your organization, or within your industry?

2.  Determine what training is needed to achieve that goal.

Sometimes this guidance is already provided (i.e., job descriptions, requirements for promotions, internal training), other times guidance must be sought out or self-directed. It is a best practice to schedule a semi-annual meeting with your next level supervisor to discuss your near-term and long-term career goals and professional ambitions. These discussions should be viewed as an opportunity to receive insight into areas that you may need to improve upon, and guidance on the next steps needed to accomplish your career goals. Once you are clear on thi,s then you know what certifications and classes you may need, or what knowledge,skills, and abilities need to be obtained.

3. Read at least one book per year.

Statistics show that one out of four Americans will not read a single book in a year.  The most successful people are avid readers. Reading has been shown to increase focus, develop a more broad perspective, increase writing and speaking skills, and keep you mentally fresh, educated, and informed.  Select at least one book related to your career and professional goals, divide it up into easy to read sections, read one section per day to completion (i.e., ten pages a day for one month will allow you to finish reading a full 300 page book).

4.  Attend three conferences or professional development events.

These can be single day training classes, local or national conferences, or technical code/committee meetings.  If cost is a factor, search out local opportunities.  Alternatively, if you apply to be a presenter at many of these conferences, then the registration fee may be waived.

A plan for professional development and training is essential to success in any field. Do not wait for, or expect, someone else to pay for and invest in your professional development. Take responsibility for your own success, set goals, create a plan to achieve those goals, then follow your career road map. 

  

2021 Books to Inspire and Change

 

Here are the books I was reading in 2021.  

Non-fiction
Author, Inc. - Ray Brehm
Gods and Thrones - Carl Gallups
Raising Hell - Julie Ferwerda
Virtual Summits for Authors - Ray Brehm
Super System for Authors - Ray Brehm
That All Shall Be Saved - David Bentley Hart*
Ask for the Rain - Larry Sparks
Thought Leader Launch - Aurora Winter
How to Rocket Your Private Investigation Business - John Hoda
Your Mess is Your Memoir - Anna David
Jesus Undefeated - Keith Giles
Mugshots: My Favorite Detective Stories - John Hoda
Facing the Fire - Kelvin Cochran*
Mr. Subro - Mark S. Roth*
Virtual Summits Made Easy - Ray Brehm

Fiction

The Damned - John D. MacDonald

February’s Files - Rich Curtin

Parishioner - Walter Mosley

California Fire and Life - Don Winslow*

Breakout - Richard Stark

The Empty Copper Sea - John D. MacDonald

A Drop of the Hard Stuff - Lawrence Block*

The Neon Jungle - John D. MacDonald

Suspense: His & Hers - Max Allan and Barabara Collins

Past reading lists:

2020 Year End Reading List

2018 Year End Reading List

2017 Year End Reading List

2016 Year End Reading List

2015 Year End Reading List

2014 Year End Reading List

2013 Year End Reading List

2012 Year End Reading List

2011 Year End Reading List

Leadership Resources for ARFF Professionals [Being Chief]

Being Chief: Leadership Principles for the ARFF Professional, is the first book of its kind, dedicated solely to leadership in the aircraft rescue and firefighting field. More than thirty ARFF chiefs and leaders were interviewed for this book. Read more about the book in this post and this post.

One of the questions asked was what is a book or resource that they would recommend for continued leadership development. There were a lot of similar answers. The books below were the most frequently cited by these ARFF leaders. These are their recommendations for continued education and professional development.

Holy Bible - The CSB Heroes Bibles feature the highly reliable, highly readable text of the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), which stays as literal as possible to the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity. The CSB’s optimal blend of accuracy and readability makes Scripture more moving, more memorable, and more motivating to read it today and share it always.

First In, Last Out, John Salka - What does it take to lead people into a burning building? How do the leaders of the New York City Fire Department develop so much loyalty, trust, and grace under pressure that their subordinates will risk their very lives for them? As a high-ranking officer of the FDNY, John Salka is an expert at both practicing and teaching high-stakes leadership. He explains the department’s unique strategies and how they can be adopted by leaders in any field

It’s Your Ship, Michael Abrashoff- When Captain Abrashoff took over as commander of USS Benfold, it was like a business that had all the latest technology but only some of the productivity. Knowing that responsibility for improving performance rested with him, he realized he had to improve his own leadership skills before he could improve his ship. Within months, he created a crew of confident and inspired problem-solvers eager to take the initiative and responsibility for their actions. The slogan on board became "It's your ship," and Benfold was soon recognized far and wide as a model of naval efficiency. Abrashoff shares his secrets of successful management

Pride and Ownership, Rick Lasky - Chief Rick Lasky gives an upfront and honest criticism about the need to reignite the love of the job on every level, from chiefs and on down. Learn what you can do to drive your members to take pride in their job and assume ownership. 

 

Essentials of Fire Department Customer Service, Alan Brunacini - This text explains the application of common-sense customer service concepts to the fire service. Written in a humorous conversational style, Chief Alan Brunacini of the Phoenix Fire Department provides the reader with an enjoyable reading experience and vital information on how we can better serve our customers.

From Buddy to Boss, Chase Sargent - Whether you're a new officer or in need of a mentor, From Buddy to Boss: Effective Fire Service Leadership, is a must-have management book you'll turn to over and over again. Fire service veteran Chase Sargent has taken his popular course and written a no-holds-barred leadership book for the fire service in a conversational and easy-to-read style. He tells you how to accept and survive politics, deal with the fringe employees, and keep your cool -- tricks of the trade that usually take years to acquire

The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge - Senge describes how companies can rid themselves of the learning blocks that threaten their productivity and success by adopting the strategies of learning organizations, in which new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, collective aspiration is set free, and people are continually learning how to create the results they truly desire.

Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink - Detailing the mind-set and principles that enable SEAL units to accomplish the most difficult missions in combat, Extreme Ownership shows how to apply them to any team, family or organization. Each chapter focuses on a specific topic such as Cover and Move, Decentralized Command, and Leading Up the Chain, explaining what they are, why they are important, and how to implement them in any leadership environment.

The Dichotomy of Leadership, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin - Jocko and Leif dive even deeper into the uncharted and complex waters of a concept first introduced in Extreme Ownership: finding balance between the opposing forces that pull every leader in different directions. Here, Willink and Babin get granular in the nuances that every successful leader must navigate. Mastering the Dichotomy of Leadership requires understanding when to lead and when to follow; when to aggressively maneuver and when to pause and let things develop; when to detach and let the team run and when to dive into the details and micromanage.

Qualities for ARFF Leadership Success [Being Chief]

Being Chief: Leadership Principles for the ARFF Professional, is the first book of its kind, dedicated solely to leadership in the aircraft rescue and firefighting field. More than thirty ARFF chiefs and leaders were interviewed for this book. Through the process of compiling the information from these discussions, a pattern for success emerged. Similar topics were discussed, and certain traits rose to the top. These came through these four questions:

1. What is your advice for the newly promoted chief officer?
2. What actions, behaviors, or thought patterns lead to leadership failure?
3. What is the top trait or characteristic that you believe every chief officer must possess?
4. What have been the key factors to your success and why?

What is your advice for the newly promoted chief officer?

1. Listen, to those above and below.
2. Learn, from others, from past successes and mistakes, commit to continual education.
3. Be with your people, they are the priority.
4. Remember where you came from, and how you got here.
5. Be consistent, always show up.

What actions, behaviors, or thought patterns lead to leadership failure?

1. Lack of respect for people.

1. Failure to recognize and adjust to different personality types.

2. Poor treatment, demeaning, unfair, unequitable.

3. Not ‘learning’ your people, or knowing who they are.

4. Failure to provide discipline and clear direction.

5. Not trusting your people.

2. Lack of integrity.

1. Not being true to your word.

2. Being inconsistent.

3. Non-committed to department, people, direction, or vision.

4. Self-serving.

3. Poor communication.

1. Not listening.

2. Unable to commit to decisions, lack of clarity in decision making.

3. Unclear vision and prioritizing personal agendas.

What is the top trait or characteristic that you believe every chief officer must possess?

1. Trust

2. Honesty

3. Integrity

4. Humility (approachable, listen, learn)

What have been the key factors to your success and why?

1. Knowing the job.

1. Commit to continual learning.

2. Stay relevant by listening to others.

3. Network with other chiefs, organizations, and departments.

2. Consistency.

1. Persevere.

2. Show up everyday at 100%.

3. Build experience.

3. Faith.

4. Family.

1. Support of...

2. Succeed for…

Being Chief takes a deep dive into each of these areas and topics, and lets you hear from the leaders themselves, in their own words through their own experiences.

Being Chief: Leadership Principles for the ARFF Professional

 

Today, I announce the launch of my new book, Being Chief: Leadership Principles for the ARFF Professional. This is the first, and only, book dedicated to leadership for the aircraft rescue firefighter.

Why did I write this book?

As the leaders and the experienced in our profession age out, we are forever losing their wisdom and shared knowledge. Private industry realizes this and tries to capture that knowledge through, what is referred to as, “knowledge management”.

Knowledge management can be simply defined as, “the process of capturing, distributing, and effectively using knowledge.”  Knowledge management is taking advantage of what is known to maximize an organization’s value, or a department’s value to the community. Of knowledge, there are two types, explicit and implicit. Explicit knowledge is data, facts, and captured documentation. Implicit is the knowledge that exists in the heads of people and is only acquired over time through education and experience. This implicit knowledge becomes codified when it is shared through discussions or documentation.

Being Chief is a best effort to jump start a formal knowledge management process in the ARFF industry. For this book, interviews, surveys, and follow-up conversations were conducted from more than thirty ARFF chiefs and leaders. 

The book is divided into three parts:

Part 1: Leadership Lessons. Common themes, advice, lessons learned from these conversations are compiled and shared in this section.

Part 2: “In their own words…”. This section includes the full interview, survey responses, and personal stories from these leaders.

Part 3: Leading On. This section identifies mentors that have gone before, the value of mentoring, and provides recommended resources for leadership development.

  

What can you learn from reading this book?

There are many books on fire service leadership, and many more on leadership in general, however, this is the only book that focuses on leadership within the unique niche industry of the  aircraft rescue and firefighting environment.  

Being Chief will prepare the ARFF professional for a leadership role by enabling them to:

• Know the most valuable traits an ARFF chief or leader must possess

• Understand the five actions an ARFF leader must apply for maximum leadership impact

• Hear directly from the voice of experience of those who have excelled in the industry

• Prepare for a major aircraft incident response and post-incident effects

Being Chief is a tool for the ambitious and forward-thinking ARFF professional. This is a tool to be used for gaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to achieve their leadership goals. By reading and learning from the years of experience shared here, the gap to achieving a leadership mindset can be decreased.

Order here, https://amzn.to/3cfJaZG

Managing the Fire Prevention Organization

With the many tasks, responsibilities, and requirements of the fire prevention organization how can personnel and resources be best utilized to  ensure that they are functioning at optimal effectiveness? Can they know that they are focusing on the right tasks and activities? The solution is a clear plan of action that identifies and provides for the most effective and efficient methods for performing essential fire prevention functions.

• Identify the seven disciplines of effective and efficient fire prevention organizations.
• Describe the key functions, features, and components of each discipline.
• Apply practical guidance for implementation of each discipline.
• Utilize readily available tools and resources for continued effectiveness and efficiency.

Building an Effective Fire Prevention Organization from Aaron Johnson

I have written extensively on this subject. Articles that delve deeper into these topics can be found at the below links.

Fire Prevention Blueprint - What it is, and how it can benefit your department.

Seven Disciplines for Effective FPO's - Identifying and defining the seven disciplines.

The FPO Effectiveness Tool -  How to use the “FPO balance wheel” to assess your organization.

Learn more at, FPOblueprint.com.

Lead Like Churchill

The recent movies, Darkest Hour and Dunkirk, have served to re-introduce one of the world's most respected leaders, Sir Winston Churchill.  In a recent issue of Cigar Aficionado magazine, Pulitzer Prize winning author, John Meacham, outlines three defining principles of Churchill’s leadership. These are principles that we can apply to our own work, departments, and personal leadership.

Courage.

Churchill quoted Aristotle who stated that courage is the most important virtue, for it guarantees all the others. It was his display of courage and indomitable spirit in the face of seeming defeat, that motivated the English people, and encouraged his allies to join him in the fight.

Candor.

Churchill believed that leaders should always level with their followers. This allows them to see the world from the leader’s perspective.  The following quote about the British people, can be said of the people that we have a responsibility to lead, “There is no worse mistake in public leadership than to hold out false hopes soon to be swept away. The British people can face peril or misfortune with fortitude and buoyancy, but they bitterly resent being deceived or finding that those responsible for their affairs are themselves dwelling in a fool’s paradise.”

Cooperation.

Churchill knew that he would never be able to beat Hitler alone. He needed alliances. Having an ally is crucial, as without alliances things will begin to fall apart.  Not only should we seek alliances for our own ideas, organizations, and people but we must also be willing to ally with others in support of their ideas, organizations, and people. Churchill said, “...one cannot rise to be in many ways the leading community in the civilized world without being involved in its problems, without being convulsed by it agonies and inspired by its causes.”

It is in the demonstration of these three principles that Sir Winston Churchill is remembered as a great leader. He was a man of broad vision, unquenchable courage, and unbreakable will - traits we could all use more of.