TIP SHEET: Leaving an Inspired Legacy

12-14-11 --  

 

The following tips are based upon insights and concepts shared by Chief Debra Amesqua, a visionary leader and Fire Chief of Madison, Wisconsin for 16 years. Chief Amesqua was the first woman fire chief in the State of Wisconsin and the City of Madison. She has lived the principles below, in her journey to create one of the most inclusive and diverse departments in the country.

 

• Creating a caring and compassionate organizational culture starts at the top. Be clear about your vision and maintain inner resiliency.

 

• The foundation for being a good leader is building, and continually developing, an extensive network of relationships. The real learning is that it’s every bit as important to build relationships with your adversaries as it is with your current and potential advocates.

 

• Be the change you want to see. Be a role model every single day, with every single person you work with and meet.

 

• A leader inspires individuals to do their very best. Be willing to release some control in order to empower the people you’re leading to make decisions, and to do so safely, knowing they have your support for innovative approaches within the framework of a shared vision.

 

• The impacts of legacy become incorporated in the DNA of an organization. Effective leaders go into their position with an awareness of the 'big picture' and a wish to leave a legacy. This wish is not an ego trip; rather it’s a clearly articulated vision to which the department can continue to aspire, long after the leader leaves.

 

• Your greatest legacy at any level in an organization is the people you inspire, train, hire, mentor, manage and promote.

 

• Leadership has been studied and written about for centuries. We can provide dictionary definitions, however, a simpler perspective on one key facet is: Leadership is inspiring people to do things they say they don’t want to do, and to feel good about it.

 

• A lot of people talk about, 'Thinking outside of the box'. If you’re focused on a perceived box, you’re already limiting yourself. Leaders envision what does not exist today, and then they manage work and life from that perspective.

 

• Take the initiative to reach out to the community and engage in volunteer activities to develop connections, trust and your professional reputation.

 

• If you come into the organization with the thought that you're going to maintain the culture the way it is, you're doing the organization a disservice. It would be better to come into the fire service thinking, "This is an industry that is changing dramatically and I want to be a part of that change."

 

• "When I come to the end of all of the light that I know, and I step out into the darkness, I have faith that I will land on solid ground, or I will learn how to fly."

 

Posted by: Fire 20/20    Categories: Article, Newsletter