LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT
Leading with Character, Competence and Vision
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Course Description
Envision Leadership is a two-semester course that provides an analytic and strategic foundation for leadership practices. It is designed to bring two primary leadership concentrations- The Leadership Journey and The Leadership Encounter together to sharpen, or bring focus, to one’s leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities. The purpose of the course is to increase one’s capacity to lead and to have a greater understanding of the art and science of leadership. The course is designed, mainly, for those in the early stages of their own leadership journey, or those aspiring to become leaders. However, those in a discovery process to learn more about leadership will benefit from the course, regardless of how long they have been on their own leadership journey. Envision Leadership derives its name from the concept of imagining the future possibilities of what leadership can and should be like.
The course draws from several disciplines and applications and is built around two semesters of study, utilizing a class schedule of one 3 ½ hour class per week. The first semester is titled The Leadership Journey where a concentration of the focus will be on the leadership basics and the essentials of leadership (Character, Competence, and Vision). It is accompanied by a series of video lessons from The Band of Brothers; the focus being on Major Dick Winters of the 101st Airborne, Easy Company, during World War II. The videos are utilized to help demonstrate what good leadership looks like; it also addresses many of the affective dimensions of leadership. This semester is designed to give the student grounding in the fundamentals of leadership, along with real-world examples of the application of such lessons.
The second semester is titled The Leadership Encounter and takes the essentials learned in the first semester and expands the teaching on Character, Competence and Vision, utilizing many of the best classic and current leadership works. These include the works of Bennis, Collins, Covey, George, Heifetz, Hybels, Maxwell, Sinek, Spears and Wheatley; just to name a few. There are three textbooks that are utilized in the instruction for the second semester, and a part of the required reading for this course. All textbooks and videos are provided for the student as part of the costs for the course. There are also two comprehensive syllabus notebooks for each course; these contain the majority of class notes and test preparation material. The lectures and teaching for the Envision Leadership course utilize a Socratic methodology, with much time allowed for class interaction and questions.
Both semester courses include a leadership panel discussion, one mid-term exam, and a short, final paper. Attendance and completion of assignments are required for successful completion.
Selection Process
Each department’s Training Officer will manage the selection process. If you are interested in applying for the course, use the signup sheet tab listed on the website. This course is not intended for new firefighters. Rather, it is for those aspiring, acting, or new officers; those with the requisite years of firefighting experience to be considered for leadership are the target audience. However, more experienced firefighters and officers will also gain from the experiences of this course. Speak to your training officer for more information and clarification on who is eligible from your department for Envision Leadership.
Registration:
The 2023 Leadership Journey class will be limited to 35 participants. Notification of placement will be sent to you via email and there will be a wait list established for registrants above 35. If you are on the wait list, you will be notified by email as well, and will be contacted if an opening becomes available.
Registered Participants: Please remit payment by check before December 30th 2022 to secure your seat in the 2023 Leadership Journey class.
Please make checks payable to Front Range Fire Consortium and mail to:
Windsor Severance Fire Rescue - Station 1
100 N 7th Street
Windsor, CO 80550
TO REGISTER: https://www.jotform.com/build/222925876008058
Course Schedule
Envision Leadership is a two-semester course that provides an analytic, strategic and practical foundation for leadership practices. The Leadership Journey and Leadership Encounter are each a 1 semester courses taught on Tuesday mornings at Windsor Severance Fire Rescue (100 N 7th St Windsor CO 80550) starting at 0900.
Students are expected to attend in person however a Zoom link will be provided for those situations where virtual attendance is required. This program is designed to be equivalent to a college level course and therefore student grades will be determined by the students attendance, class participation, completion of a written paper and a written test. The intent of each class is to use leadership styles, philosophies, and real-life scenarios to help develop and augment the students ability to lead as an individual and as part of a team.
Check back soon for the schedule for the next classes.
Leadership Journey Syllabus
Semester 1
| Week / Lesson # | Topic | Supplemental Material |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction and Overview of Leadership | Video: Currahee |
| 2 | Types of Leaders / Leadership | Video: Day of Days |
| 3 | The Leadership Challenge | Video: Carentan |
| 4 | Courage, Fear and Decision Making | Video: Replacements |
| 5 | Decision Making and the Risk Profile | Video: Crossroads |
| 6 | Decision Making and Risk Management | Video: Bastogne |
| 7 | The Fundaments of Leadership: Competence | Video: The Breaking Point |
| 8 | Situational Awareness and Refusing Risk | Video: The Last Patrol |
| 9 | The Tao of Leadership | Video: Why We Fight |
| 10 | The Paradox of the Platform of Leadership | Video: Points |
| 11 | "The Crucible" and the "5 Levels of Leadership" | Lecture and Prep for Final Paper |
| 12 | The Leadership Journey: The Final Session - The Pathway to Leadership Greatness | Panel Discussion/Questions and Certificate Presentations |
Leadership Encounter Syllabus
Semester 2
Required Reading
 The Power of Noticing |  The Leadership Challenge |  Becoming a Leader of Character |
|---|
| Week / Lesson # | Topic | Supplemental Material |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Leadership Journey Revisited Expansion & Practical Application: The Essentials of Character, Competence and Vision | Christopher Kolenda & Randy Mirowski |
| 2 | Focus on Leadership Servant Leadership for the 21st Century | Book: Becoming a Leader of Character by Gen. James Anderson |
| 3 | Developing Leaders of Character 6 Habits that Make or Break a Leader | Book: Becoming a Leader of Character by Gen. James Anderson |
| 4 | Do What You Want to Be Where are today’s Leaders of Character? | Book: Becoming a Leader of Character by Gen. James Anderson |
| 5 | When Leaders are at Their Best Necessary Leadership Skills | Book: The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner |
| 6 | Five Leadership Practices for Greatness From Modeling to Encouraging; Leading the Way | Book: The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner |
| 7 | Leadership is Everyone’s Business Leading With/Without Authority & Staying | Book: The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner |
| 8 | Leadership & Situational Awareness What the Best Leaders “See” | Book: The Power of Noticing by Max Bazerman |
| 9 | The Power of “Noticing” Noticing by Thinking Ahead | Book: The Power of Noticing by Max Bazerman |
| 10 | Developing the Capacity to Notice Seeing Strategies for Tough Times | Book: The Power of Noticing by Max Bazerman |
| 11 | The Leadership Encounter | Leadership Panel Discussion |
| 12 | FINALS WEEK | Lecture/Final Paper Preparation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Your training staff will be selecting the students from your department. All students will be notified of selection no later than the end of July.
Initially each department will have available five seats; there may be more available to the larger FRFC departments IF seats available to departments are not used. There are no “at large” seats available.
Yes, the Leadership Journey class that is part of this program is an updated and expanded version that must be taken as part of this course.
There will be two cohort groups put together with between 20-25 students in each group; one will meet on Tuesday evening the other on Friday morning. You will be placed in a cohort group, however, in the application process; you will be able to express a preference for a group.
The course schedule was designed to allow those on shift to attend on a corresponding day that they are not on shift. The schedule was built to work well with the 48-96 or traditional Berkeley system (LFRA/PFA).
Not yet, but we are working toward that goal.
No. Attendance is an important part of the course and grading structure. Students should not enroll in the course if they will miss more than two classes in any given semester.
Front Range Fire Consortium
If you are interested in participating in a class, please contact your agency’s Training Officer.