Warren Cersley's Blog – January 2015 Archive (4)

ZU ZU MAN

“When I glance in the mirror of my career success and leadership, the reflection I see always has me standing behind those I could trust and those who trusted me.” Me

When I write and speak about leadership, motivation, teamwork and organizational success the discussion usually moves quickly to trust. When I ask “What is right”and“What needs attention” I often…

RANDOM THOUGHTS ON PROMOTION

The teletypes would start to click and in all fire houses across the city and the watch person would announce that the results of the written portion of the promotional process had come out. Interested members would move to the desk to see the results. How did I do, how did my friends do, who is moving on to the assessment center…

STORMS A COMIN

I came from a family of bricklayers and the only ancestor I can track with any Fire Department background was a distant relative who was the Fire Chief of Swansboro, a working class area of south Richmond. Cersley Street is in Swansboro and I made sure that every Rookie knew where it was.…

GEE HAW

While speaking recently at the IAFC/VCOS conference in Florida, I told the story of a time when a fire officer and I didn’t see eye to eye. I said that we did not gee haw. After the session, a Texan approached me and told me that he had not heard gee haw in many years and he asked what the term meant to me. I explained that when two people disagree…