Full Transcript for Leading while carrying: The weight of public safety aviation Part 2 | Ep 73

to not compare yourself to somebody else right now. 00:04:26.360 --> 00:04:29.079 You need to take it one step at a time for yourself. 00:04:29.400 --> 00:04:31.319 That's that's a struggle, I think. 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:33.319 It's easier said than done. 00:04:33.560 --> 00:04:34.199 Yeah. 00:04:34.519 --> 00:04:41.800 I think there's no there there's no issue if I use those people as my my role models. 00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:55.159 Maybe, maybe some growth benchmarks with with things to say, hey, uh I did this for for years that uh when I was a captain, I would sometimes Terence Wayne was his first and and middle name. 00:04:55.240 --> 00:04:57.560 I I liked it because it sounded all cowboy ish. 00:04:57.719 --> 00:05:03.319 I'm not wearing my cowboy hat for the podcast tonight because my way it fits with my headphones. 00:05:03.560 --> 00:05:08.120 But I would I would sometimes say, well, what would Terrence Wayne do in this in this situation? 00:05:08.279 --> 00:05:16.759 And I think there's no there's nothing wrong with benchmarking uh ourselves or or looking here's another uh maybe a positive. 00:05:16.920 --> 00:05:29.719 Let me look for inspiration from these people and and how they might respond to this or what they would do because words matter and and that self-love or self-worth matters as well. 00:05:29.959 --> 00:05:32.439 And to say, why am I not getting this? 00:05:32.680 --> 00:05:37.000 I don't know, maybe I maybe I gotta change my verbiage with stuff to say, uh-huh. 00:05:37.159 --> 00:05:38.360 What what am I getting? 00:05:38.519 --> 00:05:40.199 Who who can help me get this? 00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:43.480 Or, oh well, I wonder what somebody else would do in this position. 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:45.240 Who's that person that I look up to? 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:53.000 Not necessarily that person that that had the job for, you know, before you, um, but who is that person that you'd look up to in the industry? 00:05:53.159 --> 00:06:12.600 And I think recognizing that you can have these conversations along the way with different industry people, I I remember a recent conversation I had with one of the go-to EKG people, and I had had some questions about some equipment implementation, and he was telling me a story about something that had happened 35 years ago. 00:06:12.759 --> 00:06:15.560 And and I just remember saying, I never knew this. 00:06:15.800 --> 00:06:19.560 And so having those conversations with other people along the way. 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:21.560 Yeah, I I I do really like that. 00:06:21.639 --> 00:06:25.800 And I I I'm starting to feel like this is becoming more of a therapy session than a podcast session. 00:06:25.959 --> 00:06:26.439 I know, right? 00:06:27.719 --> 00:06:28.600 Just letting it be. 00:06:28.839 --> 00:06:29.719 I'm learning so much. 00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:31.319 I'm learning so much about this. 00:06:31.560 --> 00:06:32.360 Uh I'm loving it. 00:06:32.600 --> 00:06:33.159 This is great. 00:06:33.240 --> 00:06:49.240 But but I also feel like it's very different in our world than I you can't take leadership as that umbrella term and I think apply all of the same concepts to our industry because I feel as though we are a very separate niche. 00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:51.719 And we kind of talked about some of that before. 00:06:51.959 --> 00:07:03.879 Um, but we we like to think of ourselves as that that high acuity, high performing, you know, uh high-risk, low volume kind of patient populations that we deal with. 00:07:03.959 --> 00:07:20.839 And I think that being a leader in that type of industry is oftentimes presents itself with some very different challenges than than maybe we would see um if I was, you know, in in retail or in business or in you know, what have you. 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:25.879 And you your 24-7 operations, you know, all the staffing that goes along with it. 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:37.800 And so why would you say, or what would be in your opinion, um, how do those challenges differ because of the type of industry that we're in as opposed to leadership as that overarching umbrella? 00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:40.519 Uh because it's you just answered it. 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:42.360 It's a 24-7 operation. 00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:44.600 And I think that's more to it than that, right? 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:51.639 Like there's it is uh because I've got to be I I still have to be clinically competent. 00:07:51.800 --> 00:07:59.959 Uh a statement I might use sometimes use is don't don't confuse my credential with clinical competence because I I haven't innovated a patient in years. 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:06.920 Uh but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to be chasing, hey, what what is the new video laryngoscope that we should go to? 00:08:07.159 --> 00:08:08.680 What are the things that we're gonna do? 00:08:08.920 --> 00:08:10.040 You're a new paramedic. 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:12.759 I'll stand behind you and talk you through this this innovation. 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:19.719 I but I think what sets us different from retail, I hate, man, you baited me with this question. 00:08:19.959 --> 00:08:22.439 Um I hate to say it. 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:26.199 I hate to say it because I the stakes are high so much higher, right? 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:29.159 I I think it's buzzword uh sounding. 00:08:29.319 --> 00:08:35.639 You can use this as the sound clip because when seconds matter, leadership must be there. 00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:37.720 And so so feel free to use that. 00:08:38.200 --> 00:08:46.680 I think we totally need to like I think we just found our other radio person that can do like the edit and like the intro, outro world. 00:08:48.680 --> 00:08:55.159 In a world of EMS with no leadership, when the medic unit won't start and the weather is bad. 00:08:55.480 --> 00:08:56.040 Who are you gonna go? 00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:57.639 What are you gonna do? 00:08:57.960 --> 00:09:08.919 Yeah, I I think it's uh you know, my

wife will sometimes, you know, talk with me about this stuff and and she'll say, Well, I know your job is harder because lives matter. 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:14.360 And I I tend to, uh maybe it's not a coping mechanism, I tend to kind of filter that out. 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:32.759 But I think what does set us aside is if if I make a poor decision, if I make a poor decision or I allow others to make a poor decision, I use the politically correct we have unfavorable outcomes, and unfavorable outcomes look like is this aircraft crash? 00:09:33.159 --> 00:09:49.399 Unfavorable outcomes look like did did I miss that this esophageal innovation, or not necessarily did I, did my crew, did my people, did, did my poor leadership or the fact that maybe I didn't delegate or I micromanaged or I didn't trust my people? 00:09:49.559 --> 00:09:53.960 Trust is a two-way street in leadership, by the way, is a quick as a quick rabbit hole. 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:59.320 It's not just they have to trust me because I'm the leader, but I have to trust them as well. 00:10:00.200 --> 00:10:08.759 Um, but but because because I don't have that two-way street, does that pilot feel pressured to take that mission or take that flight? 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:15.799 And it's a controlled flight into terrain, or they crash into an unlit tower, or God forbid, any number of those things. 00:10:15.879 --> 00:10:21.399 And so I think that's what sets us aside from retail, from educational leadership. 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:38.759 My best friend works in the community college system, and you know, come Friday afternoon during the summertime, uh, they shut down at I think one or two o'clock in during the summertime, and until Monday morning at 8 a.m., there are not emergencies in the community college system. 00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:48.439 And and his boss, you know, used a line that he had actually used before when people would get spun up about something, he'd say, Hey man, it's just the community college. 00:10:48.679 --> 00:10:53.480 No patient is gonna die, or people aren't gonna get hurt out there doing whatever. 00:10:53.639 --> 00:10:55.559 This is an educational institution. 00:10:55.720 --> 00:10:59.000 Let's let's bring it down a couple a couple of levels. 00:10:59.159 --> 00:11:06.039 And so that's what I would say that when we talk about this, um, hey, am I am I am I being that good leader? 00:11:06.200 --> 00:11:08.279 Because it is a 24-7 operation. 00:11:08.439 --> 00:11:09.000 It's different. 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:10.279 The stakes are much high. 00:11:10.679 --> 00:11:15.080 When high stakes, it's it's it's a high stakes profession. 00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:19.960 And failure, failure means bad for somebody. 00:11:21.159 --> 00:11:23.240 Can I be controversial for a second? 00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:26.200 I would expect nothing but from you. 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:28.519 This is good cop and bad cop. 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:35.080 So I I you know I I am not a big social

media guy. 00:11:35.320 --> 00:11:38.519 I don't post anything at all everyone. 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:41.559 Who's this Blake guy that I'm following on? 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:44.200 Listen, my wife created it for me. 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:47.879 So it's a social media marketing campaign. 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:54.919 So, but in the times that I am a social media guy when I'm like, well, there's nothing else to do, let me doom scroll into things. 00:11:55.080 --> 00:11:57.879 So I saw this statement, I should say. 00:11:58.039 --> 00:12:12.600 I don't even want to call it a quote, but I saw this statement, and it was from a you know, uh, some type of page uh that is you know tries to be inspirational, but uh, you know, talk about like we're doing good things for our profession, right? 00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:17.799 So the statement that was said was you're not as good as you think you are. 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:23.960 And so I I read that and I was like, oh, that's awful humbling. 00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:25.480 I guess I do kind of suck, you know. 00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:27.799 I was like, ah, I was like, how do they know me? 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:29.000 You know, did they read my chart? 00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:29.960 You know, like damn. 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:30.679 They did. 00:12:30.840 --> 00:12:31.480 Yeah. 00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:36.919 So and when we're done, I've got to talk with you about your your narratives. 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:41.399 Um, you need to learn spelling and grammar, but uh KPIs mean. 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:45.080 But mostly that statement just I don't know why. 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:52.519 Like it it I read it, I absorbed it, I critiqued myself and said, Yeah, maybe I'm not as good as I think I am. 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:58.120 But then, you know, like in we know in the EMS profession, right? 00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:20.439 Aside from fire, law enforcement, whatever, like in the EMS profession, it I I don't know what exact numbers are, but I think we would all agree that there's a large majority of the encounters, patient calls, encounters, however you want to call them, a lot of times some of these interactions aren't as bad as they may seem or how they are initially received, right? 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:23.559 And then you get there, maybe it's not as bad or whatever, right? 00:13:24.039 --> 00:13:27.559 But it doesn't mean that they don't have potential, right? 00:13:27.639 --> 00:13:32.279 And so and so kind of understanding the role of like the EMS service, right? 00:13:32.439 --> 00:13:38.039 And like it may be someone else's emergency, it might not be emergent to me. 00:13:38.200 --> 00:13:49.000 You know, I learned that over the years, and so there's a part of it where, you know, if I call the doctor because I feel sick, you know, and like because I have the sniffles, you know, and I go in and like, oh, why are you here? 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:51.799 You know, like allergies, you know, they're like, okay, cool.

00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:54.679 I went to school for 10 years and you know, I'm doing this, right? 00:13:54.759 --> 00:13:57.159 You know, obviously not the highlight of their day. 00:13:57.320 --> 00:14:02.519 But there are cases that come in that are truly critical or the life and death, right? 00:14:02.679 --> 00:14:12.360 So acknowledging those differences is I go back to that statement and I'm like, I don't know that I I don't know that I 100% agree with that. 00:14:12.439 --> 00:14:16.679 Like, I'm not as good as I think I am, or we're not, or you are not as good as you think you are. 00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:17.320 I don't know. 00:14:17.399 --> 00:14:22.759 I think maybe it's okay to be really good at something, and you can be good at that. 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:31.480 And and it may and as I kind of tie that into leadership role, like I think maybe it's okay to acknowledge there's differences. 00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:32.840 I'm not always gonna get it right. 00:14:32.919 --> 00:14:33.399 But you know what? 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:38.039 I think maybe the people that are showing up and coming in and doing the good work, right? 00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:41.240 I think you are as good as you think you are. 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:46.200 There's always room to learn, and I think there's a difference between confidence and cockiness. 00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:48.600 There is huge, huge. 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:51.320 But you don't hear confidence, you know. 00:14:51.559 --> 00:14:56.200 But I truly think that, like, I was like, man, that just almost seems like more of a dig than anything. 00:14:56.279 --> 00:15:03.720 And I kind of get may maybe the intent was to like to be that real motivator, and it's like, you know, you're never gonna be perfect, but along the way you'll achieve greatness. 00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:06.120 You know, but like I don't know. 00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:07.879 I think maybe we could acknowledge that. 00:15:08.120 --> 00:15:16.919 No, I think I am pretty good at some of these things, and that's not being cocky, that's being confident and acknowledging the aspects of this job. 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:24.840 And like you said, it it's not always life and death, but there are times that it is, and maybe that's where I am or we are. 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:27.320 I don't want to say me as I'm describing myself. 00:15:27.399 --> 00:15:28.679 I want to say like we are. 00:15:28.840 --> 00:15:31.399 No, I think we are as good as we think we are. 00:15:31.559 --> 00:15:39.480 Like, I think we do do that because we do the training, we we have good leadership, um, and I think that we have good accountability. 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:41.080 So I kind of think that maybe we are. 00:15:41.159 --> 00:15:42.360 What's your take on that? 00:15:42.679 --> 00:15:43.000 All right. 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:46.840 So I got two, I got two takes on on this, two hot takes. 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:50.919 And so one of them, DMS is negatively motivated. 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:54.600 And I think let's talk about healthcare for 12 seconds, is negatively motivated. 00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:55.080 Oh, yeah. 00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:59.559 Hey, Mike, has anybody ever said to you that was a really difficult innovation? 00:15:59.639 --> 00:16:10.200 I'm really proud of how amazing that you that you do that, or hey, Blake, that was a really tough patient to get an IV on, and you threw a 16 amazing job now. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:18.519 And and just to prove me wrong, maybe that did happen one time in your combined 1,053-year career. 00:16:18.600 --> 00:16:19.720 I'm just being dramatic. 00:16:19.799 --> 00:16:21.480 I'm a father of daughters. 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:24.600 But but but may maybe that has happened. 00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:29.159 But how many times has somebody said to you, Blake, why couldn't you get that IV? 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:31.080 Why didn't you do blah, blah, blah? 00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:37.559 Hey, Mike, how come, how come when you couldn't immediately vocalize the chords, why didn't you practice your salad technique? 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:39.080 Or why didn't you just do a buyer? 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:44.120 Or why didn't so we're negatively motivated for all of the all of the things. 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:50.439 And so, so maybe, maybe that motivational quote is is that. 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:56.519 But so I I removed the label, so you have no copyright infringements or anything like this. 00:16:56.759 --> 00:17:04.920 I know how big big companies out there trying to squeeze which one out of out of out of the yeah, out of the working man out here. 00:17:05.160 --> 00:17:22.759 And so so we can look at this bottle, and so so I jokingly refer to my best friends, I rank them, and so my fifth best friend, who's the program director of our local community college, and and so his wife, who is a dean at that college, different department, she just bullied me. 00:17:22.920 --> 00:17:23.799 Let me say what it is. 00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:31.320 She bullied me into judging a science Olympiad one weekend, and it was a middle school science olympiad. 00:17:31.400 --> 00:17:34.600 And I'm like, I don't spend a time with these nerdy middle school kids. 00:17:34.840 --> 00:17:40.600 And and so so so he bullied me, she bullied me into doing this. 00:17:40.760 --> 00:17:52.040 And and so this is what I remember though, is one of those kids, uh, and and it's kind of one of those, like my dad would say, uh, from the mouth of children, the things that that come and really kind of strike us, right? 00:17:52.280 --> 00:18:04.440 And and so I remember seeing this group, and they had uh they had this glass on the back of their on the back of their shirt, and and it said, is the glass half full or is it half empty? 00:18:07.800 --> 00:18:10.120 Thank you to our sponsor, Metro Aviation. 00:18:10.520 --> 00:18:19.800 Metro Aviation, the world's largest family-owned aeromedical operator, offers comprehensive

aircraft services with 140 plus aircraft in over 25 states. 00:18:19.960 --> 00:18:29.960 The completion center installs medical and law enforcement kits in avionics, serving diverse aviation needs including offshore, utility, VIP, and corporate sectors. 00:18:30.600 --> 00:18:34.760 And then and so it's got H2O plus I'm not a smart guy. 00:18:34.920 --> 00:18:42.120 I told you I was well educated, I'm not smart, plus the the chemical equation for the air around us. 00:18:42.360 --> 00:18:48.520 And and and it it had you know, H2O plus that equation equals a full glass. 00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:50.520 You have to change your perspective. 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:56.520 And and so that's that's what I would say is is do we change our perspective in EMS? 00:18:56.600 --> 00:18:59.080 We we might be negatively motivated. 00:18:59.240 --> 00:19:06.920 I think just like in the fire service, that motivation typically is a little bit more duty and honor, and we're bound to the public. 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:24.200 And and so so a quote that I like to toss out, a motivational quote from the fire service, is it doesn't matter whatever your title is, is is if you are that company officer, everybody in your first due area is your responsibility. 00:19:24.520 --> 00:19:34.680 So every man, woman, and child, doesn't matter whether they're a resident, doesn't matter whether they're a citizen, doesn't matter any of that stuff, they are your responsibility. 00:19:35.080 --> 00:19:38.600 And so are are you worthy of that, worthy of that trust? 00:19:38.760 --> 00:19:43.480 And so that's what I would kind of toss back and to say, you know, and am I the smartest? 00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:45.160 I'm not, you know. 00:19:45.320 --> 00:19:47.720 Uh, but I like to hang out with some smart guys. 00:19:47.800 --> 00:19:49.880 I've got I've got some really smart friends. 00:19:50.040 --> 00:19:53.720 I jokingly refer to my network of friends as the best friends. 00:19:53.800 --> 00:19:59.720 Um, I've got the best friend network that when I have an issue that that I can reach out to, um, am I the best? 00:19:59.960 --> 00:20:00.520 I don't know. 00:20:00.600 --> 00:20:02.040 I I think I'm pretty good. 00:20:02.200 --> 00:20:07.640 Uh I'm never gonna be perfect, but that doesn't mean, and I keep going back to this phrase that I'm not gonna stay hungry. 00:20:07.800 --> 00:20:17.640 I'm not gonna stay hungry and no matter whatever the book is that I'm reading, the podcast that I'm listening to, when I go to a class, what is the class that I go to at a conference? 00:20:17.960 --> 00:20:30.040 Or what is the conversation that I have with somebody, whether that's on the vendor floor, whether that's those connections afterwards on LinkedIn, Facebook, hey, did I get somebody's number and do I text them from time to time with follow-on questions? 00:20:30.280 --> 00:20:33.240 Because I think that starts to open those doors as well. 00:20:33.400 --> 00:20:42.920 But I think it's your perspective shifts things a lot, just like that perspective of having that self-love, that perspective of all of those different things. 00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:50.120 And I think it's such a good point that you bring up because uh in EMS in general, all we see are the bad things. 00:20:50.520 --> 00:20:51.560 Day in and day out. 00:20:52.040 --> 00:20:53.320 All we see are the bad things. 00:20:53.560 --> 00:21:03.320 And so it's so easy to focus on the bad things that I think it's hard to sometimes change our perspective because all we're seeing is the bad in everything. 00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:09.720 Uh and then we turn that on to ourselves, which is obviously not the right answer in all of those situations. 00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:19.000 But you know, uh to to quote one of my coworkers again, I think I said it in one of the other podcasts, but like, you know, the grass is greener where you water it, not where you piss on it. 00:21:19.160 --> 00:21:20.040 Like correct. 00:21:20.280 --> 00:21:24.920 You know, and and so if you've been wrong all along, right? 00:21:27.160 --> 00:21:27.960 Son of a dog. 00:21:28.520 --> 00:21:29.720 The more you know, Blake. 00:21:31.880 --> 00:21:35.000 You know, and it's uh it's all about that perspective. 00:21:35.080 --> 00:21:45.480 And if you come in with that, that negativity towards the job, towards your team, towards leadership, towards all of it, like that's where you're going to live. 00:21:45.560 --> 00:21:49.640 That's where you're going to sit, that's where you're you're going to and and misery loves company, right? 00:21:49.720 --> 00:21:54.680 Like, so people gravitate towards that particular perspective. 00:21:54.760 --> 00:21:57.080 Uh, and I think that's hard to change sometimes. 00:21:57.240 --> 00:22:00.760 And because we get, uh I don't know, maybe it's sometimes the downtime. 00:22:00.840 --> 00:22:06.200 Um, maybe it's that you know things aren't quite perfect and we have time to perseverate on it a little bit. 00:22:06.280 --> 00:22:11.400 I I I don't know what what the situation is, but like we never do that. 00:22:11.480 --> 00:22:12.840 We never we never bitch about it. 00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:16.440 Like, no, I mean we're we never none of us, absolutely. 00:22:16.760 --> 00:22:21.240 Let me let me take an un unpopular is is what is the culture of the agency. 00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:22.040 Sure, sure. 00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:27.320 And and and and what is the culture that is allowed to to invade that agency. 00:22:28.040 --> 00:22:31.240 Do I do I convert you to my faith? 00:22:31.400 --> 00:22:33.160 And so I'm Roman Catholic. 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:35.080 I live in the Baptist South. 00:22:35.240 --> 00:22:38.600 My daughter is the middle one, works at a Baptist church. 00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:39.640 She's been baptized. 00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:43.480 I remind her every chance that I get, she's still really Roman Catholic. 00:22:43.640 --> 00:22:45.560 But do I convert you to my faith?

00:22:45.640 --> 00:22:59.800 But by by let me let me let me riddle me this, because in cultures around the globe, things like life and death are considered, dare I say, holy moments. 00:23:01.480 --> 00:23:06.520 This is a new life being welcomed into the world, or we are sending you to the eternal. 00:23:06.760 --> 00:23:15.080 Doesn't matter what you believe in, whether it's the the the darkness or to to you're you're going across the river. 00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:17.640 The EMS is being called. 00:23:20.120 --> 00:23:21.560 I can view this one of two ways. 00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:23.640 They only call me when things are going wrong. 00:23:23.800 --> 00:23:29.480 Or I can view this and I can convert you to my faith to say they're calling because they they need you. 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:42.440 They have a trust and a belief that in their worst moment, and their worst moment, my definition of worst, are two very different things that you can come and help them during that time of need. 00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:58.520 During this, again, dare I say, this holy or sacred moment, you're being invited into the house, into the lives of strangers, and your actions or inactions, do you deliver death with a compassionate tone? 00:23:58.680 --> 00:24:09.000 Do you treat this person with compassion and and or are you just a salty SOB and you treat them like garbage and damage, damage causes damage? 00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:13.560 So do I convert you to my faith and and convert you? 00:24:13.720 --> 00:24:16.600 Not necessarily brainwashing, but do I convert you to this? 00:24:16.760 --> 00:24:25.880 And then as a supervisor, and that can be a field training officer, that can be, hey, I talk about one of our paramedics who retired. 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:27.640 She had 30 years with the county. 00:24:27.720 --> 00:24:31.320 She was a flight paramedic for, I think it was 18 of those years. 00:24:31.480 --> 00:24:36.760 And when Mary Tonda would walk into the room, and I was, I was operations deputy chief when she retired. 00:24:36.920 --> 00:24:42.520 Mary Tonda as a flight paramedic, when she would say, and she was a real country, y'all, this is not right. 00:24:42.680 --> 00:24:45.720 Whoa, hey, what's Mary Tonda picking up on that I've missed? 00:24:46.040 --> 00:24:47.720 She was, I viewed her as a leader. 00:24:47.800 --> 00:24:50.440 She FTO'd me when I was going through my paramedic. 00:24:50.840 --> 00:24:56.680 And so what I would say is when we talk about leaders, what is the culture that you allow to happen? 00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:58.520 Do you allow those negative people? 00:24:58.600 --> 00:25:02.920 Or do you say, hey man, that's that's cool that you feel that way? 00:25:03.080 --> 00:25:04.520 That's not our belief here. 00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:08.360 And do you make those people to feel unwelcome? 00:25:08.600 --> 00:25:29.800 Because whether you're the pilot, whether you're the base manager, whether you're the flight nurse or the flight paramedic, it doesn't matter what your role is in the organization, do you allow that person, or do you say, hey man, that's that's that's that that might be how they did business wherever you used to work or wherever you were sounded, that's that's not how we do business at MedFlight. 00:25:29.880 --> 00:25:32.840 That's not how we do business at at this agency. 00:25:33.160 --> 00:25:45.400 I would like to say that I believe that doing this job and where you work, you should be the believer and follower and adopt people into that faith, right? 00:25:45.560 --> 00:25:49.320 And because what an honor this job is. 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:55.560 And like you said, people are calling you to their homes in the absolute worst times of their life, right? 00:25:56.200 --> 00:25:59.960 And we know the things that are gonna be the mundane, right? 00:26:00.040 --> 00:26:02.200 The sniffles, the those things, right? 00:26:02.280 --> 00:26:03.160 That's just gonna happen. 00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:03.880 That's healthcare. 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:05.800 And I think you hit the nail on the head. 00:26:05.960 --> 00:26:20.680 And maybe as leaders, as we grow and continue to do things, we can't forget that very uh principle of the honor and the privilege that we have to make that impact on our patients. 00:26:20.840 --> 00:26:30.520 And it's not just our patients, it's their family, it's the providers that maybe are in that facility that are dealing with this, like you know, very trying call. 00:26:31.080 --> 00:26:40.680 But I I am just like I believe that like you should be bringing follow that faith, do that, and that should not be lost. 00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:54.680 And I am just very curious as new leaders are coming up and learning these things, and I myself, like how these the the the traps, right? 00:26:54.840 --> 00:27:01.160 The pitfalls, the the side things, and and like you said, Terrence, like did you learn about budgeting and stuff when you went to paramedic school? 00:27:01.240 --> 00:27:11.000 You know, like did you learn about like, you know, hey, you know, this refrigerator system and this lock has to, you know, meet this certain like ANSI requirements. 00:27:11.080 --> 00:27:14.520 You're like, no, no one teaches you that in paramedic school, right? 00:27:14.600 --> 00:27:20.120 You know, so the the true foundation of what our job can be, right? 00:27:20.280 --> 00:27:23.240 Like not every call is life and death. 00:27:23.320 --> 00:27:24.600 And I think we all know that. 00:27:24.680 --> 00:27:33.640 But for those calls that truly are life and death, and that's where I say when I think about that statement, that just made me think like, no, I think we are really good at those things. 00:27:33.720 --> 00:27:41.400 And I think if you adopt that faith and your leadership has that faith, like then your culture and your organization will continue to grow. 00:27:41.640 --> 00:27:52.280 But I'm curious on the pitfalls that kind of come with those

leadership positions because we all start out because we want to do this job and help people. 00:27:53.000 --> 00:27:58.440 But like, are we asking so much of our leaders to, you know, like, hey, I need you to do these budgets? 00:27:58.520 --> 00:28:03.720 And then, oh, by the way, uh, you know, this ambulance broke down and then their battery charger isn't working. 00:28:03.880 --> 00:28:10.120 Oh, by the way, while you're on your way to that call, you're gonna need to go run this horrible call with this crew and help them and relate. 00:28:10.280 --> 00:28:15.400 And then as soon as you're done with that, you gotta, you know, upload your TPS reports, you know. 00:28:15.560 --> 00:28:16.040 I don't know. 00:28:16.200 --> 00:28:20.280 Like, you know, like how like how do you balance? 00:28:20.520 --> 00:28:42.600 How do we avoid these like traps that are with that come with the leadership role, but still don't forget the very basic I I don't want to call it basic, the very foundation of how and why where we can make the impact with those truly tough calls to like that privilege, that honor to be with life brought in or life leaving. 00:28:42.680 --> 00:28:51.720 Like, how do you balance that as a leader and and and make yourself be successful so that way when you're successful, your team is successful? 00:28:52.040 --> 00:28:59.400 I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna pivot in a different direction because uh I think it's an important thing to to talk about. 00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:02.520 That is what is the you time that you're taking. 00:29:02.840 --> 00:29:10.280 And and and uh I I hear some people say this uh you can't pour, you can't pour from an empty cup. 00:29:10.520 --> 00:29:16.520 And then my daughter's boss, who uh the Baptist preacher, his greatest goal in life is to convert me. 00:29:16.600 --> 00:29:19.800 And I'm like, no, Charles, you're invited to my funeral. 00:29:19.880 --> 00:29:21.800 It will be at the Catholic Church. 00:29:22.040 --> 00:29:27.640 You can speak even, but I mean it's gonna be it's gonna be that Roman Catholic rite of burial. 00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:28.040 Yeah. 00:29:28.200 --> 00:29:35.160 And and and so Charles uses the the statement when I have the conversation with him, even Jesus took naps. 00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:51.080 And so if I am worn out because I'm constantly doing this, I'm constantly doing that, I'm fighting the budget battle, I'm fighting, hey, we had to run this bad call because I backfilled, and then this is broken down. 00:29:51.240 --> 00:29:56.920 And and if I'm overextending myself, well, then that just becomes fatigue. 00:29:57.160 --> 00:29:59.880 And and in healthcare, we know fatigue. 00:30:00.120 --> 00:30:00.680 Shoot. 00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:04.200 Healthcare, we know fatigue causes us to make bad decisions. 00:30:04.680 --> 00:30:09.160 And in aviation, we talk about fatigue to say, hey, did you take your safety net? 00:30:09.400 --> 00:30:11.320 Hey, what's your what's your duty hours? 00:30:11.480 --> 00:30:17.480 Hey, pilot, you know, you're about to turn into a pumpkin because you've been on duty for 13 hours and 48 minutes. 00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:20.680 And by the way, how many, how many days have you been on? 00:30:20.840 --> 00:30:23.080 Because now it's time for your mandated rest. 00:30:23.320 --> 00:30:23.480 Right. 00:30:23.880 --> 00:30:25.400 Which is not dissimilar. 00:30:25.480 --> 00:30:29.160 Uh, my middle brother is a pilot for Southwest Airlines. 00:30:29.320 --> 00:30:30.360 Same deal. 00:30:30.600 --> 00:30:49.160 And, you know, he will, uh, when he is in town, he was in DC, where where my next older brother lives, um, and they went to dinner and and I was part of the text chain, and I was like, well, thanks for thanks for keeping me in the chain for dinner I won't be going to make my phone make noise. 00:30:49.560 --> 00:30:54.440 Um, but he had used the statement, hey Ted, you know, whatever we do, it needs to be early. 00:30:54.520 --> 00:30:59.960 I've got a five o'clock showtime tomorrow morning, so I need to be in bed at, you know, whatever time. 00:31:00.120 --> 00:31:04.280 And so that that's what I would say is how do we not fall into the traps? 00:31:04.360 --> 00:31:09.400 Here's a trap self-care and taking that self-time, that intentional time. 00:31:11.800 --> 00:31:15.000 Thank you to our sponsor, Preston Aviation Group. 00:31:15.160 --> 00:31:23.640 Mission critical operators and fleet managers rely on Preston Aviation Group as a worldwide leading rotor and fixed-wing MRO provider. 00:31:23.880 --> 00:31:32.920 TAG provides tip-to-tail solutions in four MRO segments: avionics, components, engines, and manufacturing DER services. 00:31:33.080 --> 00:31:39.560 A single point of contact gives you access to over$150 million in inventory globally 24-7. 00:31:39.960 --> 00:31:45.400 Just call 800-537-2778, Precision Aviation Group. 00:31:45.560 --> 00:31:48.200 Others sell parts, we sell support. 00:31:55.560 --> 00:32:01.000 And so with my daughters with their own families, hey, I knew Father's Day was going to look a little bit different. 00:32:01.240 --> 00:32:04.600 Um, and so we took that intentional time the day before Father's Day. 00:32:04.760 --> 00:32:06.920 Got a smoker a couple couple weeks ago. 00:32:07.080 --> 00:32:14.280 We smoked two racks of ribs, we threw deer backstrap on there, uh, we threw a quarter chicken on there, some uh chicken quarters. 00:32:14.360 --> 00:32:15.480 Uh we screwed down. 00:32:16.520 --> 00:32:18.120 Man, I'm moving to North Carolina, man. 00:32:18.440 --> 00:32:18.920 Yes, sir. 00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:20.040 Yes, sir, yes, sir. 00:32:20.360 --> 00:32:23.080 I'm Texas educated with stuff, including my barbecue. 00:32:23.160 --> 00:32:25.800 So it's like the best of both all the worlds, right there. 00:32:25.960 --> 00:32:26.360 My goodness. 00:32:26.680 --> 00:32:27.240 It is the best. 00:32:27.400 --> 00:32:28.360 It is the best. 00:32:28.680 -->

00:32:37.720 But taking that intentional time to hang out with them children, to hang out with them grandchildren, uh, to hang out with my to hang out with my wife. 00:32:37.880 --> 00:32:41.560 You know, she sometimes teases me, uh, how come you don't call me your best friend? 00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:42.760 That's because you're my wife. 00:32:42.920 --> 00:32:44.200 That's implied in that. 00:32:44.360 --> 00:32:45.960 That is a known statement of that. 00:32:46.280 --> 00:32:50.760 Literally in the Yeah, like that's in the title. 00:32:52.840 --> 00:33:14.840 But if I'm if I'm working the long days that I work, uh getting home late at night or leaving early in the morning, and some days, some days I do leave to go to work while she's still in bed, and I get home while she's in the shower, you know, and she's about to go to bed, I I gotta take the time with her and we've got to reconnect as as husband and wife. 00:33:14.920 --> 00:33:20.600 And that just means talking, that means being able to go on vacations and to enjoy new things. 00:33:20.760 --> 00:33:23.240 Maybe that's a great meal, maybe that's our children. 00:33:23.400 --> 00:33:32.040 Uh, for her, when she has a tough day at work, I know because she goes to one of the girls' houses and plays with that grandbaby for three or five minutes or gives them a bath. 00:33:32.280 --> 00:33:35.880 And so to go back to your question, hey, how do we not fall into those traps? 00:33:36.040 --> 00:33:43.160 I think self-care is is a trap that we begin to say, I don't need this, I don't have time for this. 00:33:43.480 --> 00:33:47.160 Is it, hey, making sure that I'm I'm eating a squared-a-way meal? 00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:52.200 I am no bastion of health fitness, uh, of virtue with that stuff. 00:33:52.280 --> 00:33:56.520 Um, but what I would say is, are are we taking those intentional times? 00:33:56.840 --> 00:34:12.039 Whether it's, hey, getting out for a walk, spending time with our family, uh, getting that sweat equity in on things, um, and just being able to reset so my mind is clear so that when I when I hit the bricks running again, I'm able to be focused. 00:34:12.119 --> 00:34:14.599 And that for me, that's a big trap right there. 00:34:15.239 --> 00:34:25.800 And I think that's such a challenge though, especially when you're talking about working in these high-stakes 24-hour operations environments, because even when you're not on call as a leader, you're still on call. 00:34:25.880 --> 00:34:32.280 And I'm not just talking about somebody that is, you know, a program manager or a chief flight nurse or achievement, right? 00:34:32.440 --> 00:34:33.000 Exactly. 00:34:33.239 --> 00:34:33.480 Right? 00:34:33.719 --> 00:34:45.720 Like that this is still those those FTOs, this is still those base leads, this is still those people that everyone kind of looks up to within your organization, that you're still getting texts and calls. 00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:49.880 And hey, are you free because I

need to run X, Y, or Z by you? 00:34:49.960 --> 00:34:55.800 And and I think that we do a good job for our frontline staff of promoting self-care. 00:34:56.039 --> 00:34:58.039 Hey, you haven't had days off in a while. 00:34:58.119 --> 00:35:03.720 You should probably take some, or schedules are grouped together so that we can maximize the the days off that we have. 00:35:03.800 --> 00:35:10.360 And and we try to say, no, no more than, you know, four or five, six shifts in a week, right? 00:35:10.680 --> 00:35:18.039 Try to limit the hours and and provide that ability for them to have that positive work-life balance. 00:35:18.200 --> 00:35:32.519 But then it's like you step into the the leadership side of things, and it's very hard, I think, sometimes, because you want to be there for your team or for your crews or for your partners and help them if there's a crisis that evolves. 00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:42.039 And you want to make sure that you're addressing issues in a timely fashion, and you want to make sure that those emails aren't piling up and there the list goes on and on, right? 00:35:42.440 --> 00:36:04.119 And and so I think that that's where that that's probably where some of those pitfalls are coming from that you're talking about, is that it's hard to step away or turn it off or put that that job aside because even if you're not the manager on call, you're still getting those calls because people rely on you personally and know you personally. 00:36:04.599 --> 00:36:19.000 So I think that kind of leads into the next part of like, how do you set those boundaries as a leader to not just promote that for your team, but also promote that for yourself? 00:36:19.320 --> 00:36:26.280 I go back to one word, um, that relationship and setting those expectations with with my folks. 00:36:26.440 --> 00:36:34.440 Uh some of those pieces might be um in in my role, somebody somebody has to cover that on call piece. 00:36:34.519 --> 00:36:39.559 And sometimes it's a notification, sometimes it's guidance, sometimes it is response. 00:36:39.800 --> 00:36:52.920 And where I have responded on incidents at two o'clock in the morning, woken up to a phone call, and and I now just keep usually yesterday's uniform gets hung up on the end of the bed, and tomorrow morning it'll go into the laundry. 00:36:53.079 --> 00:36:59.000 Um, but if I go out in the middle of the night, I'm just wearing that dirty uniform typically and I'm telling all my secrets now. 00:36:59.240 --> 00:37:02.840 Um but but we won't we won't judge you, I promise. 00:37:03.000 --> 00:37:03.320 Yeah, yeah. 00:37:04.119 --> 00:37:04.680 Maybe a little bit. 00:37:04.920 --> 00:37:05.480 Maybe a little bit. 00:37:05.559 --> 00:37:07.160 Yeah, we judge, but we don't care. 00:37:07.320 --> 00:37:09.720 Um we don't judge. 00:37:10.039 --> 00:37:11.160 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:37:11.640 --> 00:37:14.680 Um, but but somebody has to cover that. 00:37:14.840 --> 00:37:16.440 Somebody has to cover that piece. 00:37:16.599 --> 00:37:20.760 And I think an another piece of that is having that understanding. 00:37:20.920 --> 00:37:28.599 Uh, I've had to have some conversations with my family, but it's not it's not terribly different than I missed holidays when I was on shift. 00:37:28.760 --> 00:37:32.599 I missed birthdays, uh, I missed all different types of things. 00:37:32.840 --> 00:37:37.240 Usually I'm there now, but that sacrifice just comes in in a little bit different way. 00:37:37.400 --> 00:37:45.320 And for my wife, uh to tell her you know, business for a second, that was a little bit uh we got we got married. 00:37:45.400 --> 00:37:54.039 I'd been on the job for I think 15 years when when we started dating, uh 15, 16 years, and she's coming into this public safety. 00:37:54.360 --> 00:37:54.920 What do you mean? 00:37:55.000 --> 00:38:00.760 And the k and her the kids, her daughters would call it uh is is Terrence, is this his sleepaway night? 00:38:00.840 --> 00:38:03.400 Like it was sleepaway camp or something like that. 00:38:03.640 --> 00:38:16.119 And so having that, having that relationship with your family, having that relationship with your people, that when they call me with something, we go back to that say do gap, uh, hey man, I'm in the middle of dinner with my family. 00:38:16.519 --> 00:38:19.480 Do I need to talk about this right now, or can I call you back? 00:38:19.640 --> 00:38:21.320 I gotta remember to call them back. 00:38:21.480 --> 00:38:29.320 And I might tell them, text me to remind me, and I leave it, I leave it unread so it's still on the top of my phone as that notification, is that reminder? 00:38:29.480 --> 00:38:37.160 Because sometimes I'll get my employees and they'll text me, hey, it's still important, I st or it's still not important, but I still need to talk with you before you go to bed. 00:38:37.320 --> 00:38:38.599 Oh yeah, it's been five hours. 00:38:38.760 --> 00:38:40.200 I forgot about you, my bad. 00:38:40.360 --> 00:38:43.160 But but I think that's that relationship piece. 00:38:43.320 --> 00:38:50.680 And and that's part of where I say that the job responsibilities may have shifted a little bit. 00:38:50.840 --> 00:38:55.400 And and it it is idealistic to say, hey, we're there to help people. 00:38:55.640 --> 00:39:05.559 My helping just changed from one patient at a time to the 10,000,500 calls for service that we had with our agency last year. 00:39:05.720 --> 00:39:11.079 Um, my level of help now played a role in all 10,500 calls for service. 00:39:11.160 --> 00:39:19.240 We're a geography system, not a call volume system versus maybe 300 or 400 calls that I would run as a provider. 00:39:19.640 --> 00:39:21.559 You know, this this conversation is great. 00:39:21.640 --> 00:39:31.640 And Terrence, I'm just thank you so much for uh answering truthfully, honestly, no holds back, and and I love it. 00:39:31.800 --> 00:39:35.720 And I hope that our listeners are are really

getting a lot of it. 00:39:35.880 --> 00:39:59.800 Like Mike said, this is maybe more the therapy session both of us or what I think it just highlights like these like I I I've just wanted so much for this profession for for so so many years as I've watched people come and go and and in and out of this world that you know that we live in. 00:40:00.119 --> 00:40:13.320 I've seen this I I don't even know if like common theme is is the right uh you know terminology, but like there seems to be something that keeps uh us coming back, right? 00:40:13.480 --> 00:40:32.519 And and we we recently had somebody that retired and they they left the comment as with it it's not just about the calls or the patients, it's about the people that you're working with and the person that's beside you and the partner. 00:40:32.599 --> 00:40:37.640 And and they said like that was the most meaningful thing throughout this career, right? 00:40:37.720 --> 00:40:44.039 And so when I think about that, because like not downplaying or negating, you know, the patient care and the stuff, right? 00:40:44.119 --> 00:40:49.160 Because I think there are ways how we relate to that as work, you know, the mundane, right? 00:40:49.240 --> 00:40:53.640 Or I shouldn't say like the routine, like the things that are like, you know, those standard calls, right? 00:40:53.800 --> 00:40:56.920 Aside from the really tough calls, there's work. 00:40:57.160 --> 00:41:09.160 But when you're you're like we go through some crazy experiences and different things with each other, and that can be with your base lead, it could be with the brand new employee. 00:41:09.240 --> 00:41:14.920 You know, we we are all regardless, like you said, the the made-up titles, uh I love that. 00:41:15.160 --> 00:41:34.200 Um like we are all still human beings and we are still seeing, hearing, smelling, like we are all taking in all these encounters and experiences, and then we all handle those, you know, differently, but then we still keep coming back and and we still keep wanting more. 00:41:34.360 --> 00:41:43.559 And and then the the as you progress and you go through this career, like I said, I've seen people that come and go because they they go into a leadership role and they're like, sucks. 00:41:43.880 --> 00:41:45.160 I'm out, not doing it, you know. 00:41:45.240 --> 00:41:50.039 They go back to the road or they're like, yo, I'm gonna go work retail, you know, like totally not for me. 00:41:50.200 --> 00:41:54.760 Um, but these as you have different roles, right? 00:41:55.000 --> 00:42:10.680 As you progress, whatever it is that you find happiness and where you're working right now, how do you sustain uh that you keep coming back, but you're still compassionate, but you're still a leader, you know, like you're still that leader. 00:42:10.840 --> 00:42:21.240 Like I've always wanted to just be like I've had so much help through my career that I only want to be that for other people, what I was so gracious to have throughout my career. 00:42:21.400 --> 00:42:25.640 I always had someone I could call, someone was always able to talk me off the ledge. 00:42:25.720 --> 00:42:31.079 I think I've quit my job 150 times, uh probably 50 of that this week. 00:42:31.320 --> 00:42:37.240 Yeah, you know, uh, but so how as as leaders, like that's a super tough job. 00:42:37.400 --> 00:42:43.640 I just uh being a new leader and coming in, you have all this responsibility and you want to do the right thing for people. 00:42:44.599 --> 00:42:49.480 And whatever the title is, how do you maintain that you keep coming back? 00:42:49.640 --> 00:42:54.920 You're leading by example, but you're still compassionate, but you're still that leader, right? 00:42:55.000 --> 00:43:05.079 You still have that firmness, I guess, or you know, I don't know what the right word is to say, but you know, you're uh I can be compassionate and not compromise. 00:43:05.559 --> 00:43:07.880 I might have a presentation that talks about that. 00:43:08.519 --> 00:43:11.880 Let me let me just be philosophical for for a couple of minutes. 00:43:12.119 --> 00:43:24.360 And and I I genuinely believe that the place that I live and and work, um, and whether it's vacations with my family, um, you know, side hustle has taken me. 00:43:24.599 --> 00:43:32.360 I have been in uh I think probably the hundred counties in the state of North Carolina, I've set foot in probably 85 of those counties. 00:43:32.440 --> 00:43:38.360 And as a non-native North Carolinian, my wife is amazed at the number of places I've been in North Carolina. 00:43:38.599 --> 00:43:43.480 And and so from the mountains to the coast, and we have our funny coastal accent here. 00:43:43.640 --> 00:43:46.760 Uh, I've spent a number of time in in Texas. 00:43:46.840 --> 00:43:49.000 Uh I love Texas, I love brisket. 00:43:49.320 --> 00:43:56.680 My wife tells me every chance that she gets that our grandchildren live in North Carolina, they live in eastern North Carolina, so that's where we'll live. 00:43:57.000 --> 00:43:59.160 We will not relocate to Texas. 00:43:59.320 --> 00:44:01.240 Um, we can always visit. 00:44:01.880 --> 00:44:03.480 We can we can, we can. 00:44:03.640 --> 00:44:11.079 You know, uh I have seen some beautiful sunrises uh a couple couple of weeks ago, all the politics aside. 00:44:11.320 --> 00:44:21.480 I was in uh DC one morning, uh, was gonna see some family and saw the the sunrise and and went to the Lincoln Memorial, saw the sunrise, and it was beautiful there. 00:44:21.559 --> 00:44:27.559 But I'll tell you what, these outer banks sunsets and sunrises, you get to watch the sunrise over the ocean, you get to watch. 00:44:28.039 --> 00:44:32.200 A sunset over the sound, um, and there is just something special about it. 00:44:32.280 --> 00:44:37.559 I've seen some on my son-in-law's farm, some beautiful sunrises and sunsets there. 00:44:37.640 --> 00:44:45.720 I've been some beautiful, amazing places, but I think some

of my grounding is two different things of what keeps me doing it every day. 00:44:48.680 --> 00:44:51.160 Thanks to our sponsor, Airbus. 00:44:51.320 --> 00:45:01.240 Airbus provides the most efficient helicopter solutions to its customers who serve, protect, save lives, and safely carry passengers in demanding environments. 00:45:01.400 --> 00:45:06.519 Its civil and military helicopters are flying all over the world, making missions possible. 00:45:06.680 --> 00:45:09.800 Visit Airbus.com for more information. 00:45:10.440 --> 00:45:11.640 You're gonna screw up. 00:45:11.800 --> 00:45:14.760 There's no such thing as perfection in our in our business. 00:45:15.079 --> 00:45:16.360 You're gonna make an error. 00:45:16.519 --> 00:45:28.440 Part of accountability is not just do I own it, but part of accountability is or what are the changes that I set or change so that when I'm in this situation or if this happens again, that we don't have this same result. 00:45:28.840 --> 00:45:30.119 And and so that's part of that. 00:45:30.200 --> 00:45:35.559 Hey, I'm gonna screw up today, but tomorrow is a new day, no matter how bad today is. 00:45:35.800 --> 00:45:47.000 And and Mike and I were joking about that this earlier before we began recording that, hey man, tomorrow's a fresh day and let's hit tomorrow with the with the bricks and we're gonna hit it running. 00:45:47.400 --> 00:45:49.559 I think the other part is is the people. 00:45:49.880 --> 00:45:53.000 Um a quote that I sometimes throw out there. 00:45:53.400 --> 00:46:01.000 It exists in the officer program that uh that I introduced, and I'm stoked that every instructor has kept it in their version of the presentation. 00:46:01.240 --> 00:46:02.519 It's a people business. 00:46:02.760 --> 00:46:06.039 That's my predecessor in the operations deputy chief, George K. 00:46:06.119 --> 00:46:14.599 Fair III, um, and where he would say, This is a people business, not just the patients that we take care of, but the people that we are with. 00:46:14.920 --> 00:46:23.240 And I can think of some some times uh, you know, during the holiday season, uh Thanksgiving is really one of my favorite things. 00:46:23.400 --> 00:46:29.240 Um I just love it's not the high pressure of Christmas with gifts and decorations and all of this stuff. 00:46:29.480 --> 00:46:30.119 Thanksgiving. 00:46:30.200 --> 00:46:30.920 I'm a big dude. 00:46:31.000 --> 00:46:36.360 I love good food, and Thanksgiving is about throwing down some good food and and being able to see your family. 00:46:36.440 --> 00:46:57.480 And I have a huge Irish Catholic family and just being able to spend the the spend that time with the with the family, and it's a people business though, and so so reminding yourself that it's the the people because I have spent nights either either talking my coworkers through their issues, just being that good friend, or them talking me through issues. 00:46:57.640 --> 00:47:16.280 Uh, I remember in in some of my darker times in life, that partner being there for me, uh, and and other than you know, after after the passing of my parents, that unconditional love that I feel for my brothers, man, I guess some brothers and sisters that I have worked with that I feel that same unconditional love for. 00:47:16.519 --> 00:47:21.000 And so that's what I would say is some of that that driver that, hey, you're gonna have those bad days. 00:47:21.240 --> 00:47:25.400 Sun's gonna rise tomorrow, and uh it's probably gonna be a beautiful sunrise. 00:47:25.480 --> 00:47:34.760 And if it isn't, let's watch tomorrow's sunset and see if that's be it's cloudy, let's give it two or three days, and and we're gonna have guarantee a beautiful sunrise or sunset. 00:47:34.920 --> 00:47:37.480 And if you don't do it, then who's gonna do it? 00:47:37.720 --> 00:47:39.800 Who's who's who's gonna do it? 00:47:39.960 --> 00:47:43.079 Um do it do it for do it for the people. 00:47:43.320 --> 00:47:58.760 In North Carolina, in EMS, we talk about Drew Hughes, their their thing, and and and Drew Hughes, if you don't know the case, mistosiphageal innovation, beautiful, beautiful uh boy who who died because of that mistosophageal innovation and passed away. 00:47:58.840 --> 00:48:03.880 Uh and they call it the do it for Drew campaign, talking about recognizing all of those things. 00:48:04.039 --> 00:48:05.720 Hey, you got to do it for your partners. 00:48:05.880 --> 00:48:11.400 Uh so to take take that, you know, and pivot it into our industry, you got to do it for the do it for the people. 00:48:11.720 --> 00:48:19.720 Yeah, and I think that that's so important at the end of the day, you know, it's so easy to get caught up in the craziness of daily operations. 00:48:19.880 --> 00:48:32.119 It's so easy to get caught up in, you know, whether you have um clinical issues, personnel issues, and just general operations uh and and planning for the future. 00:48:32.280 --> 00:48:34.920 It's a lot and it can be very overwhelming at times. 00:48:35.160 --> 00:48:38.680 But I think at the end of the day, you need to remember your why. 00:48:38.920 --> 00:48:42.119 And you need to remember for you know who you're doing this for. 00:48:42.200 --> 00:48:45.960 And that's you know, for your coworkers, for your patients, for your families. 00:48:46.200 --> 00:48:48.200 And I think that's where the bottom line is. 00:48:48.280 --> 00:48:56.760 And and hopefully having that reframing of your why can help keep that positive mind frame in there. 00:48:56.840 --> 00:48:58.599 And I love that you kind of brought all that up. 00:48:58.760 --> 00:49:00.680 I think it's such an important piece of the puzzle. 00:49:00.920 --> 00:49:06.119 At the end of the day, what would you say, if we had to kind of wrap things up here? 00:49:06.440 --> 00:49:21.720 Your one biggest piece of advice that you could stress to new leaders, especially in our industry, that is a lesson maybe you've learned that if you had to do it

all over again, you would have done it completely different. 00:49:21.960 --> 00:49:37.320 If it's one thing that you think truly makes a difference to your crews, to your patients, to your team is in general, what would you say that is that someone could potentially adopt in their practice? 00:49:37.559 --> 00:49:41.480 And you already said Jesus even took a nap, so that one doesn't count anymore. 00:49:41.720 --> 00:49:42.360 I'm writing that down. 00:49:42.440 --> 00:49:43.400 I'm gonna tell my wife that. 00:49:47.000 --> 00:49:50.039 Every time your wife asks you to do something, you're gonna say amen. 00:49:50.680 --> 00:49:51.000 Absolutely. 00:49:51.400 --> 00:49:55.000 When we're done, when we're done recording, I can tell you some other some other things. 00:49:55.160 --> 00:49:57.720 And and so I don't know. 00:49:57.880 --> 00:49:58.920 Uh I do know. 00:49:59.000 --> 00:50:18.760 And and you know, I'm struck with a with a couple of of different things to stick since we're doing uh when when I do stuff, I I talk about, hey, we're doing that good old-fashioned leadership revival, we're gonna lay hands on you, we're gonna, it doesn't matter whether it's Wednesday night, doesn't matter whether it's Saturday, Saturday morning, we're laying, we're laying hands on you. 00:50:18.920 --> 00:50:25.400 Um and and so you know, one of the one of the things that I would say is sometimes we might say, Hey, where where am I? 00:50:25.480 --> 00:50:26.280 What's going on? 00:50:26.360 --> 00:50:27.320 What am I doing? 00:50:27.480 --> 00:50:31.400 Uh and since you said that, I'm gonna pivot to give you something else in a second. 00:50:31.480 --> 00:50:33.160 Uh, but who did Jesus hang out with? 00:50:33.320 --> 00:50:34.760 Jesus hung out with the sinners. 00:50:34.840 --> 00:50:41.160 Uh he was hanging out with the tax collector, who in his time um was was considered an unclean person. 00:50:41.400 --> 00:50:46.119 Uh, you know, Jesus uh would would hang out with Mary Magdalene. 00:50:46.280 --> 00:50:48.840 Uh she she she was a lady of the night. 00:50:49.160 --> 00:50:55.640 Um and and so Jesus was with the sinners and the people who most needed that that love. 00:50:56.119 --> 00:51:00.920 And so so maybe sometimes we need to be in those places that are that are the most amount of love. 00:51:01.160 --> 00:51:06.119 Let me let me take a let me take a 90-degree turn though, and where you say, hey, what would you do different? 00:51:06.280 --> 00:51:08.360 Um I maybe I'm a different person. 00:51:08.440 --> 00:51:10.920 Um uh I've heard other people say this. 00:51:11.160 --> 00:51:18.360 I don't know there's a lot of things that I would do different because the mistakes that I made, um sometimes that's that school of hard knocks, right? 00:51:18.519 --> 00:51:21.720 Um there might be some things where I say, I don't know if I would do this again. 00:51:21.960 --> 00:51:24.360 I probably would do it because I learned a lesson. 00:51:24.440 --> 00:51:28.760 And and you're gonna learn a lesson the the good way or the the hard way. 00:51:28.920 --> 00:51:34.920 Um but what I would say is a quote from from I think it's one of the greatest movies of all time. 00:51:35.000 --> 00:51:36.039 It's the princess bride. 00:51:36.119 --> 00:51:40.039 It's one of my favorite movies because you want a romance movie, it's the princess bride. 00:51:40.200 --> 00:51:42.360 You want an action movie, it's the princess bride. 00:51:42.519 --> 00:51:45.240 You want a comedy, it's the princess bride. 00:51:45.480 --> 00:51:50.680 And people will say, people will say things sometimes and they'll use this word. 00:51:50.840 --> 00:51:53.640 Well, you've got to get out there and you've got to network. 00:51:53.960 --> 00:51:58.920 And I think that people, that word doesn't mean what people think that it means. 00:51:59.079 --> 00:52:10.599 Because they'll think networking means, let me get this vendor to take me out to dinner, or let me, hey, we we've we've got the exhibit hall, I get my two two free drinks, let me go hang out with my buddies, and I'm going to network. 00:52:10.840 --> 00:52:16.680 Um, but to me, networking means I've mentioned this in in passing during this. 00:52:16.840 --> 00:52:20.280 What's your what's your network of best friends? 00:52:20.519 --> 00:52:27.000 And and uh I've got a buddy who was an EMS director in in an agency here in North Carolina. 00:52:27.079 --> 00:52:30.760 Uh he's now in Arkansas, and I can do one of two things. 00:52:31.000 --> 00:52:45.800 I can cut him out of my network, or I can say, huh, he probably Dave probably has some interesting perspectives now that he's back in Arkansas and and where he talks about it actually reminds him of why he got into EMS. 00:52:45.960 --> 00:52:55.320 And it's to use that Baptist term, kind of reacquired the fire for EMS instead of being in a large metro system where they're just grinding you down. 00:52:55.480 --> 00:52:59.320 And and so what I would say, I wouldn't, I wouldn't do this different. 00:52:59.720 --> 00:53:02.360 I would say, hey, what does networking mean to you? 00:53:02.519 --> 00:53:04.840 And and are you using it in that correct term? 00:53:05.000 --> 00:53:19.480 Do you have that Rolodex of friends that you can call up and say, hey, I'm thinking about switching software, I'm thinking about switching hardware, I've got this vendor who was saying this to me, or even, hey, EMS is a small world. 00:53:19.559 --> 00:53:22.680 And when we get into aviation, it's a smaller world. 00:53:23.400 --> 00:53:30.519 So I've I've got this flight paramedic, I've got this, I've got this mechanic, I've got this pilot, I've got whatever this person is. 00:53:30.760 --> 00:53:31.640 What do you know? 00:53:31.800 --> 00:53:33.240 What do you know about this person? 00:53:33.720 --> 00:53:43.960 And I have made good references for people that maybe didn't leave on the greatest terms with our agency, but that person needed to, to,

to go through a season in their life. 00:53:44.280 --> 00:53:47.320 Um they had made some mistakes and that didn't make them a bad person. 00:53:47.400 --> 00:53:50.440 They just weren't going to be a fit with our organization anymore. 00:53:50.599 --> 00:53:53.559 But they were they were showing that they were learning from that. 00:53:53.720 --> 00:53:57.320 And so I would say, hey, what does networking look like to you? 00:53:57.559 --> 00:53:59.320 Are you actually networking? 00:53:59.480 --> 00:54:01.480 Do you have that Rolodex of friends? 00:54:01.640 --> 00:54:07.320 Because sometimes I'll call, you know, one one of my group of folks and they'll say, Well, you know who to call. 00:54:07.400 --> 00:54:08.920 I don't know why you're bothering me. 00:54:09.079 --> 00:54:10.280 Uh that's not really what they say. 00:54:10.360 --> 00:54:14.760 I just try to make my friends sound like jerks, especially, especially my living best friend. 00:54:14.840 --> 00:54:17.480 I've got a dead best friend and a living best friend. 00:54:17.640 --> 00:54:36.119 And and so, so having that network of people that you know who to call to, um, because uh where I talk about it like being a parent, um, hey, I I can't I can't change, I can't fix what my children are going to go through, um, but can I try to make sure that they don't go through it alone? 00:54:36.360 --> 00:54:39.640 Uh, do they know, hey, I I'm gonna give you advice. 00:54:39.800 --> 00:54:42.440 And and my my advice is shaped through my lens. 00:54:42.599 --> 00:54:44.680 I'm gonna argue both sides of the coin with you. 00:54:44.840 --> 00:54:47.880 And at the day, end of the day, I'm gonna love you no matter what. 00:54:48.039 --> 00:54:54.039 And and I feel that same with my network of friends, where you know, my best friend will say, that's stupid. 00:54:54.119 --> 00:54:56.200 Now I don't know why you're doing that, but whatever. 00:54:56.280 --> 00:54:59.960 Um, and then we move on to talk about whatever the next thing is. 00:55:00.119 --> 00:55:05.880 Um, and so build that network, develop that network, continue to cultivate that network. 00:55:06.119 --> 00:55:21.960 And, you know, it's it's fun for me because in that network, when I get together with my best friend, his kids call me uncle, and you know, they call my wife auntie, and and you know, we have gone to his house for Thanksgiving or or Friendsgiving, I guess. 00:55:22.200 --> 00:55:26.039 Um, and we have gone on vacation with my best friend with some stuff. 00:55:26.200 --> 00:55:32.760 And that that to me is that networking that I don't just get the benefit of John, I get Christina, I get his beautiful children with stuff. 00:55:32.840 --> 00:55:35.240 So, hey, what are you networking? 00:55:35.400 --> 00:55:37.079 Are you really networking? 00:55:37.240 --> 00:55:38.760 Are you socializing? 00:55:39.079 --> 00:55:39.720 Wow. 00:55:40.840 --> 00:55:56.119 Man, that's uh there's so many things that like when when I'm just hearing

you say that one, I just from this conversation hearing you speak, uh Terrence, I can just appreciate how much of a well-respected leader uh you are uh within your agency. 00:55:56.360 --> 00:56:03.240 For you to talk about you know giving well wishes to people that left maybe on not good terms and just acknowledging that they're human. 00:56:03.400 --> 00:56:04.280 I mean, that's huge. 00:56:04.360 --> 00:56:09.720 I think there's so many people that would would never even look at that perspective about that. 00:56:09.800 --> 00:56:34.280 And I and and Terrence, I think having you on to have this perspective in this conversation when we talk about sustaining leadership and for the long haul I think I've learned so much today, and I think there's so many things that that I can take back uh just myself to to know that I don't have to wear a different color shirt, I don't have to have a different title. 00:56:34.440 --> 00:56:41.880 And I think that goes for any of us, you know, whether you're pilot, mechanic, you know, what you know, lead of you know the agency, whatever. 00:56:42.039 --> 00:56:44.680 Like there's so many ways that we can make those impacts. 00:56:44.760 --> 00:56:52.200 And and I think my biggest uh takeaway, I think, from from your advice is you know, we we're all in this together. 00:56:52.519 --> 00:56:58.280 It's a people business, and just like the patients, it's each of us. 00:56:58.440 --> 00:57:00.840 Like we're all gonna be there to make that difference. 00:57:00.920 --> 00:57:11.000 And and and maybe if we understand that human aspect of it, I don't know, maybe that's how we really keep that leadership sustainable and ongoing. 00:57:11.880 --> 00:57:14.360 You've got to give people grace, you gotta show them love. 00:57:14.599 --> 00:57:23.559 There's a difference between love and lust, but you gotta you gotta show them love, you gotta give them grace and just recognize there's no such thing as a perfect person. 00:57:23.800 --> 00:57:24.599 Yeah, I love that. 00:57:24.680 --> 00:57:27.559 I feel like we always expect perfection in ourselves. 00:57:27.720 --> 00:57:35.800 Um we're we're easy to uh allow that to not be the case with others, but we expect perfection in ourselves. 00:57:36.039 --> 00:57:41.000 And we need to give a little grace sometimes and recognize that everybody is just human at the end of the day. 00:57:41.079 --> 00:57:52.039 And I think if we keep that at the core of what we're doing and why we're doing it, I think that that can take us a lot further, uh, especially on the leadership side of you know, never forgetting where you came from. 00:57:52.519 --> 00:57:53.480 Chase excellence. 00:57:53.800 --> 00:57:55.960 If you're chasing perfection, you're never gonna reach it. 00:57:56.360 --> 00:58:01.079 But but if you chase excellence, excellence allows you to balance sustainability. 00:58:01.320 --> 00:58:01.800 Love it. 00:58:02.039 --> 00:58:03.000 Absolutely love it. 00:58:03.320 --> 00:58:05.640

Terrence, thank you so much for joining us today. 00:58:05.800 --> 00:58:10.599 Uh I have absolutely enjoyed this uh again therapy session very much. 00:58:10.840 --> 00:58:13.480 Uh just um send me the bill later. 00:58:13.559 --> 00:58:15.000 It's$3.99. 00:58:15.559 --> 00:58:16.039 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:58:16.119 --> 00:58:17.720 Yeah, it's$3.99 a minute. 00:58:17.880 --> 00:58:20.119 Uh$20 the first amendment. 00:58:20.280 --> 00:58:29.960 But but no, what I what I would say as you as you close out is to me, this is this is a discussion uh where I where I include you now in the in the best friend club. 00:58:30.039 --> 00:58:44.840 Um, but this is a discussion and and being able to have the conversations, whether it's challenging precepts, sharing thoughts, uh a good leader, uh, and I would both uh view both of you as as leaders in the field as well. 00:58:45.079 --> 00:58:47.640 Hey, good leaders learn from each other. 00:58:47.800 --> 00:58:49.800 Um good leaders build each other up. 00:58:50.039 --> 00:58:51.800 They don't tear each other down. 00:58:51.880 --> 00:58:54.519 Uh, and that's part of that spreading that that good culture. 00:58:54.599 --> 00:58:58.920 So where you guys say, hey, I've had a good therapy session, hey, I learned a couple of things. 00:58:59.079 --> 00:59:02.440 Uh I I learned just as much with with y'all on this episode. 00:59:02.519 --> 00:59:05.880 So I appreciate y'all taking time out of your busy lives to spend with me. 00:59:06.200 --> 00:59:08.200 Yeah, we're grateful for for you joining us. 00:59:08.440 --> 00:59:08.760 Awesome. 00:59:08.920 --> 00:59:09.880 Thank you so much, Terrence. 00:59:10.119 --> 00:59:10.920 It's been great. 00:59:11.079 --> 00:59:20.920 Uh, and I I know that uh our guests are are will certainly have plenty more questions about uh leadership, and uh hopefully we'll get to see you at the Echo Conference in Philadelphia. 00:59:21.160 --> 00:59:22.200 I hope so. 00:59:22.360 --> 00:59:31.320 Uh uh if you don't sit in the audience for my presentation, I mean they're gonna be missing out, I guarantee that for sure. 00:59:31.400 --> 00:59:32.760 But I think so. 00:59:33.000 --> 00:59:38.519 I don't know who my competition is in that time slot, but you know what are you gonna learn from Tim Phalan? 00:59:38.680 --> 00:59:40.280 You know, that guy just has books. 00:59:43.400 --> 00:59:47.320 Oh man, well, uh it's uh it would be great to meet you in person. 00:59:47.400 --> 00:59:49.960 Uh hope everybody uh enjoyed the conversation today. 00:59:50.119 --> 00:59:50.840 Thank you again. 00:59:51.079 --> 00:59:52.039 It's been great. 00:59:52.200 --> 01:00:01.320 Um and once you're all caught up on the Valor Flight Crew podcast, make sure you guys head on over to the verticalhellcast.com platform where you can check out the Hanger Z podcast, helicopter podcast, vertical MRO podcast. 01:00:01.640 --> 01:00:03.079 Thank you again, Terrence, for joining us. 01:00:03.160 --> 01:00:03.800 We really

appreciate it. 01:00:03.960 --> 01:00:08.920 And also thank you to our listeners out there for your continued support of the Vertical Hellcast platform and the Valor Flight Crew Podcast. 01:00:09.160 --> 01:00:10.360 We'll see you next time. 01:00:11.160 --> 01:00:14.760 Let's a wrap on this week's episode of the Valor Flight Crew Podcast. 01:00:15.000 --> 01:00:18.039 As we close out, I'd like to leave you with one final thought. 01:00:18.519 --> 01:00:23.000 Leadership isn't measured by a title, a rank, or the years you've spent in the profession. 01:00:23.720 --> 01:00:28.840 It's measured by the people you influence, the trust you build, and the example you set every day. 01:00:29.559 --> 01:00:34.519 Whether you're mentoring a new crew member, leading a shift, or guiding an entire organization. 01:00:35.079 --> 01:00:41.720 The future of public safety aviation depends on leaders who are willing to keep learning, stay humble, and invest in those around them. 01:00:42.680 --> 01:00:46.840 A special thank you to Terrence Sheehe for joining us in sharing his experience and perspective. 01:00:47.559 --> 01:00:48.920 And thank you to all of you for listening. 01:00:49.559 --> 01:00:56.200 If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with someone who's helping shape the next generation of leaders. 01:00:57.160 --> 01:01:00.119 Until next time, stay safe, keep learning. 01:01:00.440 --> 01:01:04.039 And remember, great leadership isn't about having all the answers. 01:01:04.200 --> 01:01:06.280 It's about helping others find theirs. 01:01:09.640 --> 01:01:12.119 Thank you to our sponsor, Metro Aviation. 01:01:12.280 --> 01:01:21.559 Metro Aviation, the world's largest family-owned aeromedical operator, offers comprehensive aircraft services with 140 plus aircraft in over 25 states. 01:01:21.800 --> 01:01:31.480 The completion center installs medical law enforcement kits and avionics, serving diverse aviation needs including offshore, utility, VIP, and corporate sectors. 01:01:32.200 --> 01:01:35.320 Thank you to our sponsor, Partition Aviation Group. 01:01:35.559 --> 01:01:43.960 Mission Critical Operators and Flight Managers rely on Partition Aviation Group at the worldwide leading rotor and fixed week MRO provider. 01:01:44.200 --> 01:01:53.240 THG provides Fetail storage and four MRO technicals, APIs, components, integrates, and manufacturing DER services. 01:01:53.480 --> 01:02:03.960 A single point of contact gives you access to over 150 million in inventory globally 24-7.2778. 01:02:04.200 --> 01:02:05.800 Presticision Aviation Group. 01:02:05.880 --> 01:02:07.079 Other stealth parts. 01:02:09.480 --> 01:02:11.960 Thanks to our sponsor Airbus. 01:02:12.200 --> 01:02:22.119 Airbus provides the most efficient helicopter solutions to its customers who serve, protect, save lives, and safely carry passengers in demanding environments. 01:02:22.280 --> 01:02:27.320 Its civil and military helicopters are flying all over the world, making missions possible. 01:02:27.480 --> 01:02:30.519 Visit Airbus.com for more information.