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Challenges: 2025/2026 NWCG Leadership Campaign – Leadership Levels

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Wildland Fire Five Leadership Levels

Theme:

The theme for the 2025/2026 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign is “Leadership Levels.”

Task:

The campaign will deliver a series of leadership lessons encompassing all levels of leadership from new leaders to leaders of organizations.

Purpose:

The campaign is an annual effort to focus wildland firefighter’s learning to a specific theme in fire line leadership. Each year, a theme is selected that familiarizes wildland firefighters with essential leadership skills and knowledge required to effectively lead teams, manage operations, and make strategic decisions in high-pressure environments. The annual campaign aims to foster a culture of continuous leadership development and excellence within the organization.

End State:

The campaign will familiarize wildland firefighters with essential leadership skills and knowledge required to effectively lead teams, manage operations, and make strategic decisions in high-pressure environments. This campaign aims to foster a culture of continuous leadership development and excellence within the organization.

Dates of Campaign:

Any time between October 1st, 2025 – December 31st, 2026. Leadership levels will be released quarterly.

Audience:

All students of leadership and wildland fire management.

Implementation:

The campaign is flexible. Local units or teams may use or adapt any or all materials (monthly challenges, reading materials, blogs, etc.) found on the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program website, posted on our social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger) or develop a program or activity of their own spotlighting the campaign theme. Campaign coordinators are encouraged to craft the campaign to the needs of the local unit and team. Innovation should fuel your campaign delivery: workshops or tailgate sessions, to kick off staff meetings, as a team activity or self-directed, etc.

2025/2026 Campaign Activities

USWDS Paragraphs

Self-leadership is the foundation upon which other leadership skills are built. It empowers wildland firefighters to lead themselves first, which in turn enhances their ability to lead others and contributes to the success of their teams and missions.

Self-leadership is not just for those new to leadership roles; it remains crucial for experienced leaders as well. As leaders progress in their careers, the ability to lead oneself effectively becomes even more important. Experienced leaders set the tone for their teams, and their actions and attitudes can significantly influence the overall culture and performance. By continuously practicing self-leadership, experienced leaders can:

  • Model Desired Behaviors: Demonstrating commitment, resilience, and integrity encourages others to follow suit.
  • Foster a Culture of Accountability: Leading by example promotes a culture where team members take ownership of their actions and responsibilities.
  • Enhance Personal Growth: Continuous self-improvement ensures that leaders remain effective and relevant in their roles.
     

Objectives

  • Understand the importance of self-leadership in wildland firefighting.
  • Learn about the “OODA” model and its components.

Reading Assignment:

  • "Make Your Bed" by William McRaven: Read chapters one and two and think about the questions in the discussion guide.

Key Concepts: 

Familiarize yourself with the values of leadership in the wildland fire service.

  • Duty: Commitment to responsibilities and tasks.
  • Respect: Valuing others and oneself.
  • Integrity: Upholding ethical standards and honesty.

Reference: Leading in the Wildland Fire Service, PMS 494-2

The “OODA” Decision Making Model: 

This mental model may be new to you. Study it and see if it could be useful to your decision making as a new leader.

  • Observe: Gather information from the environment.
  • Orient: Analyze the information gathered and make sense of it.
  • Decide: Based on the analysis, choose a course of action.
  • Act: Implement the chosen course of action.
  • Reference: Wikipedia: OODA loop

Reflection Questions:

  1. How do the values of duty, respect, and integrity apply to your role as a wildland firefighter?
  2. Which component of the OODA model do you find most challenging, and why?
     

Objectives

  • Apply self-leadership principles in daily tasks.
  • Reflect on personal experiences and growth.

Reading Assignment:

  • "You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader" by Mark Sanborn: Read part one and review the questions in the discussion guide.

Reflection Questions:

  1. How can you demonstrate leadership without a formal title?
  2. What actions can you take to embody the values of duty, respect, and integrity in your daily work?
     

Objectives

  • Practice self-leadership in hypothetical scenarios.
  • Evaluate the impact of self-leadership on team dynamics.

Decision Game: Self-Leadership

Scenario: Your engine crew has been working in Division Mike all day, putting in line and mopping up. There’s now a meeting with all Crew Bosses, Engine Bosses, and the Division Supervisor to plan a potential burn operation, either later tonight or tomorrow morning, depending on the weather and available holding resources.
Back at the engine, nothing has been rehabbed yet. The crew is sitting in the truck, drinking water and relaxing. The Engine Boss, in a rush to get to the meeting, didn’t assign any specific tasks before leaving. Meanwhile, the Engine Operator is busy replacing hose that was damaged during today’s operations.

Response Options:

  • A – Take Action: You take initiative. You begin rehabbing the tool you used, rehab your IA pack, and restock in preparation for the potential burn.
  • B – Hang Out: You decide not to take initiative. You stay in the truck, drink a Gatorade, eat a snack, and joke around with the crew about what might be said when the bosses get back.
  • For both options, imagine some possible outcomes. What would happen if you chose A and found yourself burning a half hour later? What would happen if you chose B and the burn was delayed until the next operational period? How would your Engine Boss respond to option A? What would your Engine Operator say about option B?
  • Did you choose option A or option B? Be honest with yourself.

Reflection Questions:

Personal Reflection:

  1. What factors influenced your decision to either take initiative or wait for direction?
  2. How does your behavior during “downtime” reflect your standards for self-leadership?
  3. What impact did your choice have on team readiness and trust—both among peers and with formal leadership?
  4. In the absence of direct orders, what should guide your actions during transitional periods or slow points in operational tempo?

Team and Culture Reflection:

  1. How do small acts of self-leadership (like rehabbing gear without being told) influence overall team culture and mission readiness?
  2. What other examples of self-leadership can you think of?
  3. What can leaders—at any level—do to foster a crew culture where self-leadership is expected and respected, not mocked or dismissed?

Experienced Leaders: Ask yourself these questions and discuss your reflections with new leaders in your program.

  1. How has your approach to self-leadership evolved over the course of your career?
  2. Can you share an example where your self-leadership positively impacted your team during a critical situation?
  3. What strategies do you use to maintain your self-leadership skills amidst the pressures and demands of your role?
  4. How do you balance self-leadership with the need to delegate and empower others on your team?
     

 

Campaign Archives

 

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Tree canopy with flames underneath, the words The Roots of Wildland Fire Leadership, and roots underneath.

Theme:

The theme for the 2024/2025 Wildland Fire Leadership Campaign is “The Roots of Wildland Fire Leadership.”

Task:

The campaign is an opportunity for personnel at the local level – whether collectively or through self-development – to focus on leadership development activities relating to the national campaign theme.

Purpose:

  • To promote leadership development across the wildland fire community disciplines.
  • To provide opportunities and resources that can be used for leadership development at the local unit level.
  • To collect innovative leadership development efforts and share those efforts across the community.

End State:

A culture that creates and shares innovative leadership development efforts in order to maintain superior leadership in the fire community.

Dates of Campaign:

Any time between May 2024 - May 2025.

Audience:

All students of leadership and wildland fire management.

Implementation:

The campaign is flexible. Local units or teams may use or adapt any or all materials (weekly challenges, reading materials, blogs, etc.) found on the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program website, posted on our social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger), or develop a program or activity of their own spotlighting the campaign theme. Campaign coordinators are encouraged to craft the campaign to the needs of the local unit and team. Innovation should fuel your campaign delivery: workshops or tailgate sessions, to kick off staff meetings, as a team activity or self-directed, etc.

2024/2025 Campaign Activities

Leading in the Wildland Fire Service

  • All – Read “A Framework for Leadership”

Self-Reflection:

  • Spend some time reflecting where you fall within the Levels of Leadership. This role could change based on your environment or assignment.
  • Consider a time where you didn’t necessarily have the “authority to lead” but felt compelled by your “decision to lead”?

Reflection & Action:

  • Follower – During a future briefing consider whether you can identify a clear task, purpose, and end state from the briefing. If not, what are the additional pieces of information you need to bring clarity to your leader’s intent? Practice leading up by respectfully sharing your gap in understanding of planned operations.
  • Leader of People – Team members develop a perception of command climate based on their understanding of how they are expected to perform, how they are treated, and how they must conform to their leader’s individual style and personality. Take time during a staff briefing to give crew members the opportunity to identify what characteristics represent a positive command climate. Evaluate whether those expectations reflect the command climate you’re cultivating and consider opportunities to better align with the expectations of your crew members.
  • Leader of Leaders – The distance between leader and those being led increases the challenges of leading. Develop regular connections to field-level staff to understand how your leader’s intent is communicated by subordinate leaders. If not, how can you work with subordinate leaders to cultivate a command climate that solidifies receipt of your leader’s intent as intended to field-level staff.
  • Leaders of Organizations – Communication is the primary tool for establishing an effective command climate. The ability to communicate effectively is universally rated as one of the most important leadership behaviors. Over the course of the year, contribute two blog posts the Wildland Fire Leadership blog.

Professional Reading Program

Briefing & Intent

  • All – Become familiar with Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program’s Briefing & Intent resources.

Lead by Example Award

  • All – Become familiar with the Paul Gleason “Lead By Example” award.
  • Are there names of past recipients you recognize?
    • If so, what comes to mind when you think about their leadership style, contributions they’ve made to the wildland firefighting community and any lasting impressions they’ve had on you?

Self-Reflection

  • What are three ways you want to grow your leadership journey this season?
  • How can you cultivate a community of leadership, learning, and growth within your unit?
     

Leading in the Wildland Fire Service

  • All – Read “Duty: Accomplishing the Mission”.

Self-Reflection:

  • Situational awareness is a cycle of gathering information through observation and communication. All perceptions are subject to filtering and focusing. Consider what filters you may apply when developing situational awareness. Are there filters that may be inadvertently decreasing your awareness?
  • The more visible power is, the less it works. The less explicitly leaders rely on power to accomplish tasks, the greater their power actually is. Who is someone that you consider a strong leader. Reflect on how and when they assert their power – how do you experience their engagement and leadership?

Reflection & Action:

  • Follower – Leader’s intent can help fill in the gaps when top-level decision makers can’t incorporate new information into a formal planning process. During your next fire assignment, consider whether or not the leader’s intent you receive from the Incident Commander at briefing is translated through the actions taken by divisions or those you might be directly reporting to on the fireline. Would you consider the gaps to be a lack of understanding, or a lack of agreement in direction or something else?
  • Leader of People – Leaders help their people grow by mentoring and sharing experiences. Make time to individually meet with each crew member to hear how they think about their role in leadership, how they may want to grow their leadership skillset, and what you can do to support and mentor them.
  • Leader of Leaders – Fire leaders employ command by putting plans in place, communicating leader’s intent, making decisions, and directing people to take action. Fire leaders maintain control by soliciting feedback regarding the status of the unfolding situation and the results of the action. Control flows upward. Fire leaders provide intent and direction and then gather feedback from subordinates. Consider a time when you didn’t respond well to feedback you received from a subordinate implementing your leader’s intent. What made it challenging to accept that feedback? How did you or how could you address and incorporate growth from this exchange into your leadership style?
  • Leaders of Organizations – In a learning organization, leaders treat honest mistakes as opportunities to do better next time. Understanding that failure is a part of learning, they establish command climates in which young leaders are motivated by desire to succeed rather than fear of failure. Serve as a coach for L-481, Advanced Leadership for Command and General Staff, or develop a tactical decision game for your organization.

Professional Reading Program

After Action Review

  • All – Become familiar with the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program’s After Action Reviews resources.

Lead by Example Award

  • All – Think about the three leadership categories of the Paul Gleason “Lead By Example” award: Mentoring and Teamwork, Motivation and Vision, and Initiative and Innovation.
  • For each category, make a list of famous people you would recommend for this award.
  • Consider what characteristics or actions influenced your decision to recommend them.
  • Are these traits you see in yourself, or can you think of ways that you might incorporate them into your leadership style?

Self-Reflection

  • Are there ways your communication and leadership styles directly impact your unit’s ability to accomplish a task?
     

Leading in the Wildland Fire Service

  • All – Read “Respect: Taking Care of People”.

Self-Reflection:

  • The wildland fire service approach to taking care of people encompasses mind, body, and spirit. While physical safety is often top of mind when developing assignments, what are some ways that you consider physiological and mental well-being when either developing a task or accepting one?
  • Stress represents a significant risk to safety and operational effectiveness. By understanding your own stress reactions, you can potentially implement mitigations to reduce them. Make a list of your triggers for stress, identify the symptoms of your stress, and consider what control mechanisms you have for evolving your stress response.

Reflection & Action:

  • Follower – Leadership is about influencing others to accomplish tasks that are in the best interest of our organization; this often means influencing those above us and leading up. Consider if there have been opportunities in the past where you may have provided a valuable perspective to your leaders. Did you share this with them? If not, what held you back? Are there ways you might feel more empowered to speak up in these situations?
  • Leader of People – Each team member has personal beliefs and interests. By aligning individual points of view toward team results, leaders can leverage individual attitudes to build positive results. Next time you’re preparing an assignment, consider how you’re leveraging each team member’s values and experiences. Are there opportunities to help them grow by giving them a new type of assignment? Is this a situation in which you need your team members to feel in their element? Do you feel like you have a sense of each member’s unique perspective?
  • Leader of Leaders – Leaders create teams that engage in healthy conflict enabling a dynamic exchange of ideas, the voicing of diverse viewpoints, and ultimately, innovative solutions. Are there particular perspectives that you are challenged to consider or with which you resist engaging? What personal biases may be influencing this disconnect? How might you reframe conversations and your own approach to better incorporate diverse perspectives into a cohesive decision?
  • Leaders of Organizations – Fire leaders show respect by keeping people informed. Situational communication involves selecting the appropriate communication tools given the people and the situation involved. Develop a communication plan that identifies various types of audiences within your organization and how you and your peers can tangibly connect with them.

Staff Rides

  • All – Review the Staff Ride Resources. Develop a local staff ride that reviews an incident on your unit as a learning opportunity.
  • Consider the following:
    • Selecting an Event:
      • What event happened last year on your unit that is worth exploring? The event can have an operational challenge or ultimate success.
      • Why is the event worth studying or what do you want people to explore? What are the human dynamics, culture, and processes?
    • Stand 1 Initial Response – How did the organization respond?
    • Stand 2 The Build Up – What are the elements leading up to the event?
    • Stand 3 – Key Situation – This is why the event is worth studying. Consider all the factors that occurred: including human, processes, operational, and the moment in time.
    • Stand 4 – Reactions to the Event – How did people respond?
    • Stand 5 – Aftermath – How was the organization impacted afterwards?
    • Integrations – What learning outcomes of the staff ride can you use moving forward? Integration is a critical element of a staff ride. Participants are encouraged to consider the impact to their current mindset.

Professional Reading Program

Lead by Example Award

  • All – Consider this sentiment from Paul Gleason: “I suppose I would want my legacy to be that firefighters begin to realize the importance of being a student of fire and that I was able to help make that happen.”
    • Take some time to reflect on the people you’ve encountered over the course of your career in wildland fire service.
    • Are there people that come to mind when you think of Gleason’s quote? Are there folks who have promoted this culture and who serve as significant leaders for your journey?

Self-Reflection

  • Consider the dynamics of your current work unit (crew, department, etc.). Are you giving space to the quietest voice within your unit?
  • We grow not only from the positive influences in our lives, but also those that challenged us. Reflect on moments when you were challenged by someone else’s leadership style. Are there ways this exchange has positively or negatively impacted the way you think about leadership?
     

Leading in the Wildland Fire Service

  • All – Read “Integrity: Developing Yourself”

Self-Reflection:

  • Integrity is a measure of where a person stands in times of challenge and controversy. Consider what qualities resonate for you when reflecting on leaders you consider to have a high level of integrity. In contrast, what qualities do you identify with a leader you perceive as lacking integrity?
  • Develop a list of leadership qualities that you currently embody as well as a list that you strive to achieve. What are some action items you can take to increase your personal integrity and grow as a leader?

Reflection & Action:

  • Follower – In many ways, our greatest challenge is to know ourselves. Self-awareness is an inward application of situational awareness. Make a list of what you perceive as your strengths and weaknesses. Ask a mentor to share their own list of what they perceive to be your strengths and weaknesses. Where do you see overlap? Are there elements of your mentor’s list that surprised you? Work with your mentor to develop strategies to address your weaknesses and develop tactics for growth.
  • Leader of People – Effective leaders share information about themselves with others. Leaders who build rapport with team members can enable them to help the leader compensate for weaknesses. Consider the most recent assignment you’ve given subordinates. Were there opportunities to incorporate relevant thoughts that give folks a greater understanding of you as a leader? How might you incorporate more of this approach in the future?
  • Leader of Leaders – The best leaders are lifelong students of fire leadership. What are the resources you use to continue learning? Consider sharing these resources with other leaders, creating a culture of learning and opportunities for others to feel comfortable sharing their resources.
  • Leaders of Organizations – Fire leaders set the example by exhibiting strong character, by showing optimism, and encouraging others, even when facing setbacks. Participate in a 360-degree feedback review. Identify action items to improve upon in the next year.

Professional Reading Program

Independent Study

  • All – No matter how long you work in the wildland fire service, being a successful firefighter means being a student of fire. Along your career path you will have many opportunities to learn. A complete leadership development process will include formal training, challenging field experiences, and your own self-directed learning efforts. Enroll in the Leadership Self-Study program to continue growing beyond the standard leadership course delivery.

Lead by Example Award

  • All – Review your list of people who have impacted your leadership journey in the wildland fire service. Send in a nomination for this year’s Paul Gleason “Lead By Example” award.
  • Criteria for evaluating nominations includes:
    • Demonstration of significant accomplishment in the stated category (Mentoring and Teamwork, Motivation and Vision, and Initiative and Innovation).
    • Alignment with the Wildland Fire Leadership values and principles.
    • Scope of accomplishment, considering available resources.

Self-Reflection

  • Take some time to reflect on the past year. Did you see any growth or change in your leadership style? Are there ways you may have wished you handled a situation differently? How will you carry the experiences of the past year into the future?
  • Reflect on a time that you greatly admired someone’s leadership actions this year.
  • What are your next steps in your leadership journey? Are there leadership courses you want to take? Are there growth opportunities beyond the classroom?
     

2023 campaign banner – In Service Of Others

In Service Of Others - Wildland Fire National Leadership Campaign Reference Guide

2022 Campaign banner

 

Learning in the Wildland Fire Service - Wildland Fire National Leadership Campaign Reference Guide

2021 Campaign banner

Sharpening Your Tools - Wildland Fire National Leadership Campaign Reference Guide

2020 Campaign banner

Do You Know Who You Are - Wildland Fire National Leadership Campaign Reference Guide

2019 Campaign banner

The Art of Leadership - Wildland Fire National Leadership Campaign Reference Guide

2018 campaign banner

No 2018 Reference Guide - No awards given for 2018

2017 Reference Guide - No awards given for 2017

2016 Reference Guide - No awards given for 2016

2015 Reference Guide

Winner: Washington DNR, South Puget Sound Region

2014 Reference Guide

Winner: Ruby Mountain Hotshots

2013 Reference Guide

Winner: Boulder County Sheriff's Office, Special Operations Leadership Development

NWCG Latest Announcements

Updated! L-280, Followership to Leadership (Instructor-led) Course

Date: October 3, 2024
Questions? Please contact:
Leadership Committee

NWCG is pleased to announce the updated L-280, Followership to Leadership (Instructor-led) course is now available. L-280 is intended for operational personnel at the Firefighter Type 1 level, and for individuals pursuing Leadership Level 2, New Leader. 

This instructor-led course is a primer on leadership and the second formal course in the Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program. It helps emerging leaders build the confidence, skills, and mindset needed to lead effectively in high-risk environments. 

For more information about leadership development and available courses, visit the Leadership Committee Web Portal.

References:

L-280, Followership to Leadership (Instructor-led)

Wildland Fire Leadership Development Program

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

Equipment Advisory 25-01: Pre-2006 Fire Shelter Degradation and Discontinuation of Use

Date: Sept 26, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Equipment Technology Committee 

The Equipment Technology Committee (ETC) has released Equipment Advisory 25-01: Pre-2006 Fire Shelter Degradation and Discontinuation of Use. This advisory recommends all pre-2006 fire shelters should be removed from service by January 1, 2026.

This advisory recommends firefighters and fire managers to:

  • Inspect fire shelters immediately
  • Replace and destroy any pre-2006 shelters (identified by white or pink insert label)
  • Order replacements as needed

For further details, please refer to the complete advisory. 

References:

Equipment Advisory 25-01: Pre-2006 Fire Shelter Degradation and Discontinuation of Use

NWCG Fire Inspection Flowchart, PMS 411-1

NWCG Alerts

NEW! S-219, Firing Operations (Blended) Now Available

Date: Sept 11, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Fuels Management Committee 

The S-219, Firing Operations (Blended) course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal. Developed through the Incident Performance and Training Modernization (IPTM) effort, this training supports individuals working towards Firing Boss, Single Resource (FIRB) incident qualifications.

This blended course combines online and instructor-led training to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to perform the duties of the FIRB, as described in the NWCG Incident Position Standards for Firing Boss, Single Resource, PMS 350-105.

Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2026.

References:

S-219, Firing Operations (Blended)

NWCG Firing Boss, Single Resource Position Page

Wildland Fire Learning Portal

NWCG Committees Observe Suicide Prevention Awareness Week: September 7-13, 2025

Date: Sep 5, 2025
Questions? Please contact:
Mental Health Subcommittee

The NWCG Mental Health Subcommittee (MHSC) and Risk Management Committee (RMC) recognize the unique challenges and demands faced by the wildland fire community. The MHSC and RMC know that we are all stronger together and believe in fostering a culture of support, understanding, and resilience.

Suicide Prevention Awareness encourages us to actively connect with and support each other. For more information that could make a difference for yourself or someone else please review the materials and resources provided for the 2025 Suicide Prevention Awareness Week.

References:

2025 Suicide Prevention Awareness Week Materials and Resources