Professional Goals

Having nearly 27 years of experience in the fire service, I am far from being ready to hang up my boots. I picked up my academic journey again with a personal mission to complete something I had begun many years ago, which I had put on hold for various reasons. Having gained experience throughout my career, working with numerous leaders in my organization and across the country, learning lessons from multiple conferences and training courses, and completing my degree program in Organizational Leadership, I have approached this project with creating a ‘second career’ in mind. I have developed a passion for continuing professional development of fire personnel. There is a need to continue to grow the up-and-coming leaders of our respective organizations. I am looking to help not only fire departments, but also any organization in filling this need. The theories and modalities that I have learned and incorporated into my professional development curriculum are applicable across many disciplines, not just the fire service.

First Things First

There is no secret sauce to having a successful career in the fire service—the work, by nature, is at times hard and laborious. What I did early on to meet my professional goals was very simple.

Show up ready to work. Expecting anything less than to put in a full, honest day's work is a recipe for disaster.
Be curious. Watch, listen, learn. ASK QUESTIONS!
Be willing to do the work that no one else wants to do.
Show initiative and be coachable.

Make Yourself Available

Continue to build upon the professional and personal development curriculum I have already initiated within my organization for those seeking to further their careers, but unsure of how to do so, or for individuals who advocate for and sponsor them.

Create a local presence as someone who offers these services on an individual or group level by leveraging relationships and contacts established through various professional groups and organizations.

Visit neighboring fire departments with which we have mutual-aid agreements in place. Ask peers for opportunities or references as I expand my reach and influence.

Personal Branding

I have taken a different approach to building out my brand. Instead of using my own ideas, I gathered information and used feedback from others by:

Utilizing 360 Feedback cycles with peers, coworkers, and subordinates.
Reviewing past evaluations completed by my supervisors.

Mission & Values Statements

Mission statements help us define our self-image and reach our full potential. Miller (2020a)
Our personal mission statements serve as an internal compass (Creative Education, 2011).
Core values decide one’s personal brand, what inspires them, and what sets them apart.

Miller, L. A. (2020b). SMART goals worksheet [Class Handout]. College of Professional and Continuing Studies, University of Oklahoma.

What value do I bring to your organization?

Ethical Leadership

Ensuring equal expectations for all employees
Being honest at all times, even when it is difficult
Creating an environment where employees are empowered to deliver bad news or criticism
Learning how core values and purpose influence vision and mission statements showed me how they relate to goal setting.
Core values, briefly put, are guiding principles by which a person or organization operates. The core purpose is the reason an organization exists (Collins & Porras, 1996).

Collins, J. C., & Porras, J. I. (1996, September/October). Building your company’s vision. Harvard Business Review, 66–77

Leadership Philosophies

Leadership in Organizations:

o Autocratic – The leader makes decisions independently with little or no input from others; focuses on control, structure, and clear direction.

o Democratic – The leader involves team members in decision-making, values input, and encourages collaboration while maintaining final authority.

o Laissez-Faire – The leader provides minimal direction and allows team members significant freedom to make decisions and manage their own work.

o Transformational – The leader inspires and motivates others through vision, enthusiasm, and personal connection, focusing on growth, innovation, and change.

o Transactional - The leader uses clear structures, rewards, and consequences to manage performance and achieve specific goals or tasks.

o Situational - is a leadership model that emphasizes flexibility — the idea that there is no single “best” leadership style. Instead, effective leaders adjust their approach based on the situation, specifically the development level (in terms of competence and commitment) of the people they are leading.

Daft, R. L. (2017). The Leadership Experience. Cengage Learning.

These pictures hold meaning for me for various reasons. They signify the mentorship I have received throughout my career, from someone who took a chance to follow me on a journey into the unknown, and a group of individuals who all trusted and learned from one another. I am very thankful for all of the personalities that I have been surrounded by. They allowed me to challenge them, but also challenged me right back. DK

Page updated

Google Sites