Brian Marcos shares the success of the United Leadership Program and offers a plan for leveraging local partnerships to create leadership training programs that help public safety professionals learn best practices directly from leaders in their communities and each other.
Finding new ways to bring out the best in others through leadership development is one of the aspects of my role as Deputy Fire Chief & Deputy EMA Director that I enjoy most. In 2017, I was selected to participate in Leadership Cobb, a program offered through the Cobb Chamber of Commerce (GA). The eight-month program is designed to enhance personal and professional growth while participants gain awareness of current issues, community resources, and the social, political, and economic needs of the community.
The networking opportunities and leadership resources presented in Leadership Cobb were a breath of fresh air, and I saw an opportunity to extend those same resources to our industry of public safety. I knew that our frontline supervisors could benefit from seeing how top-performing CEOs and community leaders inspire others and move their organizations forward in an ever-changing business climate.
I reached out to Andrew Cox, Chief of Staff and Vice President of Leadership Development at WellStar Health System, and we met for lunch to discuss how the program could work. We envisioned a unique leadership program that would unite all fire service agencies in Cobb County around three common training goals:
- Develop meaningful relationships
- Build leaders who can adapt to changing priorities and situations
- Learn and implement leadership techniques that are successful across industries
Going beyond a traditional classroom experience, the program involves travelling to locations throughout the Atlanta metro, such as WellStar, Truist, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for monthly training sessions. Learning onsite gives our participants the opportunity to speak directly with leaders of these organizations and see them in action. The leadership curriculum teaches skills that every person needs to master on the journey to becoming a highly respected leader. Building relationships, setting goals, thinking creatively, and other soft skills are addressed during the program.
As I reflect on the success we’ve had with the United Leadership Program, our two graduating cohorts, and the industry professionals in our community who have made this program possible, I’d like to share the partnerships and processes that helped us create meaningful learning experiences. I hope that fire departments across the country can use our model to implement their own leadership programs that enhance community relationships and increase public safety. Below are a few of the steps I recommend to create and sustain a vibrant leadership program.
Original source can be found here.
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