My philosophy is simple, I lead by example. I would not ask or expect anything from my personnel that I do not expect of myself. I promote a “We Can” attitude and I think proactively. The YLD Foundation Scholarship is an investment in my future potential. The financial support I receive will enable me to acquire my degree. I believe this degree will provide the opportunity for my advancement to upper management that is not possible without it. If given the opportunity, I will put my new management concepts, knowledge and philosophies into daily practice, such as “management in motion” and “management by example.””>”The true definition of a great leader is that he never has to tell his or her organization that he or she is the leader. In other words, a leader is one that is respected by their organization for not only their knowledge and achievements in the fire service, but for their personality as well. My current supervisor (Rick Brisbin) once told me that a great leader never has to lead, only to steer. So to explain my definition of leadership, a leader is a person who stands in support of his organization, always providing growth opportunities for employees. I believe that instinctively people strive for more responsibility and will seek it out. I believe a leader needs to know when to be visible and when to stand behind his or her staff. The two most important traits of a leader are to provide a good example for people to follow, and to build avenues of professional achievement for their employees.