Side Alpha Leadership

In this episode I have a great conversation with Jason Gardner. Jason and I discuss being a good parent and taking care of yourself. The leadership traits you show at work are the same you must strive for at home. Setting a great example at home helps shape you kids. Whether you believe it or not, your kids are watching and listening to you. You must take care of yourself to stay strong, live long and enjoy life.

In this episode I talk with Lt. Nick Pappa of the New Britian Fire Department. Nick brings the leadership perspective from the eyes of a line officer. Nick talks about being able to control the things that are in your control and not get hung up on the things you can't control. We talk about building relationships with your crew and with your bosses. Gaining leadership credibility and empowering your people to take control of projects.

In this episode I had the pleasure to speaking to Batt. Chief David Griffin PhD of the Charleston SC Fire Department. David talks about the Principles of Leadership and being a Servant Leader. We took this position to serve the public and the men and women on the job. Be humble, mentor your people and set up the next generation to take your job when you're gone.

You own your own firefighter training company. The pandemic hits. What do you do? You write a 3 volume book and keep right on teaching. This month I speak with Bobby Eckert. Bobby is a Captain with the City of Camden Fire Department in NJ. Bobby owns Eckert Fire Tactics. A firefighter training company. When you leave your fire training academy you know just enough to get you in trouble. Bobby takes your basic skills and enhances them with real world tactics. Bobby talks about his view as a Captain and how he leads his shift while gaining their respect.

In this episode I am joined by Chief Anthony Avillo Anthony is a retired Deputy Chief of the North Hudson Fire Department in New Jersey. He is the co author of the the book Full Contact Leadership and Fireground Strategies. He is a long time presenter at FDIC. Anthony talks about the Prime Directive and asks "are you ready to go to work, if not you culture is broken"

I had a great talk with Frank Ricci. I continue to talking about communication. Being able to talk and listen are core skills you must possess to be a successful leader. Being able to make decisions is key when operating on the fireground. Decision making starts when you are a new firefighter and you continue to hone that skill as you move forward in your career, so you can make decisions with incomplete intel. As better information comes in you will be able fine tune your decision making on the fly.

If you read any NIOSH report you will find that a lack of communications was a factor in most firefighters injuries or death. In business poor communications can cost money and people their jobs. Being a skilled communicator is an art. You have to be a good talker, but more importantly you have to be a good listener. You have to put your ego in check and be open to what others have to say. In this episode I talk with Battalion Chief Sam Villani about talking with your people and listening them. The power of accurate fire ground communications and empowering your people to speak up and share their thoughts and ideas.

My guest Clay Anderson talks about being a servant leader and having a good dose of humility. Clay is active in the Navy and working on his Masters Degree in Leadership. He gives his views on servant leadership and humility. A servant leader displays the following characteristics: Empowerment Standing back Humility Authenticity Courage Accountability Interpersonal Acceptance Stewardship Just to name a few.

This month I have a great conversation with Robert James (RJ) about training getting buy in from your shift and passing on what you have learned and motivating you people. RJ is a career firefighter in the DC Metro area and the President and founder of Capitol Fire Training LLS. RJ has dedicated his fire service life in learning the craft honing his skills and passing on what he has learned to the next generation.

I am joined once again with my good friend Sam Villani. Sam and I talk about how to encourage your people. Leaders say "I take care of my people" but do they walk the walk or just talk the talk. Taking care of them when they are down, boosting their confidence and letting them take the lead. As a leader it is important to build your people up and get them ready for the next level in their careers. Treat your people as if they are the most important part of the organization.

This month I had the pleasure of talking to (ret) Battalion Chief Anthony Kastros. Anthony is the author of Mastering the Fire Service Assessment Center and Understanding Unified Command. In this show we talk about succession planning and building up the new firefighters and line officers to one day take your position. Anthony explains mentoring, training, getting ready for you next promotional exam and leading using the Incident Command System.

Fire Chief Tom Coe talks about his journey in the fire service as a rookie to becoming the Fire Chief and what leadership lessons he has learned along the way.

I sit down with my good friend and fellow Capitol Fire Training instructor (ret) FDNY Capt. Tony Tricarico. We discuss training, keeping your guys engauged, leading by example and protecting your shift from upper management.

In this episode (ret)Command Master Chief and Navy SEAL Jason Gardner talks about his past experiences as a SEAL and a Leader. In his 30 plus year career he honed his skills as a leader by understanding humility, relationship building and keep the ego in check.

I have the pleasure of speaking to my good friend Frank Ricci. Frank and I Co-host a radio show called Politics and Tactics for Fire engineering. In this episode we talk about making change, listening, being humble and keeping your ego in check. All are great traits to have if you want to be an effective leader.

To be a good leader you need to connect with your people. My guest is my good friend Sam Villani. This episode we talking about 1. connecting with the people who work for you, I reference the book "The Military Leader" By Andrew Steadman. We touch on a few points the author writes about. 2. We close out with, setting expectations for your shift.

In this episode my guest Lt. Shelly Wheeler and I discuss how Leadership in the fire service the military and the business world intersect.

In this episode I speak with my friend Lt. David Braun. David is a former Marine Scout Sniper who spent 7 years with the Marines with much of his time in Afghanistan where he serves at the rank of Sergeant. David is now a Fire/Rescue Lieutenant in the DC Metro Area. We dig into the leadership lessons learned in the military and how it fits into the fire service.

Today I am joined by my good friend Capt. Sam Vallani. This episode we discuss being a mentor in today's fire service. We will talk about being a mentor, how to be a mentor and setting your people up for success.

In this episode I sit down with my good friend Phil Bird. He is a Battalion Chief in the Washington DC Metro Area. Phil and I talk about the fire service in general and how we got to where we are. We talk about the job and do excel and what it means to be a good leader and how to earn respect.

In this episode I speak with my good friend Tracy who is a high end hair stylist to many people including many rock stars. She has led a fascinating life and has rubbed elbows with some great musicians.

This episode talks about building construction, the different hands on trades, how to make a living and how building constructions effects cost, time and the fire service. My special guest is Shawn Broughton

Questions and answers from a Hospice RN