075: Don’t Be Afraid to Step into New Territory

Gerry Day is the State Forester and Deputy Supervisor for Wildfire for the state of Washington’s Department of Natural Resources, a position he’s held since 2017. Gerry is responsible for forest health and wildland fire programs in the department as well as preparing and suppressing wildfires, fire training, and firefighting aviation operations. Gerry has over 40 years of experience and discusses some of the fantastic leadership opportunities you can have while in firefighting.

 

Key Takeaways:

[:55] A message from Leadership Nature.

[1:40] A quick intro about Gerry’s background.

[3:00] How did Gerry become interested in forestry?

[5:10] What kind of leadership lessons did Gerry learn about while being a firefighter?

[7:10] What’s the best way for a young professional to become part of the fire community?

[10:05] How did Gerry transition from being a firefighter to where he is today?

[16:35] What was Gerry’s first leadership position like?

[19:40] What does Gerry mean when ‘followship is part of leadership’?

[21:45] Has Gerry noticed a difference in leadership the more senior he has become in his positions and roles?

[26:15] Take a close look at your own biases.

[29:05] Everything is a learning opportunity.

[34:20] When Gerry stepped into a new leadership role in 1996, it took him around 8-10 months before he could fully understand the business. You have to understand the business first before you start shaking things up.

[36:35] What is Gerry most proud of in his current position?

[39:45] Really take a moment and listen to the younger generation or even the newer guys coming in. They have a completely unique perspective.

[43:05] What advice does Gerry have for young professionals?

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Invictus (2009)