A Framework of Leadership

A Framework for Leadership
The wildland fire service's framework is built upon the following foundational concepts:

• The Authority to Lead versus the Decision to Lead
• The authority to lead is established by law. 
• The ability to lead is something that cannot be legislated.
• A leader's journey is a perpetual cycle of acquiring, shaping, and honing the knowledge and skills of leadership. 
• Leaders choose to sacrifice their own needs for those of their teams and organizations.
•  Art of Leadership
• Committed leaders can inspire others and make an enormous difference in people's lives, on the results of the team, and in the progress of the organization.
• The art of leadership requires a constant interchange of theory and application.
• The art includes being able to view the larger picture.
• The art of leadership requires successfully balancing many factors in the real world, based on the situation at hand, to achieve a successful outcome.
• Wildland Fire - A High-Risk Environment
• We are asked to make tough decisions under a compressed time frame, given limited information, in a complex and high-risk environment.
• Fire leaders must have the ability to integrate varied resources into effective and responsive temporary teams.
• Leadership Environment
• The leadership environment is made up of four elements: 
• The leader
• His/her people
• The situation
• The consequences (short- and long-term effects of the leader's actions)
• Command Philosophy
• Command Based on Intent
• Describing the task, purpose, and end state is the prerequisite for empowering out people to exercise individual initiative an take appropriate risks and actions as the situation requires.
• Unity of Effort
• Leaders must employee multiple leadership skills to influence decisions, forge effective relationships, facilitate cooperative efforts, and ensure that objectives are achieved.
• Command Climate
• Command Presence
• Character is the foundation of command presence.
• Effective leaders project an image that is calm, organized, and focused on success.
• Fire leaders take charge when in charge; we lead from the front and act decisively.
• Communication
• Communication is the primary tool for establishing an effective command climate.
• Communication is the foundation upon which we build trust and enable our teams to develop cohesion.
• Communication enables us to convey objectives and intent, break error chains, and improve situation awareness.

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