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Leadership Books
Legacy of Leadership Sequence
Stories and Strategies to Improve Your Leadership by Mike McKenna
The Response Leadership Sequence
Empowering Your Leadership Before, During, & After a Crisis by Mike McKenna
Why e-Learning?
Read why e-learning is such a valuable and high-impact tool to build competence and confidence in a task. All while being the most cost and time efficient method to on-board or refresh new and existing team members. A case study is included.
Free Crisis Leadership Case Studies
Insights via Blog Articles
Browse the articles below or go directly to the blog archives, HERE.
Once upon a time I failed as a leader...Okay, so it happens regularly, but let's just focus on one of[...]
Questions That Leaders Ask
Imagine spilling your milk (or any other unplanned event). Unpleasant, right?Questions That Leaders AskTo move on, Crisis Leaders seek answers[...]
3 Steps to Better Training
Personally I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught. ~ Winston ChurchillOur language is a[...]
4 “What” Questions that Improve Resilience
Quick. Can you name a resilient organization?How about the local cleaner that trims its hours because nobody has answered their[...]
How to be Better … Self-Improvement Done Right
Well done is better than well said.~ Benjamin FranklinThe prospect of being better through self-improvement at something is easy to[...]
Why Your Definition of Span of Control is Wrong (and How to Fix It)
"No man can command more than 5 distinct bodies in the same theater of war." Napoleon I (1815) And[...]
I occasionally prowl around social media. Somewhere along the line, the advertising overlords discovered my self-employed, entrepreneur status. My web[...]
How to Mark a Building After its Been Searched?
Looking for the SAR Markings or Preliminary Damage Assessment pocket card? Click here or scroll to the bottom."Rescue 4 on[...]
4 Pillars of Instruction; Better Learning & Classroom Mgmt.
To better manage an adult classroom and to improve their educational outcomes, build a foundation using 4 pillars of instruction.Having[...]
The 7 Steps You Must Take Before Evacuating a Healthcare Facility
New Orleans, LA (2005) - While searching for survivors and evacuees in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, my USAR (Urban[...]
Simplifying the Complex by “Sifting Folly”
"Sifting Folly"What a glorious phrase, eh?I was reading one of my favorite blogs (FarnamStreetBlog.com) and this phrase really got my[...]
The Future of Training
What's the future of training? How long will professional instructors be relevant in front of a classroom? One could argue[...]
Your Ladder is your Legacy – How to Win by Serving Others
The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain[...]
Pundits, Pontificators and Perspective
So. Many. Experts. Online and in-person it's hard to miss bumping into someone labelled an expert at something. What is[...]
Disaster Declarations and Emergency Powers Simplified
Disaster and Emergency DeclarationsImagine this ... a global pandemic is impacting the entire country (USA). You see news reports that[...]
Hocus Focus – How to Improve Vision and Decrease Risk
"Your focus is your reality."~YodaLet's revisit that silly Facebook puzzle where you're tasked to quickly "look at: 1 2 3 4 5[...]
CASE STUDY: Retail Chain Evacuates During Hurricane
CASE STUDY:Retail Chain Evacuates During HurricaneBACKGROUNDHurricane Katrina; New Orleans, LA (2005) - Category 3 Hurricane (at landfall) that caused the[...]
Which Ballpark are you in?
If you're a leader in an organization with customers who rely on your communication skills to be successful with your[...]
How to get from HERE to THERE?
In 2005, during my USAR team's response to Hurricane Katrina, we were repeatedly tasked - along with thousands of other[...]
The Gift of Intent and Understanding; Part 1
In 1905 an author named O. Henry published a short story called "The Gift of the Magi". Here's the gist of it:Man and[...]
Johnny Dangerous ... cool name.Cool Hand Luke ... cool name.Henry Herpes ... not so cool name (especially if your real[...]
3 Steps to Becoming a Better Leader Among Leaders
Being a leader among leaders, we all have a unique opportunity to inspire and motivate those around us.Whether managing a[...]
CASE STUDY: Leadership Micromanagement
CASE STUDY:Leadership MicromanagementCopyright TEAM-Solutions.US All Rights ReservedBACKGROUNDThe Browerville Fire Department has 24 stations so far in service to their growing community.[...]
The 4 Parts to a Successful Mission Pre-Plan
How to conduct better missions using the P.O.S.T. Framework:Have you heard this story about “Bill” and his successful project pre-plan? It goes[...]
Smooth like butter is life’s lubricant?
If you opened this link based on the title alone, you either like butter or have time on your hands?[...]
“It’ll Work Out” Plus 4 Other Lies People Tell
Have you worked with or for folks that like to use that saying? I have too ... and in nearly every[...]
Difference between Energy and Power
In mid-February 2021 a winter storm blanketed - in every way possible - the State of Texas. What made this[...]
Ever had a Bad Apple in Class?
Raise your hand if this sounds familiar ... I had a guy in class a couple of year's back who said[...]
TEAMS Are What TEAMS Do – When Team Building Goes Awry
Despite our best efforts and intentions, sometimes we make mistakes in our approach as business owners, managers, coaches or parents.[...]
Starve Fear in 3 Steps
Fear feeds on a powerful combination of two ingredients: The incident that induces the fear (darkness, fire, snakes, falling,[...]
Helping those with Functional Needs during a Disaster
A patient in a wheelchair is helped by attendants as they evacuate from a tsunami-affected hospital at Otsuchi, northeastern Japan[...]
Teaching Tip: Tactics or Strategies?
__CONFIG_leads_shortcode__{"id":"12898"}__CONFIG_leads_shortcode_____TVE_SHORTCODE_RAW__<p>I recently facilitated an exercise for some folks who were enrolled in their organization's leadership development program. The more strategic[...]
Unfortunately, interoperability is a myth
Interoperability? The concept refers to disparate systems working together, sharing information, etc. Except that it's all a myth. Like the[...]
Are you in CMS Compliance?
A couple of things I'm pretty sure of:The sun will set in the west.Out of 24 hours in your day,[...]
Teach to Learn to Teach
Picture this ...You've need to make some travel plans but your flux capacitor is broken and in need of repair.The[...]
Special Treatment and Equal Treatment are Different
Read the news, trade journals, and industry 'insights' and you'll find conclusions that mostly deal with 1st-level consequences and solutions.[...]
MOOCs or Moors or Moops? What do they have in common?
Do you instruct in-person? Deliver on-line instruction? Host a podcast with a goal to educate your audience? Lots of of[...]
We've all been taxed with choices and opportunities beyond our ability to tackle them all: Holiday party invites, an extra[...]
Leadership and Free Choice
When leading a) ourselves or b) others, many choices lay ahead.For instance, when leading your team into battle against the[...]
Leadership Lessons: Activism and the Workplace
The world we share continues to shift before our eyes.Some shifts are widely seen as positive ...Some shifts are widely[...]
Instruction or Coaching/Mentoring?
Simple definition, okay?Instruction - telling people what to do or how to do it.Learning is mostly pedagogical, which means that[...]
Build a More Accurate Instructor Resume
I've been on the road a lot this year, gratefully, delivering lots of different courses to lots of different folks.[...]
Oh, Just One More Thing
"Oh, by the way ... just one more thing ..."Often, this last minute utterance at the end of a meeting,[...]
Hungry for a … Content Sandwich?
Picture this 2-part quandary: Delivering content to a diverse group of students (new v. experienced) material that is not[...]
Get Things Done and The Sequence of Response
Little Timmy is missing after the tornado and is reportedly trapped in the collapsed building. He is likely running out[...]
Are you a responder who wants to transform from a good communicator to a great communicator?Great response leaders are defined[...]
... Or should we even reward folks at all?After being bombarded with the 'everyone earns a ribbon' strategy, a little[...]
Beware of the Shiny Toy; Why Your Strategy Stinks
Each morning that I'm in town I spend precious time with my elementary aged son during the daily processional known[...]
What Peeing The Bed Can Teach Us About Better Leadership
If you have kids, you've likely gone through the ritual of helping them grow out of peeing the bed. If[...]
Service Above Self
"I believe that rendering of useful service is the common duty of mankind and that only in the purifying fire[...]
Building Trust By Doing 1 Simple Thing
Building TrustHaving someone's trust is kind of like having a winning lottery ticket ... either you have it, or you[...]
Top Down v. Bottom Up Leadership
A new acquaintance recently asked about my business. I told him that I help response leaders improve, among other things.[...]
Improve Communication … Lessons from Search & Rescue
The problem with communication is the illusion that is has occurred. ~ George Bernard Shaw Ah, communication. The first thing[...]
3 Steps for Instructors to Improve Student Outcomes
As trainers, we all enjoy the thought of our students gazing into their bright future while pondering the transformative lesson[...]
4 Key Ingredients Baked into High-Performing Teams
Building and maintaining a high-performing team (agency, organization, company, etc.) is a fickle thing. Just having a dominant voice, some talented[...]
Leadership Tip: Obstacles v. Problems
As a manager, a parent, a coach, etc., all of us at one time or another has faced a version[...]
Requirements for Team Engagement
When seeking great Team Engagement, we've heard it before. "Bring the passion!" "Have a purpose!" We hear the battle cries,[...]
CASE STUDY: The Origin of L.C.E.S. for Firefighters
CASE STUDY:The Origin of L.C.E.S. for FirefightersCopyright TEAM-Solutions.US All Rights ReservedBACKGROUNDArizona, 1990: Six (6) firefighters died after being overrun in a wilderness[...]
Stop Micromanaging, Start Communicating
'Communicating via micromanagement isn’t a personality flaw; it’s a breakdown in the fundamentals of delegation.' In the Harvard Business Review[...]
Are Leaders Born or Made?
Newsflash: There are no born leaders (or born followers, either, by the way).So, how are leaders made?Sugar, spice, and everything[...]
7 Types of Leaders During a Crisis
In the movies, the heroic leader is often seen charging at the enemy with their saber rattling and a fierce battle cry. Just like[...]
Is it Too Soon to Establish Your Legacy?
How soon is it too soon to start thinking about your legacy?Are you going to wait until you near the[...]
Emerging Leader? Start Here.
Over 30+ years I’ve been fortunate to have gained a broad base of experience in several different industries in both[...]
CASE STUDY: How Much Does It Cost To Be A Search & Rescue Volunteer?
Ever wonder how much it costs to be a Search & Rescue Volunteer? Your answer is below.CASE STUDY:Search & Rescue[...]
The 5 Best Questions to Earn the Best Results
Some leaders command, but great leaders communicate. For whatever leadership role you currently hold (remember, everyone is a leader), ask[...]
Whack-a-Mole in the Classroom for Student Engagement?
Actually, whack-a-mole in reverse. For, you know, better student engagement. (Had a sheltered childhood and don't know the game? Check[...]
When I first started instructing for a living (versus as an occasional sideline), I was eager and intensely interested in[...]
Why Doth Thee Protest? 4 Steps to Overcome Resistance
Shakespearean reference aside, the question doth does beg answers to the questions:WHY don't team members accept the why and/or the[...]
In subscriber surveys, I heard from a high percentage of folks the desire to build a better course for instruction.Let's[...]
Ever notice that criticism gets a bad rap, generally speaking? Not the "you're ugly and your mother dresses you funny"[...]
SITREP Your Way to Greater Success
Ever experience this?Question:"Hi, Honey, welcome home. Please tell me about your day?"Reply:"It was fine. The boss was in a grumpy[...]
The Look of Knowing
One the techniques I've discovered and honed through the years of educating adults I call: "The Look of Knowing" You're[...]
Innovation is for Innovators
We've all heard the rally cry: "Innovation rules!", "Be innovative", "Innovate this/that" and "New and innovative!". It's yet another buzz word,[...]
Words Leaders Use
If leadership was easy, everyone would be doing it, right? But it's not easy ... and clearly, not everyone is[...]
Where do future leaders come from?
All great leaders have a few things in common. One is that long before they were referred to as "great[...]
Simplicity Rules
Saw this recently while researching different leadership 'models'. "The practice of ***** requires one to embrace complexity." Wow. Of course[...]
The 2 Answers Every Leader Must Know
If you're of my 'vintage' (born in the late 60's) you may remember the catchy Budweiser beer commercial that chanted[...]
Soccer, Leadership, and Legacy Building
When I published my 2nd book, The Legacy of Leadership, I was frankly a little surprised to learn how little[...]
Why I don’t Instruct with PowerPoint … and what I use instead
Confession: I've abandoned the use of Microsoft PowerPoint for presentations.Mostly.Here's the caveat ... some of the courses I deliver are[...]
Keeping Score: The Personal Toll of Disaster Statistics
A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.~ Joseph StalinInteresting quote from a man who was best[...]
How to Create and Maintain Institutional Knowledge
Many years ago, an overly ambitious jet-skier that couldn't swim, wasn't wearing a life-jacket, and had been reportedly drinking beer like[...]
What Peanuts and Soccer Teach us about Visionary Success
Luiz Felipe Scolari is a legendary soccer player and manager. Born in the seat of worldwide soccer excellence, Brazil, Scolari[...]
CASE STUDY: Ego and Dysfunction at Community Event
CASE STUDY:Ego and Dysfunction at Community EventCopyright TEAM-Solutions.US All Rights ReservedThe city manager directs the police department to develop a special[...]
As students we know that not all of the training content we receive is of equal quality. As instructors, it's[...]
How to Improve Engagement during Virtual Meetings
Keeping people engaged in-person certainly has its challenges. And as more and more meetings are conducted online, the need to[...]
CASE STUDY: Corporate Office Shelters in Place During Hurricane
CASE STUDY: Corporate Office Shelters in Place During Hurricane Copyright TEAM-Solutions.US All Rights Reserved BACKGROUND Hurricane Wilma; South Florida (2005)[...]