Fear

Fire leaders work to keep fear from being a barrier by understanding those fears that affect their team. Fear can destroy communication and, with it, trust and cohesion. In looking out for our people, we are mindful of their fears and vigilant in eliminating unnecessary fears.

[Click here to download a copy of Leading in the Wildland Fire Service.]

IGNITE: Don't Be Afraid to Fail

“Don't be afraid to fail at things that mean something. Be afraid to succeed at things that mean nothing.” ♦ Alexander den Heijer, motivational speaker ♦

[Photo: Kyle Miller/Wyoming IHC]

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IGNITE: Fear

“No passion so effectively robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear."

♦ Edmund Burke, Irish Statesman & philosopher ♦

[Photo: Kyle Miller/Wyoming IHC]

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A Fine Line Between Preparation and Paranoia

(Photo: Pam McDonald)

I come from a long line of tough individuals. My mother's family goes back to early Colonial America and westward expansion pioneers. I didn't know a lot of my family history until I dove into my genealogy. Along my quest, I have learned a great deal about who I am and why I do the things I do—why I have a knack for resourcefulness, preparation and calmness in the face of fear.

"Facing the Enemies Within"

(Photo by Gellinger on Pixabay)

Wildland fire operations have inherent risks that cannot be eliminated, even in the best of circumstances. Incident management and response is a competition between human beings and the forces of nature; leaders struggle to manage the effects caused by wildfire and other natural and man-made events. The environment can rapidly and unexpectedly change from normal to emergency conditions to complete chaos. (Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, p. 10)

The above statement reflects what every wildland firefighter knows about the inherent risks of the job. It is during these moments of chaos that leaders are tested. Do those leaders have the courage and command presence to calm the fears of those they lead or do they contribute to the fear? Do they know who they are in the face of chaos?

IGNITE: Fear Cripples

When we don't fear our own leaders, it's easier for us to be better people. ♦ Simon Sinek ♦

[Photo: Kari Greer/USFS]

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IGNITE: Preparation - An Ally of Courage

[Photo credit: Entiat IHC]

Courage has no greater ally than preparation, and fear has no greater enemy. - John Maxwell

From Scrooge to Change Agent

(Photo credit: John Leech [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

Leadership is about creating change that you believe in. - Seth Godin, Tribes

Last month, studied Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol which got me thinking about leadership and change.

Scrooge is taken on a journey to the past, present, and future by his old friend and business partner Jacob Marley. The opening lines of the story is "Marley is dead." Marley visits Scrooge in an attempt to do what he himself cannot do--change his ways before he dies.

IGNITE: Fear of the Mistake

The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one. – John C. Maxwell

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[Photo: National Park Service]

IGNITE: The Greatest Mistake

The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one. – John C. Maxwell

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[Photo credit: NPS/Mark Mendonca]

IGNITE: Fear of Letting Others Down

More than any system of reward and discipline, more than any policy, the fear of letting down respected teammates and peers represents the most effective means of accountability. – Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, page 54

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[Photo credit: Redding IHC, Soberanes fire (2016)]

Is Stinging in Your Nature?

(Photo credit: Christy Pack)

"To be effective, leaders must earn the trust of others."

Trust is a "firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something." Trust, however, is not something that is easily given. In fact, the element of fear can be a barrier to building trust in a relationship.

The Case for Punting

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is time for the Planning Meeting. It was a rough day. Fire behavior today was extreme. Record temperatures, Haines 6, all the usual “oh bleep” stuff. The entire perimeter was active and the east flank ran three miles. The crews pulled back after a hard fight. You lost miles of line and had two tough medevacs. You could sense the tension over the radio when the column built over Division Foxtrot. Oh yeah, there is still a 20,000 foot convection column visible from camp and blotting out the sun. It not only looks bad, it feels creepy. The cars are covered in ash. Tomorrow is forecasted to be worse. You step into the fully packed circus tent to present the plan for tomorrow. The entire team seems more fatigued than usual. That guy wearing a tie in the back row looks important (and upset). The Agency Administrator is stressed–the timber sale and range allotment are now inside that thick red line you drew on the map. Uncertainty and fear are the dominant emotions. All eyes are on you…This is a leadership moment! You step up front and proclaim; “Tomorrow we are going to punt!

*silence fills the tent*

Ok, so you may not say “punt” but metaphors are a great way to communicate. People will often understand metaphors better than a risk matrix. I choose punting because it is a commonly used way of creating margin in football. By punting we create margin. The scenario described above is lacking margin. The other side must have had our playbook. That’s fine, it happens. Two medevacs were two too many. Line lost is unnecessary exposure. It’s time for a conscious decision to increase our margin.

Increasing margin accepts and allows for the inevitable botched play (error) or big play (success). Margin anticipates error and success. It allows as much time and space possible to respond to changes. Margin gives us the ability to absorb error and to capitalize on success. It is using all of our tools to build resiliency and redundancy in the system. Margin recognizes when time and space is about to shove you into a box canyon and helps prevent it from occurring. Margin means you always have a good kicker on the bench; the option to punt before we try a 4th and long underneath the convection column. 

Why margin? We call the combined interaction between fuels, weather and topography “Fire in the third dimension.” Cool title–heavy stuff really. Who thinks three-dimensionally? Spock? Add the human element into the equation (opinions, emotion, biases, beliefs, etc.) and welcome to the fourth dimension of firefighting: fuel/weather/topography/people. Good luck with that one; it’s too many variables to consider. The complexity of the fourth dimension of firefighting will quickly outpace our cognitive ability. The biggest supercomputer would be unable to process all of the potential interactions and outcomes of a large complex fire with hundreds of people and Mother Nature running wild.

(Photo credit: USDA Forest Service Office of Learning)

No need to simplify it. You are not that good. None of us are that good. That is a lot of risk to “manage” and a good time to have an all-star kicker on the bench. It’s a good time to build margin and have options. Margin recognizes our humanity. So, a conversation about risk is a conversation about an uncertain future. The human mind does not like uncertainty. Uncertainty leads to stress. Stress often leads to fear. Fear may be the single biggest barrier to critical thinking. The folks in that tent may not be thinking critically. Engage them in critical thinking. It is when we are stressed and scared that we need margin the most. Don’t be afraid to call in the kicker. 

What about Risk and Probability?
Viewing risk through the probability/severity model has value. It is a good equation if we know all of the knowns and unknowns and have large amounts of accurate data AND we operate in a system capable of absorbing error. A casino survives by the probability model, it has probability in its favor–it will win most of the time so it can afford to lose occasionally. How much loss can we absorb with 500 firefighters on the line? 5,000 firefighters? How rare are those anomalies like plume domination and unforecasted weather events or someone reading the map incorrectly? They are not rare. They are the norm. Do we plan for the norm–for the lowboy to get jackknifed on the escape route? On the fireground, unknowns will appear and error will happen. Our current use of the probability model does not embrace error; it attempts to reduce, eliminate or at times, ignore it. Margin recognizes error. It plans for it. It expects it. Error = reality and it lives side by side with success.

Why margin? Because we suck at measuring and understanding probability. Walk into any casino. Buy a lottery ticket. Eat a candy bar. Turn the music up. Text while driving…all of these actions are based on emotion, not data. Data says they are all bad yet we do them anyway. Why, because it feels good. Humans are naturally optimistic. We are emotional critters, not computers. We suck at measuring and understanding probability because it is boring and it doesn’t always give us the answer we want. We all see ourselves as potential lottery winners. What if we saw ourselves as potential causalities?

Look at the difference in these two questions:

1. What is the probability of success?
2. How much margin do we have?

Which of the two questions has an assumption built in? Which of the two encourages dialogue and sensemaking? Which one triggers critical thinking? Our current risk model uses green, amber and red. Colors are cool. Simple is cool. Green = Go. Yellow = Go (with mitigations). Red = IC approval to Go. What is wrong with this model? Our business is too complex to settle for three colors to rationalize a decision.

Probability in our business is cradled in the hands of Mother Nature and the decision-making of the individual. We may have great maps, an accurate weather forecast and we may have analyzed the predicted rates of spread down to a fraction. But what if we looked at risk from the perspective of the stressed out, physically- and mentally-fatigued, color-blind decision maker operating in a complex environment (forest fire qualifies as a complex environment, don’t you think?). What if we planned for something unexpected to happen? We botch the handoff, the burnout is too hot. We fumbled on the two-yard line, the safety zone was labeled wrong on the map. What then would risk look like? What if we viewed risk as a metric for uncertainty rather than a measure of probability?

We would be discussing margin.
Remember that next time you are asked “What is the probability of success?” You may want to focus on margin. Or you can just punt.

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About the author: Curtis Heaton works for the US Forest Service as a National Incident Management Organization Operations Section Chief and has been heavily involved with the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program, including member of the L-580 Steering Committee.

We thank Curtis for putting himself out there and look forward to many more great posts. All expressions are those of the author.

Goombahs

GOOMBAHS

by Jay C Stalnacker

Growing up living on the other side of the tracks, I often ventured across for a slap of reality as just a few miles away there sat an entire city of epic poverty, unemployment and crime. I believed the world was no bigger than a few square miles of rusted steel mills and ugly “company houses” surrounded by middle class subdivisions. It was a place where the mafia and crooked unions destroyed an entire community and left wounds that would never heal. It was so bad that for a few years Youngstown, Ohio was known as the “murder capitol of America.” The unrelenting crime and unscrupulous leadership of our community eventually left generations of immigrants with nothing more than empty rusting steel mills and cracked brick row houses.

By the time I was old enough to understand what a “Youngstown tuneup” was, most of the crime families had been arrested or moved operation to another city, leaving only a wake of destruction. Looking back, as young boys there were really only a few types of heroes we had to admire: professional boxers, football players and crime bosses. Goombah’s like “mo man” Harris and “Charlie the Crab” and legends like Franco Harris and Ray Boom Boom Mancini filled both our dreams and nightmares. Little did I know that both provided an unattainable or misplaced example of leadership, but it was all we had.

As I grew older I began to understand who the true heroes were. They were the common men and women who suffered through the intimidation, bribery and destruction of their community and then moved to the suburban neighborhoods to raise their children hoping that we would have a better future than they knew each of us would most likely face.

It’s a sad, overwhelming enlightenment watching an entire community self-implode. As wild-eyed teenagers we would climb to the roofs of the rusted buildings and walk the empty train tracks always wondering what happened and how it happened so quickly. I witnessed my grandfather fall from a proud paycheck earning crane operator in the steel mill to a humbled security guard at a community college making minimum wage. The union leaders had destroyed his future by embezzling his pension and sending jobs overseas with greedy demands. These leaders put their own needs and desires above many countless others and the end result would be generations of unemployment and poverty that still exist today.

I truly believe that in the beginning the “families” had the right idea but unfortunately the wrong intentions. They wanted to protect the immigrant workers from the steel tycoons and for a while everyone was prosperous. But eventually their greed, selfishness and ignorance turned a good idea into something terrible.

Like these goombahs who almost destroyed a culture of people, how often do we see leaders take the selfish approach as they look for any opportunity to gain more power and control at all cost. They fail to recognize their short-term gain will only result in long-term failure. It’s so very easy have a good intention turn into a disaster because the leader is really focused on his goals and not those of the larger purpose.

Often in public safety we see egos, attitudes and insecurities destroy an organization or compromise the success of a mission. It’s no different in the private corporate world or even on the sidelines of a children’s soccer game. Great leaders somehow see through the immediate gain and recognition then inspire us to follow them past the attainable and towards the unforeseeable future. As Jim finished his sermon today he talked about Jesus the warrior returning home to gather his army to celebrate victory. But he also reminded us that until that day we will be endlessly tempted with money, sex and other worldly distractions that someday just will not mean anything.

It’s hard to look into the unknown future and then back at your current struggles maintaining hope and faith. My experiences as incident commander or operations chief on emergency incidents constantly remind me of this. Many times you have to look ahead and past the obvious which is very difficult when chaos, death and destruction stare you in the eyes. During the flooding, I had to make difficult decisions that would stop rescue operations because of the danger to the rescuers. Losing rescuers would only create more chaos and trying to find the fine balance of saving innocent lives versus losing rescuers' lives was a constant struggle. Many in our profession walk in thinking they want to be a hero, but when the choice of sacrificing their life for another’s is presented it's not so simple. Often they get tunnel vision and lose understanding of the bigger picture ultimately causing more harm than good. More often they freeze in place unable to make the choice before it’s too late. These decisions haunt you as a leader; and only through understanding that there is a larger goal, can you come out the other end in one piece.

It’s much like raising children and disciplining them for something they don’t understand fully but yet you know it’s best. There is no easy answer and no simple explanation. We as leaders must have character and wisdom, and our followers must have courage and humbleness. I think a lot about how better to close this gap with Aspen, Kim, my staff, friends and family. How do I both lead with wisdom and follow with courage? I find what works best is to ask the right questions at the right time. How did we get here? What are we trying to do? What do we want it to look like when we are done? Great leaders constantly ask these three questions to continually evaluate their end state and verify their objectives. Next time you have a tough conversation with your child, a subordinate or spouse try to slow down and ask yourself these questions. I’m sure you can look back as you read this and think of an instance you should have paused and answered these questions before you moved forward. Thinking about these questions first, your conversations will flow seamlessly and confidently as a leader who has vision for something greater.

Spend some time slowing down, remember to ask yourself what it should and can look like when you're done, and I’m sure the result will be greater than your wildest dreams.

Jay C Stalnacker

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Jay Stalnacker is a regular blog contributor. Jay Stalnacker is the Fire Management Officer for the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. You can read more from Jay on his blog "The North Star Foundation." All expressions are those of the author.

Food for Thought - Conquering Fear

If you want to conquer fear, don't sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. –Dale Carnegie

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Magic on the Mountain

(Photo credit: Mountain Guides.com)

"The most important thing in climbing is the inner strength to help each other, so that not just the strongest but all the members of the group reach the goal."~ Ida Hiroshige

Over the last couple of months, I have used Roger Snyder's Mt. Everest climbing experience as a backdrop for my blogs. I chose to share my experience with Roger because of the influence his story had on me.

Much has been written and spoken about the parallels between mountains, mountain climbing and leadership. I've heard Preston Cline brief the NWCG Leadership Subcommittee and L-580 participants about the power of the Wharton MBA Leadership Ventures treks where participants are placed under "authentic levels of stress and uncertainty in order to improve their ability to lead." I've read "Into Thin Air" and witnessed the leadership transformation of many L-380 students of fire.  I've shared other mountain climbing stories with you on this blog. But is was this experience with this Mount Everest storyteller that made an imprint on my soul.

There is something very powerful about hearing a person's story, especially when it is fresh in their mind and telling it for the first time. Roger had only been away from the mountain for about a week when I heard his story. He had lost weight and was still feeling the physical and mental effects of the climb. He hadn't culled his photographs into a logical sequence. It was a "raw," unscripted, and unrehearsed presentation; and I was swept into the story as if it were a dream.

Roger had never met most of us to whom he told the story. That didn't stop him from speaking from the heart. He talked of his strengths, his weaknesses, the team that helped him along the way, and the joys and sorrows of life and death on the mountain. His passion became my passion for telling a slightly different stories to you.

Mountain climbing is not something that I have much knowledge or interest in doing myself; however, Roger brought it to life for me. I may never scale the world's highest peak, but I am confident, the lessons I learned from my experience will be useful for when I need to tackle a problem that seems as impossible as reaching the summit of Mount Everest.

• The "impossible" is possible.
• With danger comes opportunity.
• Fear limits our ability to conquer greatness.
• Time may be needed to realize the power of an experience.
• Personal accomplishment often takes a team effort.
• Telling our stories can inspire others.
• Respect one another.
• Do good.
• Be prepared.

When asked how it felt to conquer Mount Everest, Roger said, "It's all so surreal; it hasn't sunk in yet." I'm not sure the full effect of hearing Roger's story has been realized. It is the magic on the mountain that has forever changed me and the stories I share with you.

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The magic was in the story, but watch what is impossible for most become the possible for members of Roger's expedition team...



Wildland Fire Leadership Challenge

• Stories are powerful. Assemble a group of wildland fire veterans and leaders and listen to their stories. 
• Do you have a story that others need to hear? Tell it. 
• If you haven't already, be sure to check out this story from South Canyon that we all need to hear.

• Attend or watch online leadership presentations featuring stories unrelated to the wildland fire environment. 

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About the Author:
Pam McDonald is a writer/editor for BLM Wildland Fire Training and Workforce Development and member of the NWCG Leadership Subcommittee. The expressions are those of the author.

Rational Decisions or Instinct?

Fire leaders do not often have the luxury of when they make decisions; however, they can be mindful of the effects brain chemistry has on decision making. Baba Shiv shares some insightful information on the subject for all of us from his Stanford Business YouTube video "How to Make Better Decisions."

Video Highlights

• "Most of our decisions, whether we like it or not, most of our actions, most of our behavior, most of our experiences are constantly being shaped at the instinctual level."
• 90 to 95% of all decisions are made at the emotional level.
• Neuromodulators such as serotonin and dopamine affect decisions.
• Neuromodulators levels decrease in the afternoon leading to more risk-averse decisions and a aggravation to the status quo bias and manifest in an indecision.
• Deep sleep is critical to bringing natural serotonin levels back to normal.
• Lack of sleep can result in decisions made out of fear.
• Physical activity releases a precursor to serotonin and helps keep levels elevated during the day.
• High-protein breakfasts are beneficial.

Learning from Failure

Developing a Learning Organization (taken from Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, p. 42.)

Leaders evaluate performance at all levels to understand the causal factors of successes and failures. All those involved learn incrementally, applying today’s lessons to the next assignment. This focus on continuous improvement brings with it a responsibility to share lessons learned throughout the organization.

In a learning organization, leaders treat honest mistakes as opportunities to do better next time.  Understanding that failure is a part of learning, they establish command climates in which young leaders are motivated by desire to succeed rather than fear of failure.





What's Holding You Back from Being a Leader?

As part of the 2013 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign - Leading with Courage,  fire leaders may want to share with their teams Jothy Rosenberg's lecture about adversity and opportunity presented at the U.S. Naval War College.

"Limits, like fears, are often just an illusion." ~ Michael Jordan

The Courage to Face Your Fears



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