Challenges: 2022 Wildland Fire National Leadership Campaign - Learning in the Wildland Fire Service

Challenge #1

• Download/print a copy of Learning in the Wildland Fire Service.
• Follow along on the WFLDP social media/blog as we read the publication in 2022.

Challenge #2

• Prepare a leadership journal for 2022.
• Journalize your intentions for leadership development.
  • Capture key points from the Learning in the Wildland Fire Service bi-weekly reading found on our blog or social media platforms available via our website.

Challenge #3

Learning is vital to thriving in high-risk environments.

• Update your self-development plan.
• If you do not have a self-development plan, see our website.

Challenge #4

The three chief pillars of learning within the wildland fire service:

• Inquiry. We seek to understand.
• Opportunity. We create conditions for learning.
• Dialogue. We constructively exchange ideas.
  • Devote one page per pillar in your journal. Throughout the campaign, write down ways you can practice each pillar. Document your progress.
  • Look for opportunities to talk with your team about the pillars. Take action to improve as students of fire.

Challenge #5

Tenets of Inquiry: Be Humble • Know the System • Be Accountable

Respond to the following on your “Inquiry” page in your journal:

• Are you open to the possibility for improvement?
• What are the informal and formal learning systems around you and your part in them?
• What and how are you teaching and learning in those systems?

Challenge #6

Inquiry: It is each individual’s responsibility to think about how they are learning and seek any and all avenues to improve their knowledge and skill level.

• Identify how learning takes place in all the environments you operate in.
• Make an effort to improve what needs improving.
• Monitor goals and progress in your journal.

Challenge #7

You are responsible for yourself first—building on the strengths you bring to the organization and improving the weaknesses you have.

In your journal, take inventory of your gifts.

• What do you do really well?
• What does your organization need you to do that you are not very good at?
• How do you learn best, and how can you better yourself so that you can provide more value to your team?

Challenge #8

Leaders build learning organizations.

Select at least one Rapid Lesson Sharing submission from the LLC's database.

In your journal or with your team discuss the following:

• What happened?
• What are the lessons?

Challenge #9

Good leaders apply critical thinking and not judgment to sense making.

• Listen to LLC podcast "Bad Apples."
• Reassess discussion/thoughts from Challenge #8.
  • Did you or your team members apply the Bad Apples Theory to this incident?
  • Are you less likely to judge those you know than those you don't?

Challenge #10

Effective teams adopt and internalize a common set of values.

• Review the wildland fire leadership values and principles with your team.
• Reread “How Did We Learn ‘Duty, Respect, and Integrity?’” (Learning in the Wildland Fire Service, pp. 14-15)
  • Why are “common definitions and agree-upon principles for leadership” important?

Challenge #11

Good leaders look for new opportunities for inquiry and dialogue.

• Discuss the difference between training, education, and experience (TEE) with your team.
• Look for ways to artfully combine TEE into a well-crafted opportunity.
• Seek opportunities to be a teacher and a student throughout the campaign.
  • Share your experience with your team members and in your journal.

Challenge #12

Good teachers craft great learning experiences.

• Visit the Tactical Decision Game Library and facilitate a sand table exercise with your team.
  • Interplay questions and answer and problems and solutions to produce tangible results.
  • Ensure participants get to be teachers and students.
  • Conduct an AAR with your team.

Challenge #13

When planning and conducting teaching and learning, leaders target behaviors for change. Be better!

• Assess your leadership environment.
  • Ensure team and individual behaviors are ethical and align with organizational values.
  • Seek an outside source to ensure that perceptions match reality.
• Develop a plan for behavioral change.
• Implement the plan.

Challenge #14

Students of fire have a desire and responsibility to learn.

• Review your learning plan.
  • Break opportunities into two categories—desired learning and responsible to learn.
• Work with your local training officer to set goals and register for learning.
• Never stop learning.

Challenge #15

Students of fire learn from accidents.

• Download and review the Facilitated Learning Analysis and Learning Review Implementation Guide.
• Follow the FLA process through a non-complex event to foster localized learning.

Challenge #16

Effective leaders are critical thinkers.

• Review “Clocks and Clouds” in Learning in the Wildland Fire Service,” p. 23.
• Watch “Karl Popper, Science, & Pseudoscience.”
• Apply this analogy when reviewing incidents or accidents on the fireline.

Challenge #17

Leaders are readers.

• Review “Implementing a Reading Program on Local Units” on the WFLDP website.
• Implement or refresh a reading program on your local unit.
• Encourage members to read at least two books a year.

Challenge #18

Leaders learn from past events and apply them to the future.

• Download and review the “Wildland Fire Staff Ride Guide.”
• Brainstorm with your team about a local event that could be made into a staff ride.
  • Reach out to the Staff Ride Coordinator for assistance.
• Attend or reflect upon a staff ride you have attended. Journal about the following:
  • Lessons learned
  • Impacts of experiential learning impacts on you, your team, and the wildland fire service

Challenge #19

Effective leaders know what motivates their team.

• Read “Magnets” in Learning in the Wildland Fire Service, pp. 27-28.
• Work with team members to identify personal and team “magnets”—things that draw you in and things that repel you.
• Select a past event. Apply the concept of “magnets” as you review the incident.

Challenge #20

Students of fire honor through learning.

• Review case studies found on the LLC website.
• Select a study and facilitate a learning session for your team.
• Develop a case study for a local incident and send to the LLC as appropriate.

Challenge #21

Effective leaders debrief the day’s events with their teams.

• Review “After Action Reviews” in Learning in the Wildland Fire Service, pp. 28-30.
• Visit the AAR tool on the WFLDP website.
• Practice debriefing sessions with all team members.

Challenge #22

Effective leaders cultivate learning organizations to pass on lessons.

• Subscribe to the LLC’s “What’s New” e-newsletter.
• Share lessons and reports with your team.

Challenge #23

Good leaders create psychologically safe environments in which their team can share.

• Watch Amy Edmondson’s “Building a Psychologically Safe Workplace” TedTalk.

• Survey and associated exercises.

Challenge #24

Good leaders are self-directed learners.

• Seek out at least one opportunity to teach or learn this week.
• Share what you’ve learned with your team.
• Write about your experience in your journal.

Challenge #25

Students of leadership understand how their biases may affect learning.

• Review “The Cognitive Bias Codex.”
• Bookmark for future use.

Challenge #26

Effective teams ensure multiple perspectives of an issue and solutions are considered.

• Watch Paul Bridle’s video “Playing Devil’s Advocate.”
• Refer to Read Write Think’s guide “How to Play Devil’s Advocate.”
• Establish the use of a “Devil’s Advocate” as a regular part of your decision making.

Challenge #27

Effective leaders are proficient in the use of constructive feedback and positive reinforcement.

• Watch “The secret to giving great feedback."
• Watch “Feedback is a Gift.”

Challenge #28

A good learning environment is characterized by open communication; mutual trust and respect; freedom to raise issues and engage in debate; clear and obtainable goals, objectives and teamwork.

• With your team or via self-reflection, respond to the following questions:
  • What is the learning climate of your unit?
  • How do you—regardless of your position—contribute?

Challenge #29

Effective leaders provide a safe place for learning.

• With your team or via self-reflection, respond to the following questions:
  • Where are learning opportunities occurring?
  • Are learning opportunities lecture-focused instead of experiential?
  • Are we training like we “fight”?
  • Are students engaged?
• Make a plan to learn as much as possible in the work environment.

Challenge #30

Effective leaders create ideal learning environments that engage learners.

• Read “Creating the Ideal Environment – How to Maximize Time, Resources, and Engagement.”
• Answer the following questions:
  • Do leaders set the daily work environment and create a positive learning climate?
  • Are learning spaces free from distractions and interruptions?
  • Are teachers prepared to teach?
  • Are learners engaged?

Challenge #31

Effective teachers have good command presence.

• Listen to Monica Morrison and Travis Dotson talk about command presence.
• Learn about command presence on the WFLDP blog.

Challenge #32

Great leaders show they care.

• Watch “The One Thing All Great Teachers Do.” 
• In your journal, reflect on your ability to:
  • Celebrate mistakes
  • Appreciate differences
  • Relay feedback
  • Evaluate yourself

Challenge #33

Effective teachers/leaders are good role models.

• Watch “How to be a good role model.”
• Read “The Seven Traits of a Role Model.”
• Select three traits from the above references to work on. Chart your progress in your journal.

Challenge #34

Effective teachers/leaders master the art of smooth transitions.

• Read “Why transitions are the key to an effective classroom & how to improve them.”
• During an activity, note the amount of time transitions take away from learning/productivity. Implement ways of reducing transition time.

Challenge #35

Effective teachers/leaders have well-structured learning environments.

• Watch “Classroom Management: Managing Time.”
• Select at least one idea to integrate into your learning/leading environment.

Challenge #36

Effective teachers/leaders do not overwhelm their students/people.

• Create agendas where topics last no more than 20 minutes.
• Ensure smooth transitions between topics and schedule quality breaks.
• Obtain feedback from your students/people.

Challenge #37

Effective leaders practice situational awareness at all times.

• Read “5 Ways to Instantly Read Your Audience” by Speaker Hub.
• Become an observer during a meeting or classroom session.
  • Note audience participation – eye contact, body language, tone of voice, level of engagement.
• Practice audience awareness during your deliveries. Adjust as necessary.

Challenge #38

Effective teachers/leaders hold their people accountable.

• Watch/listen to “Jocko’s Issue With Holding People Accountable.”

• Tie all instruction back to the fireline with life-and-death decisions they will face in the realm of complexity.

Challenge #39

Effective leaders challenge their learners with manageable difficulties.

•  Ensure environments provide a safe place for people to learn.
  • Use tactical decision games and sand table exercises.
  • Assign coaches.
• Delegate tasks that stretch your team members beyond their comfort level.

Challenge #40

Effective leaders/teachers give recognition.

• Give each of your students/team members positive reinforcement.
• Set up a method of recognizing your people doing “good”/well in the field and in the classroom.”

Challenge #41

Effective leaders/teachers stimulate cooperation among team members/students.

• Facilitate a pre-mortem exercise.
  • See the TDGs Library.
  • Role play the response to a serious accident or incident.
• Conduct a team building session.
  • See FLAC in the WFLDP Toolbox.

Challenge #42

Effective leaders/teachers express their intentions.

• Watch “Leader’s Intent” with Mark Smith. 

• Check out more “intent” references in our Toolbox.

Challenge #43

Leaders/teachers are effective storytellers.

• Read Hold and Improve – collection of fire stories edited by Bre Ocrasitas.
• Click here for more storytelling references on our blog.

Challenge #44

Leaders/teachers actively listen in order to give constructive feedback.

• Be present when interacting with others.
• Encourage students/team members to dig deeper by asking relevant questions to further conversations.

Challenge #45

Leaders and students have integrity.

• Journalize about your journey as a leader with integrity.
  • Know yourself.
  • Seek self-improvement.
  • Seek responsibility.
  • Take responsibility for your actions.
  • Set the example.
• Set one goal to accomplish in 2023 to further your development.

Challenge #46

Leaders are motivated to make things better.

• Send comments/feedback to the LLC about Learning in the Wildland Fire Service.

Challenge #47

Effective leaders/teachers take notes.

• Read Dan Rockwell’s “Idiots Don’t Take Notes.”
• In your journal, write down the things that make someone trustworthy and the four key building blocks to develop strong character. Assess your character.

Challenge #48

Leaders are compassionate.

• Read the Daily Coach “Kind vs. Nice” blog.
• If you haven’t already, create a personal journal and begin taking notes.

Challenge #49

Leaders share what they learn.

• Routinely share lessons learned between your team members.
• Ensure all members of the team contribute.
• Document lessons learned and shared.

Challenge #50

Successful leaders develop leaders. High performing team members crave development.” – Dan Rockwell

• Build a culture of lifelong learning into your organization.
• Work with your team to develop a plan to develop self and team.

Challenge #51

Effective leaders/teachers embrace a growth mindset.

• Identify areas you want to focus personal and crew development in 2023.
• Embed learning opportunities into your daily/weekly/monthly calendar.
• Set the example for others to follow.

Challenge #52

Leaders contemplate the past, present, and future.

In our journal respond to the following:

• Past – Reflect upon this year’s campaign. What did you learn? How will you integrate these nuggets into your leadership environment?
• Present – List five things that matter to you.
• Future – In your journal, list five things you want to accomplish in 2023.