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Linda Willing

Leading the Team

Linda Willing is a retired career fire officer and currently works with emergency services agencies and other organizations on issues of leadership development, decision-making and diversity management. She was an adjunct instructor and curriculum advisor with the National Fire Academy for over 20 years. Willing is the author of On the Line: Women Firefighters Tell Their Stories and was co-founder of Women in the Fire Service. Willing has a bachelor’s degree in American studies, a master’s degree in organization development and is a certified mediator. She is a member of the FireRescue1/Fire Chief Editorial Advisory Board. Connect with Willing via email.

LATET ARTICLES
In emergency services, the efforts of the crew and lessons learned on the ground are just as important as the outcome
From issues of trust, conflict and commitment to accountability avoidance and inattention, dysfunction can render a team utterly ineffective
The staffing of captains Felicia Barnes, Emily Murphy and Katja Lancing marked the first time all three captain positions at one station were held by women
Fire service leaders must learn to articulate clarity with rules and nuance with standards
If there are protocols for PPE and physical decon, why don’t we conduct ‘mindful decontamination’ following stressful calls?
While meetings are not typically a fan favorite, they can be productive places to gather and collaborate, if managed well
Change is inevitable, but leaders should be aware of how much weight symbols hold when it comes to department identity and cohesion
In the era of essential worker recognition, many firefighters may wonder, “Why aren’t we being treated better? And why isn’t anyone listening to us?”
It’s the responsibility of fire service organizations to provide some education and awareness about the reality of this work
With training and experience, firefighters have a huge advantage in dealing with strange and difficult situations