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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
Trust should never be taken for granted, but it also has to be given to be earned
Lessons for fire leadership gleaned from the IAFC/VCOS Yellow Ribbon Report on emotional and behavioral health in firefighters
Proper training can help firefighters control their emotional, mental and physiological reactions to abusive members of the community
Leading through positive example and clear expectations crafts firefighters who achieve their full potential
Training exercises carry the same risks as real fires and should be approached with even more caution
Firefighters are uniquely positioned in their communities to see real needs that may be overlooked by others
Training, good leadership, mentoring, and yes, pranks all contribute to creating the best possible firefighters, but hazing has no place in the fire service
To fully end hazing requires a strong push from the top down and the bottom up within a fire department
In-person communication can be a logistics nightmare, but there are times it is the only way for a chief to get important messages to the entire department
Do the right thing because it is right, but also do the right thing because your job, supported by the currency of public trust, depends on it