Leadership isn’t really about the position you hold…it’s about the people who trust you enough to let you serve them. In my role as NASBLA’s BOAT Program Director, I have the privilege of supporting nearly 300 instructors, lead instructors, and program managers across the country. That number still stops me in my tracks sometimes. Three hundred people who give their time, their energy, their expertise, and their heart to a mission that is way bigger than any one of us.
It’s easy to get caught up in the operational side of what we do: the schedules, the standards, the curriculum, the logistics, the constant push to stay ahead of emerging needs. But when you slow down long enough to really look around, it’s quickly apparent that the BOAT Program isn’t powered by systems. It’s powered by people.
Leadership as Service, Not Status
I’ve always believed that leadership is fundamentally an act of service. Titles don’t make leaders – actions do. And the people I support are a reminder of that every day. They show up in unpredictable environments, teach in demanding conditions, and ultimately carry the weight of preparing responders for situations that most people never have to imagine.
My job, at its core, is to make their job easier. To clear obstacles. To advocate for them. To listen when something isn’t working. To give them the tools, structure, and support they need to lead confidently in their own right.
Servant leadership isn’t soft or passive. It’s not about stepping back – it’s about stepping up in a way that centers the people doing the work. It’s about things like ownership, accountability, and humility. It’s about recognizing that the success of any program doesn’t come from the top down. It comes from the field up.
The Power of Ownership
One of the things I admire most about our instructor cadre is the sense of ownership each of them brings to their craft. They don’t just teach a course. They shape the experience. They set the tone. They model professionalism, safety, and readiness in a way that leaves a lasting imprint on every student who comes through our training courses.
It’s also important to remember that ownership isn’t about perfection…it’s about pride. It’s about caring enough to do the small things well. It’s about treating the standard like a living thing that deserves attention and respect. It’s about understanding that every evolution, every scenario, and every conversation contributes to the credibility of the program.
And when people take ownership, everything changes. The work becomes more meaningful. The culture becomes stronger. The mission becomes clearer. That’s what I see in our instructors every day…they do more than just show up, they show up with intention.
Trust as the Anchor
Trust is the currency of any high-performing team. Without it, nothing else works. With it, almost anything is possible.
What I’ve learned throughout my career is that trust isn’t built through grand gestures. It’s built through consistency. Through transparency. Through being willing to say, “I don’t have the answer yet, but I’m working on it.” Through showing up the same way on the hard days as you do on the easy ones.
The instructors I support have trusted me through transitions, challenges, and moments of uncertainty. They’ve trusted me to advocate for them, to protect the integrity of the program, and to make decisions that honor the work they do. That trust is something I don’t take lightly. It’s something I work to earn every day.
And in return, I trust them. I trust them to lead, to innovate, to uphold the standard, and to represent the BOAT Program with professionalism and pride. Mutual trust is what will keep us steady, even when the waters get rough.
The Human Side of a National Standard
It’s easy to talk about national training standards in abstract terms – consistency, interoperability, readiness, and force multiplication. But behind every standard there are real people with real stories.
There’s the instructor who rearranged their entire schedule to cover a course because they knew the agency needed it. The lead instructor who quietly mentors new instructors without ever asking for recognition. The program manager who spends late nights making sure every detail is right because they know the students deserve nothing less.
These are the things that don’t show up in reports or metrics. But they’re the things that make this program what it is.
When I think about gratitude, I think about these moments…the ones that happen quietly, without fanfare, but with enormous impact.
Why Gratitude Matters
Gratitude isn’t just a feeling. It’s a practice. It’s a way of seeing people. It’s a way of acknowledging that none of us accomplish anything alone.
In leadership, gratitude is what keeps you grounded. It keeps you human. It reminds you that the mission is carried by people who choose, every day, to give their best. And when people feel valued (and I mean truly valued) they bring even more of themselves into the work.
One of the things I’m most grateful for are the instructors who challenge me, who push for improvements, who care enough to speak up when something needs to change. I’m grateful for the ones who send a quick message just to say a course went well. I’m grateful for the ones who show up early, stay late, and never lose sight of why this work matters.
But most of all, I’m grateful for the privilege of supporting them. Leadership is not about being in charge – it’s about being responsible for the people in your charge. And I honestly can’t imagine a group more deserving of that responsibility.
Moving Forward Together
As we continue to grow, adapt, and strengthen the BOAT Program, my commitment remains the same: to serve the people who serve the mission. To lead with clarity, humility, and purpose. To protect the standard while empowering the people who bring it to life.
The work ahead will require all of us – our ideas, our experience, our honesty, our resilience. But if there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s that we have the right people for the job.
And for that, I’m deeply grateful.
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