In this episode of the Crew First Culture podcast, Jeremy Sanders delves into the significance of organizational culture, particularly within firehouse settings. He emphasizes that culture is an inherent aspect of any organization, shaped by the actions and attitudes of its members, especially the station officers. Jeremy discusses the challenges of fostering a positive culture and the importance of leading by example to instigate meaningful cultural change. He encourages leaders to actively influence their teams and highlights that while cultural change is difficult, it is essential for growth and success.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
In this episode, Jeremy Sanders explores the profound nature of compassion and the importance of understanding our own darkness before we can truly support others. He emphasizes that compassion is not about providing answers but about being present with those who are suffering. The conversation delves into the necessity of self-healing and setting boundaries to maintain our own mental health while helping others. Jeremy shares insights from various thinkers, including Pima Chödrön and Carl Jung, to illustrate the depth of these themes.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Leadership Lesson Learned #3 may be a hard sell to some of you out there, but hear me out. I lay out the complexities of leadership expectations and how they can hinder team dynamics. My view of expectations changed forever after a pivotal conversation with Benjamin Martin in Episode 121. If I can't sway you to completely agree I think that you will at least see the importance of simplifying expectations, focusing on cultural goals, and leading by example to foster a more engaged and autonomous team environment.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Leadership Lesson Learned #2 was an important one for me - sometimes you have taken someone as far as you can take them. This was a challenge for me as a leader because it came down to a moral issue for me that I discuss. I talk about what I learned as far as where we should be placing our time and energy and what happens if we misplace those priorities. I share the story of how this lesson was learned and yes it was definitely learned the hard way so don't listen in and don't make the same mistakes that I did.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
It is such an honor to not only be recording the 200th episode of the podcast but to share the experience with 2 of my closest brothers truly made it special. Please do not miss this conversation in which Marc Maikoski, Nate "Tuna" Gardner, and I dive into authenticity and vulnerability. This was such a great conversation and one that is sure to bring inspiration and hope to anyone who listens.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
In this episode I am starting a new series titled Leadership Lessons Learned (L3). The content of this series comes from a document that I made for the purposes of sharing some of the lessons that I learned the hard way with young officers. In lesson #1 I talk about the lessons that I learned due to my lack of preparedness to lead grown men and women. I hope you take the time to listen to the mistakes that I made and the lessons that I learned the hard way so that you may not have to make the same mistakes yourself.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
I firmly believe that burnout doesn't come from what we do, it happens when we allow life to cause us to forget why we are doing it. This is something that I think is playing a huge roll in the fire service. We have to find our why and once we find it we can't let outside forces cause us to forget it. It has to be about something much larger than ourselves if we want to survive a productive, healthy, and fulfilling career.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
“For every minute you remain angry, you give up 60 seconds of peace.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
I’m like so many of you out there, I’m angry! But anger and negativity are the last things that I want to be consumed with. So how do we fix it? How do we avoid the anger while knowing that we may not be able to remove ourselves from what the source of anger? Listen in as I try to solve this problem for myself and discover some really important things that I can turn my focus to and anchor myself on.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
So many times we waste great opportunities or are simply just not happy with results because they don’t look like what we are expecting them to look like. We have exactly what we need at any given moment, but if we don’t keep our eyes and mind open we can miss it.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
"They tried to bury me but they didn't know that I was a seed."
We will never achieve the growth that we were meant to achieve without being buried a few times. Whether those who stand against you like it or not, God is just using them to get us exactly where He knows that we need to be.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
There is a big difference between having the desire to achieve something and having the discipline that is required to do what is necessary to achieve it. For the most part, we all know what we should be doing, what we should be eating, how we should be spending our time; but that's the easy part right? When it comes down to making choices and taking the actions that support what we know is where is starts getting difficult. We have to go beyond being satisfied with knowing what is right and having the best intentions; we have to start focusing on choices that support what we know to be right.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
I am excited to share this bonus episode with you all because it was a conversation that I really enjoyed and I feel like there are a lot of people out there that need to hear it. I really appreciate my friend Preston Lyons having me on as a guest to the Relentless Rejects Podcast and giving me a chance to share my heart and my message. I hope you find some value in it.
Show Notes:
In this episode, Jeremy Sanders discusses his journey with Crew 1st Culture, emphasizing the importance of family, mentorship, and building a supportive tribe. He shares personal experiences of vulnerability, resilience, and the challenges he faced in the fire service, including a significant demotion. Jeremy reflects on the concept of the Phoenix, symbolizing rebirth and growth through adversity, and encourages listeners to embrace their stories and support one another.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
I wanted to share some thoughts on a really good quote that comes from Georgia football coach Kirby Smart. Leadership isn't easy and it doesn't come without a cost. A lot to reflect on in this quote, join me for my thoughts.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Lead with your life no matter where life leads you!
In this episode I share an experience that I had in which I tried to correct some rumors that were being spread about me. But it only resulted in me reliving some negative feelings that were eating away at me more and more each time I did. I will share with you why I decided to quit talking and just lead with my life.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Going back into the thought journal I share my thoughts on a very important topic, especially for those of us in public service. That is the question of where am I placing my identity? One of the most important thoughts that I have had in this area is never place your identity in something that can be taken away. Join me as I dig deeper into this thought and share my own personal stories connected to it.
“No matter what or where you came from, great things can come from you!”
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
A thought that has recently come to me is how much my focus on adding to myself in order to become better is only half of the equation. It is also important that I subtract some things from my life as well. Join me today as I dig a little deeper into this thought.
“No matter what or where you came from, great things can come from you!”
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
It's time to stop making excuses and start making a difference. We were not put here to be stagnant, we were created to do great things.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Something that I’ve seen over and over again in my life and the lives of others around me is how destructive a victim mentality can be. I firmly believe that resilience will never be possible if you see yourself as a victim.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
It's been quite a while since I have been in a place to release a new episode, so I am so excited to finally be back behind the microphone. I may have been quiet, but I am still in the fight, and I am ready to continue the Crew 1st Culture mission. Join me and let's do some amazing things together!
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Jeremy Sanders has been a firefighter for the City of Edmond in Oklahoma for 21 years and currently serves at the rank of Captain. He lives near Tulsa with his wife Erika who he shares 8 kids with and 1 grandson. In 2020 Jeremy created Crew 1st Culture and the Crew 1st Culture Podcast in which he shares the importance of the pursuit of daily personal growth. This daily growth has helped him to not only become a better firefighter and officer but also a better dad and husband at home.
Jeremy's Articles:
https://www.fireengineering.com/leadership/waitare-we-the-problem-fire-dept-culture/#gref
https://www.fireengineering.com/commentary/the-art-of-changing-and-protecting-culture/#gref
Check out his Website!
Crew1stCulture.Com
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Jeremy Sanders has been a firefighter for the City of Edmond in Oklahoma for 21 years and currently serves at the rank of Captain. He lives near Tulsa with his wife Erika who he shares 8 kids with and 1 grandson. In 2020 Jeremy created Crew 1st Culture and the Crew 1st Culture Podcast in which he shares the importance of the pursuit of daily personal growth. This daily growth has helped him to not only become a better firefighter and officer but also a better dad and husband at home.
Jeremy's Articles:
https://www.fireengineering.com/leadership/waitare-we-the-problem-fire-dept-culture/#gref
https://www.fireengineering.com/commentary/the-art-of-changing-and-protecting-culture/#gref
Check out his Website!
Crew1stCulture.Com
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
In Episode 25 Ric Jorge and I talk to Jeremy Sanders about a difficult season of life he endured and how he found strength in his weakness. Jeremy shares how his faith helped him continue to move forward and how the adversity he faced refined him into the man God needed him to be.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4m11PUtMLJeuuKpVIibVtj?si=R9O4fyWOTMC9l3GtTgntYQ
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Today I want to share a few journal entries that I recorded while processing one of the most difficult periods of my life. This is such an important episode because I know there are a lot of people out there that need to hear this. Through journaling, meditation, and prayer I realized that when we stop seeing ourselves as victims of life’s challenges and of those who stand against us, we can finally see the truth. The truth is that those circumstances and those people are merely just a tool that God is using to guide us along the path that He has chosen for us.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
In a career that has been so richly described as the embodiment of courage and bravery, are the members of today's fire service living up to that statement or are we just hiding behind empty and hollow facades that look great on the surface and from a distance but upon any closer investigation our true identities would easily be discovered. My thoughts today dig into this question and reveal my very controversial opinion of what is missing.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Inside all of us is a darkness, a darkness so deep and empty that we are all fearful of it. This doesn’t make us good or bad, it just makes us human. Whether we believe in its existence or not; we are constantly haunted by it. Each negative event and seemingly unsurmountable obstacle we face brings us closer to our darkness; it is always there, ever waiting for that final straw that will bring you face to face with it. There are those that have somehow lived their life avoiding their darkness (or at least it seems that way from the outside looking in) but most of us will eventually come to know the darkness well.
I will never suggest visiting the darkness as a hobby or a way to pass time but if you are like me and want to make a difference in people’s lives and in the world that we live it, spending time in your darkness is unfortunately the price of admission. It is where we find ourselves. It is where we find our purpose. It is where we find our story. it is where we find our value, and it is where we discover that we are worth fighting for.
No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
L3 #4 - Culture is Non-Negotiable
13:54
The Wounded Don't Always Need A Healer
11:51
L3 #3 - The Drawbacks of Expectations
17:50
L3 #2 - You Can't Take Everyone With You
20:06
#200 - A Dive into Authenticity, Vulnerability, & Moral Injury with the 3 Amigos
1:33:17
L3 #1 - You Aren't Going to be Prepared
21:58
Burnout Happens When We Forget Our Why
22:34
What is Anger Accomplishing?
31:32
Keep Your Eyes and Your Mind Open
15:30
We're All Seeds, See What Happens When You Try to Bury Us
15:06
Desire vs. Discipline
22:19
Bonus Episode 7 - The Relentless Rejects Podcast Episode 44
1:40:57
The 3 Costs of Leadership
18:33
Lead with Your Life
24:21
Where Are You Placing Your Identity?
23:47
Becoming Better Through Addition & Subtraction
14:14
Great Things Can Come from You!
17:51
How A Victim Mindset Eats Away at Resilience
12:41
Still in the Fight
20:16
Bonus Episode 6 Part 2 - Three Point Firefighter Podcast Season 4 Episode 1
39:00
Bonus Episode 6 Part 1 - Three Point Firefighter Podcast Season 4 Episode 1
31:12
Bonus Episode 5 - Fit to Fight Fire Podcast #25
1:17:17
Struck Down but Not Destroyed
19:00
Where Does True Courage Lie?
34:48
Through the Darkness
17:38