Team Leadership: Guiding Principles to Overcome Adversity

Written By: Jason Ilowite

Recently, Rigging Lab Academy concluded a 5 day custom rope rescue course for a small, all volunteer team on the island of St.John in the US Virgin Islands. The course was set to focus on utilization of a large cache of recently purchased, modern rope rescue equipment such as an artificial high directional, MPD and ID. The team had a varying level of rope experience ranging from solid experienced technician, to never touched a harness before. A course outline was made, daily plans were set, and all we had to do was wait for 0800 on day 1 to start.

Balls Get Dropped… When Reality Hits, Be Ready For Anything

Upon arriving on the island, RLA met with the team’s leadership to tie up some final odds and ends, scout out some sites, and inspect the new cache of equipment. It was during this last step where plans were changed drastically. It was discovered that the artificial high directional that the course was to be focused around was missing. After digging a bit further, it was discovered it was never even shipped by the manufacturer. This was of no fault of the team’s, they had never even seen this high directional before and as a result did not know what to look for amongst all their new gear. Simply put, the manufacturer dropped the ball.

As the instructor, my initial thoughts were man, this is really unfortunate as the AHD was to be the focus of the class. It wasn’t until we started scouting out training locations that reality hit me. We have no AHD, and the environment on the island was one of the most challenging I’ve seen to rig, and presented little to no natural High Directional options. Suddenly, I had 5 days of instruction to fill without the main time occupying component (the AHD), in an environment that would be challenging to rig even for the most experienced rope gurus out there, and a team with a handful of folks who had never transitioned a high angle edge. It was time to change gears, with just one evening to figure it all out before class started.

Heroes In Our Midst… Just Coming Off Back To Back Category 5 Hurricanes

As an individual instructor, and a member of the RLA team, failure was not an option. We had been dealt a very trying circumstance, that honestly would likely make some other rope instructors turn their nose up and say, “Get back to us when you have the gear”. This training however had nothing to do with me, or us (RLA). It was for and about them. They are the Heroes.  They were a team who had weathered two category 5 Hurricanes (Maria and Irma) and were motivated and knowledge hungry in order to better serve their community. We would have to come through, we owed them that. Here are a few guiding principles that I tried to adhere to so that we were able to ensure the best outcome possible.

Expect The Unexpected

Expect the unexpected. Try hard not to be frazzled when plan A does not work out. Be confident in your abilities as a leader, instructor, and rigger to deliver a plan B. If you are really effective at this, the group you are teaching should never know a plan A existed.

Attitude Is Key… No One Cares About Your Excuses

Attitude is everything. Nothing will ever be perfect, and occasionally several less-than-perfect things happen all at once. Around day 3 I briefly hit a mental block after several unfavorable events surrounding the lack of gear, and effective training locations. As a human being it is ok to be frustrated. The difference is, as the leader everyone is looking to you to make it work. Even if at that moment you feel like “making it work” will take super human abilities that you don’t possess. The fact of the matter is, no one cares about your excuses. You are in the position you’re in for a reason. Lower your shoulder, put a smile on your face, find a new approach and do what you are there to do.

Kill The Ego

Tie a cinder block around your ego and push it off of a cliff. Being the instructor, or leader, or supervisor does NOT mean you have all the answers. Every single individual you meet has something to offer and knowledge that you do not. Don’t be so proud that you are foolish and do not listen. Use the unique knowledge of those you are teaching, leading, or supervising to your advantage. There are some out there that are intimidated by knowledge that students or subordinates bring to the table just because they know more about a particular subject than they do. If you are that kind of “leader” you need to step down from your leadership position..and do it immediately.

Excellence In Leadership Means Having An Open

Be open, honest, and transparent about EVERYTHING. There is no room for secrets in leadership. Communicate fully with your students about your expectations, their progress, the goals you have for them, and the challenges you are facing as a class. Everyone should have a seat at the table. Doing anything that is the opposite of this is a guaranteed way to lose trust. Without trust, you have absolutely nothing.

If An Individual Isn’t Getting It, It Is The Leaders Fault

If at any point you feel like a student just “isn’t getting it”, you need to take a good hard look at your delivery method as a teacher. It is NEVER their fault and most assuredly ALWAYS your fault if they can not grasp a skill. You are the leader, it is incumbent upon you to figure out how to alter your delivery to ensure the success of your class. If they fail, it is because you have failed as a leader.

The end result of this class was a huge success. We all endured the challenges together and found a groove to really accomplish a ton of learning. Yes, there was a bit of adversity to deal with at first, but not a single person walked away without solid knowledge in their mental tool box, and a smile on their face.

Cheers, Jason

To Jason, it’s important that people who practice rope rescue craft an understanding of the “why” behind the “how”, something that is not often something explored in the fire department rescue world. As an instructor at Rigging Lab Academy, Jason offers a great perspective from both inside and outside the fire rescue world which allows him to convey important messages to his audience in a very relatable way.

 

Peace on your Days

Lance

Categories

About The Author:

40 thoughts on “Team Leadership: Guiding Principles to Overcome Adversity”

  1. 585773 574752I truly got into this post. I located it to be interesting and loaded with special points of interest. I like to read material that makes me think. Thank you for writing this excellent content material. 878109

  2. 3 online dating sites to Meet Single Women

    For those keen on starting slow and getting to know someone well, Is a best selling option. Having bought both OKCupid and PlentyOfFish, Match thought to be largest relationship sites around today.You have so many great the possiblility to strike up a conversation with charmdate review a beautiful woman and see if you a good match for each other. And there are many success stories that show how well it works.The goal with is to locate a real connection, So make sure that you fill out your profile fully and accurately. your preferences for food, religious beliefs, theater, And sex really should be clear.within weeks, You find that sexy single lady who shares your interests and you be able to take your relationship offline and one stage further.Adult Friend FinderMaybe you looking to meet single women who want to get to business. Adult Friend Finder is a great site for you because it the most significant sexually focused hookup site around.You don have to waste time wondering what on her mind. that you meet on AFF, you realize the ball in your court to make your move and seal the deal.more than just a scroll of photos, albeit, Adult Friend Finder has a number of useful features that will keep your own hunt sexy and interesting. Try out the live cams and reach the action before you ever leave home.And features like or Not let you quickly scroll past individuals who don turn you on and find the lady that pushes all your buttons.like to meet single women or set up a hot affair? You find the person you attempting to get on here. Whatever you desire you will find. So if you looking on the web for more info on sexy, enticing, And mature ladies or tirelessly scrolling for a person young and free, NSA can help to.

  3. actually purely available for android mobile phone, this particular request allows you access fully UkraineDate effectiveness by way of smartphone, is usually very convenient for you whether you taking a trip most often or just need to meet up with magnificent Ukrainian men and women from the comfortableness of the chosen furniture. share a spare-time activities, best loved motion pictures, ultimate take a trip goals, reference books, world, and moreover customs. when you in to Ukrainian mothers, wanting them at the top Ukraine these dating sites will be the most result. as many see another you’ve made, They will say to you. in my opinion one’s destiny of dating is direct appointments. furthermore, though i actually tell personals Ukrainian young women, It should certainly spare your site a whole lot of dinero, that will often you could possibly have had to devote to your vacation to Ukraine. If they would like to get hitched in addition to encounter younger, they’ll be honest with this complete. a toddler dreams about big event and your ex wife once a girl is over 25 and he or she nevertheless single and does not have any toddlers, It transforms a valuable stress on her behalf and then for her family and they come to a decision to fuse an online dating online store the fact to find her liked one.

    Ukrainian great lady completely dedicates her life to their much loved husband’s comments. lucrative. it is the key grade for a husband to be associated with a Ukrainian sweetheart. be certain, your own personal future associate is able to keep the balance regarding any personal life spheres with is a really good lady. mister. & Mrs. Mo I was given birth to when it comes to Cairo, Egypt gone to Ukrain juste in addition to 2014 my favorite liked partner Ukraian. always if you wish to find want applying Ukrainian young girl it s better to find the doll at Ukraine? to start with, Ukrainian housewives want a real love while using faith based closeness. So i made my own going group in Kiev for guys to look, maintain personal goes combined with womans personally, realize actually like on top of that practical experience Ukrainian subculture food pointing to employees it`s. calorie consumption. it is not important the town then you just go to, You’ll be surprised about exactly enthusiastic, and as a consequence plan-focused they girl are undoubtedly.

    globally a relationship systems go a long way, with that’s obviously the benefit from with them for men, enchanting women. That’s the key reason why they really are appreciated with Ukraine additionally to foreign countries. You’ll almost never just see a girl on the internet then discover the lady out of at a the level of caffeine in a few days or possibly about the same day-you need to get magnified internet based, as that’s likely only for those who have reasonable strategies choose photo support, good messenger, call us support, birthday gift offering, and many others. ukrainian brides i big event associates will have the ability use good luck qualities they may need to find someone via the internet, know more about a different inividual, go closer and start a genuine rapport the web. This have the ability to conserve your enough time, Because you’ll definitely not need to squandering it towards achieving on their own by receiving the “misguided” many people. We have formerly composed a quick outline inside of their temperament, so that you can analyze individuals wives ranging from dissimilar groups. but unfortunately, there could possibly be reactions to filling out the information, surfing around numerous dating profiles of girls, in addition to. any time you don’t need to get conveniently aggravated, you must read these types of three pieces of recommendation: register to several search engines-lookup directories.

    Don’t love the keep adult males questioning. spend this stage of time to your self and then do everything you wish to do, if you don’t have sustained thinking your primary partner’s suggestions and thus restrictions. spend during internet dating and please don’t proceed areas. daylights, such Ukraine dating services likewise impose a fee a united states dollar signing-forward monetary fee. year after year, A great number of men take off over to Ukraine in about getting hold of true love; also in primary instances turn out significantly very happy with their behavior. yet is it genuinely all quite possibly true? a task pleasurable surprise a woman is going to exhibit to some demeanor. it’s a two-way path. around the other hand, there won’t any guarantee you do make the grade, And well, not many men want to change their your lifetime completely and additionally move overseas even should they have a remote job. Ukrainian women will always be preferred in the world matchmaking exchange. quite a few men start searching for a Ukrainian young lady for affinity. when you first play romance, you now have the for that reason-known by names like vacation at all, though you try to overcome him / her soul. a number of different adult dating sites roughly around manufactured for Ukrainian dating, Which could trigger wedlock. young females via Ukraine: be made aware about Ukrainian dating on the internet, online dating, opening paragraphs, wedding brides, additionally wedding to our planet’s a large percentage of skinny, scorching hot, pretty, and in addition good all women.

  4. Because most such providers and platforms specialize in a specific nation or region. Have you learnt Belarusians are the most arduous-working up to now Soviet Union region? It is crucial to let her know she can depend on you and be assured you won’t just depart her behind. Furthermore, a number of females are good at Spanish, German, French, and so on. So, you won’t face any limitations throughout a conversation with a stupendous lady from this country. Reside within the small country – Belarus in the center belarus Europe. Belarus brides are intellectuals, which is why they are going to all the time enjoy a ebook. Here are only a few clarification why you’ll get pleasure from every single day of your life with a Belarusian magnificence. Belarusian ladies occur to be responsive, form and beaming. Versatile nature: it’s onerous to say that these ladies aren’t ambitious and don’t pursue their careers. Belarusian girls have a very good sense of humor and don’t take dangerous occasions and failures too near heart. My pals on-line I am very sociable, outgoing, clever and have a very good sense of humor.

    I dating friendly minsk have a superb freed from humor. Valeria Minsk Member. Planning my next trip, hmm where should i’m going? Katerina Normal Member. Good people meet nice people. I like getting new expertise, assembly new individuals. To be honest, western folks don’t know much about Belarus. It is essential to note that women in Belarus don’t exhibit their beauty. Related article: Why Are Polish Brides And Girls For Relationship Attracting Men? Why we’re completely different? Listed here are some more details on these excellent women. Lately, an increasing number of men are on the lookout for love in Belarus. I have a cat, love him very much, though favor dogs. There are myriads of journey locations you’ll be able to go to, and this may depend upon which each of you’ve gotten agreed upon. They may even switch their amazing family-oriented nature and values to their kids and make sure that they get a correct upbringing (and this is precisely what would Ukrainian mail order brides do). First, the mail order bride is a sexy belarus women woman who lists herself in different catalogs to find their partner with the assistance of a web-based relationship service. Beneath, on-line they find two major things that may encourage relationship to seek out and talk with these marvelous and gorgeous ladies as quickly as attainable!

    Be as attentive as doable. Nonetheless, in the event that they eat meat, it’s often pork or bacon, hardly ever beef. Most factors of Belarus bride cost will rely only on the location you’ve chosen; nonetheless, there are similar steps for all men who need to discover a bride on-line. Maybe yow will discover more succesful males however not with my charisma. Regardless of how offended Belarusian men are, foreigners are very completely different from them. The main purpose of such services is to connect two lonely hearts regardless of the place they are. To begin with, it’s vital to know who mail order brides are, how online dating platforms and sites work, and what companies such companies present. 2. How a lot is a Belarusian mail order bride? Buying a Belarusian girl in the literal sense, in fact, is unattainable. The very best place to start is to choose the nationality you desire and perceive what bothers you probably the most: how a lot is a Czech mail order spouse, or woman from Belarus? If you meet and start dating a woman from Ukraine, Russia or one other Jap European country, she is going to deal with you as her potential husband.

    Needless to say while you “order” a Belarus bride, there are a variety of prices that will likely be associated with this process. There are some specialised on-line providers for finding international husbands which can be popular in Belarus. Online relationship platforms provide many further companies for their members, help with finding and communicating with an ideal match, dating and traveling, and providing assist on the best way of making your own love story. So, one can perceive that finding and speaking with a Belarusian lady is incredibly attention-grabbing and rewarding. What I can say is that normally if you’re employed at it, you really can end up a stupendous Belarusian bride for marriage. There are numerous choices on the market for many who want to seek out and date a Belarus girl. Top-of-the-line options you may profit from is romance tours, which are fairly fashionable among single men. Varied investigators be aware that Belarusians will likely be one of many serene Slavic parents. In such a case, good bodily features is not going to imply something.

  5. I think this is among the most important information for me. And i’m glad reading your article. But should remark on some general things, The website style is ideal, the articles is really nice : D. Good job, cheers

  6. I loved as much as you’ll obtain performed proper here. The caricature is attractive, your authored subject matter stylish. nonetheless, you command get got an nervousness over that you would like be delivering the following. sick no doubt come more beforehand again since precisely the same just about very incessantly inside case you protect this increase.

  7. You’re so cool! I don’t suppose I’ve read through a single thing like this before. So good to find someone with some genuine thoughts on this subject matter. Seriously.. thanks for starting this up. This web site is something that is required on the internet, someone with a little originality.

  8. Oh my goodness! Awesome article dude! Thank you so much, However I am experiencing difficulties with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I cannot subscribe to it. Is there anybody else getting the same RSS problems? Anyone that knows the solution will you kindly respond? Thanks!

Comments are closed.