A firestorm of epic proportions …
It was a test of leadership. It was a test of courage. It was a test of perseverance. It was a test of character. It was a test of humility. It was a test of bravery. It was a test of compassion. It was a test and a difficult test to watch unfold June 26th 2012.
As the mountain side in Colorado Springs erupted in a fireball of fast-moving sparks and flames people rushed to gather their most important possessions and fled the ash and cinders that rained down from above. It wasn’t an easy day for those people who left their house in such a hurry. It wasn’t an easy day for those in charge of managing the fire.
Unpredictable. Unprecedented. Unspoken. It was unheard of until those flames reduced to ashes over 340 homes.
For some people it was clear they didn’t trust the leadership, the people who were trying to develop strategies to hold back the flames. It is in those times that remarkable leadership steps up and answers. The leaders held together creating a common front to all of the issues they faced.
What does it take to be an effective leader?
1. Discipline
2. Character
3. Courage
4. Confidence
5. Consistency
6. Compassion
7. Flexibility
8. Concern
9. Teamwork
What do those nine characteristics do you have? How do you live that out in your life each day? Which of those nine leadership characteristics are you willing to strengthen? What is your plan to develop yourself so that you can lead when you care called to lead?
Behind the red glow are stories, thousands of stories and acts of bravery and courage. For some it will be a test of resilience and determination to plant once again their lives and stories in an area that links urban living to the fabric of the forest.
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” Mary Anne Radmacher
Coach with Heart 