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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
Building the best future for the fire department requires concrete processes; here are 10 things every chief can do toward that end
Underlying animosity between the departments harms both and those we’re sworn to protect; here’s how to bring the sides together
When crime drops, cops are doing their jobs; when fires drop, firefighters are lazy — here’s how to overcome that perception
Life comes down to the small things, and seemingly small, off-handed comments to the public can undermine their trust and support
Fire departments are easy targets for criticism; fire chiefs need to know how, when, why and if to respond
They come off as village idiots, screaming and raging at firefighters; in reality they are simply ignorant … of what we do
True leadership is remembering who you are all the time — not just when making a formal presentation or commanding an emergency scene
Fire departments should find the balance between vigilance and intrusion when considering a candidate’s social media history
These statements reflect an attitude that may seem harmless in the short term, but will undermine leadership in the long run
Laziness, arrogance and apathy are often masks for incompetence; not identifying and fixing the root cause can jeopardize firefighter safety