Billy Schmidt's Page

It’s the week of Halloween, and Zombies are everywhere.There’s even one in my neighbor’s front yard. And yes, they’re in our fire departments too. You’ve seen them, those firefighters walking around unaware of their surroundings. They’re unable to think for themselves; they’re ambulant but require outside direction. How do they get that way? What infects them and transforms them from thinking, engaged firefighters into brain-dead,…

If there’s one frustration I experience more often than others, it’s when someone says, “My leadership style is ….” Why do so many leaders believe they must follow a particular leadership style or model, when most issues can be addressed by a variety of approaches, or even a combination of them? Maybe it’s time to ask ourselves: “Is my leadership style obsolete?”

Today’s fire service leaders are facing more danger, complexity, and uncertainty. And it’s not slowing down. Whether it’s…

By Billy Schmidt

Are you building your fire department administration strategically? How do you find and position the cornerstone members who will ignite interest, introduce new ideas and development, and achieve a dynamically talented team? Can they hit the target?…