Leadership @ the Kitchen Table

Editor in Chief of Fire & Rescue Media David Rhodes dives into how building trust and relationships and being competent are must-have's in a great leader. Chief Rhodes is a retired battalion chief of the Atlanta (GA) Fire Department as well as a chief elder for the Georgia Smoke Diver Program and he encourages emerging leaders to think outside the box by going outside your organization to take classes, to teach classes, become an instructor and to seek additional development to become a well-rounded leader. He talks about the concept of loyal disobedience in driving true positive change for the betterment of the whole.

Kevin Thomas McCarney, author of the best selling book "Big Brain, Little Brain," how to control which one speaks for you, teaching us how to use simple techniques to control our response to win positive, Big Brain legacies. The book identifies the twenty-one tools your Big Brain can tap into for better communication, as well as the fourteen avoidable traps that your Little Brain will constantly set for you. Most importantly, it will show you how to find your "neutral," giving you the time and focus you need to find the right words even in the most pressure-filled encounters. Gaffes will become a thing of the past, and great communication will become your trademark!

Dr. Mark Abel, Ph.D., director of the First Responder Research Laboratory at the University of Kentucky and Member of the Portuguese Police Research Center (ICPOL) conducts research to enhance the safety, health, and readiness of firefighters and law enforcement officers. Mark owns Tactical Fitness Institute, LLC which develops legally defensible physical ability standards for fire departments and law enforcement agencies. Among his plentiful research, Dr. Abel performs research into implementing healthcare practitioners into fire departments as part of overall health and wellness initiatives.

Lieutenant Annette Zapp of Fire Rescue Wellness talks about the 4 pillars of wellness for firefighters: 1) Sleep, 2) Nutrition, 3) Exercise and 4) Mental Health. She encourages all to build a solid foundation early in your fire service career as you will never be less busy than when you were first hired. Find a good culturally competent counselor early, don't wait until you are struggling, and focus on the 4 pillars to maintain your wellness. As a former biochemist who wandered into the fire service in her 30's, she encourages you to put yourself in places where you feel like you don't belong, say yes to things, and figure out the rest of it later.

Battalion Chief Rob Fisher of Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue and c0-founder of Young Officers on Fire talks about the importance of building relationships in the fire service. He emphasizes to young firefighters to know the trade before learning the tricks, and for young officers to learn how to communicate well in all aspects. Chief Fisher emphasizes the following: Pick up the phone and talk to people, meet with people face to face, plan and organize. If it's important, put it on the calendar, don’t find the time, make the time. Invest time bonding in non-work stuff, give and receive appreciation more frequently, and lastly, always stay authentic,

Former global director of the Walt Disney Company and former City of Woodinville fire commissioner Ben May talks about knowing yourself and taking care of yourself first and then you will be able to help others. Ben emphasizes the importance of community risk reduction as that is the future of the fire service. Much like the Walt Disney philosophy in providing customer service that is second to none, don't worry about what you are going to get, but instead worry about what you are going to provide. "Ayn Brera. No choice. No choice but to be excellent. No choice but to do the right thing."

Deputy Chief Michael Despain of Redmond (Wa.) Fire Dept. talks about building community trust, remembering exactly who the customers are and who the service providers are. Chief dives into organizational steps to DEI work, how culture change is slow, but baby steps are key and how putting time and money behind important work must be a priority. Your test as a leader, a company officer, and a chief officer starts the day you become a firefighter.

City of Issaquah, Washington Mayor Mary Lou Pauly offers perspectives on authenticity in being a leader. Be humble, do research, be patient, rely on your team and listen intentionally when serving others to truly hear people's needs. To be authentic, you must put yourself out there, expose yourself, take chances, being ok to say you don't know and never assume you know someone else's perspective. Leaders must embrace difficult conversations and include others in decision making so you do things with them and not to them.

Manny Romero of Seattle Fire Dept talks about recruit prep and fire prep programs that help prepare recruits for drill school. He touches on the adult learning environment, raising the floor and giving more opportunity to their candidates to be successful. Manny also talks about 3 primary components to a sound health & wellness program for firefighters which are: Aerobic capacity, joint mobility and physical strength. "Random workouts create random results." He emphasizes that having a robust and intentional recovery program and stress management plan is vital in helping you live and work a healthy career and quality of life in retirement.

Captain Benjamin Martin of Henrico County Division of Fire, Virginia talks about followership being more important than leadership. Leaders must have the ability to demonstrate being a good follower in order to be a good leader. Leaders must thrive to explain the why and the why not in a decentralized format to offer the big picture in interacting with each other on the fire ground and in the fire house. Captain Martin dives into psychological safety in creating high performing teams and organizations and leaders are responsible for creating that environment by modeling behavior.