Let me pose a simple question to you. How many of you can remember sitting on the sidelines during a football game and yelling out to the coach "Hey coach, put me in; I can get the job done"? I do not know about you, but it has been a long time since I suited up and ran out onto the field as a defensive tackle. As a matter of fact, I believe that Lyndon Johnson was president at the time. Maybe it wasn't football, perhaps it was some other sport, but the act was the same. We wanted the coach to pay attention, so we yelled. Sometimes this worked and sometimes it made the coach mad. What was it that made the coach so important? On the one hand he controlled any possible shot you had it playing in the game you loved so much. On the other...

When was the last time you were stuck in a rut of negativity? First, I would like to welcome you back to the Jumpseat! I apologize for the length of time since my last post as I studied for promotion and made the journey to the Firehouse World conference in San Diego, CA. It was an amazing week of learning for me and hopefully the students who attended my two sessions. I look forward to sharing the experience here on Views from the Jumpseat in the near future. The first experience I would like to share comes from the plane ride from Ohio to Texas. As we boarded our plane, that was not bigger than my favorite pickup truck, I sat down next to an intriguing businessman of German descent. We began chatting about many different topics...

I have a very high energy eight-year-old that studies and practices martial arts. Recently he was preparing himself for his next belt examination and was having trouble with a few the techniques. In an effort to help him through these problems I set him up with a couple of private lessons for one-on-one help. I sat and observed one of these lessons and listened closely as the instructor worked with him. Each time this young man would do the technique improperly the frustration would grow. Finally the instructor asked him why he was messing up so bad, and with reluctance he said "because I'm going so fast." That was the right answer. Next it was explained that if you want to do better, you must slow down and practice. I listened more and...

Keeping "service" in the fire service is not just a marketing imperative. It's a leadership responsibility. And, if you are the leader, the essence of leadership is not just about empowering people to execute the organizational mission as a result of your presence, but making that impact last and grow in your absence. When it comes to the marketing mission of the fire service, every department and firefighter represents the best of us - protecting life and property after we have done our best to prevent an emergency incident in the first place. We do not have the luxury of segmenting our markets. We are a "democratic service." Every citizen receives the same quality of service regardless of socioeconomic position. Whether you are an...