I’m bringing my class – Leadership Accountability: Leading with Trust, Not Micromagement – to the 2026 Alberta Fire Chiefs Association Conference! This class will give current and aspiring company officers, formal and informal leaders, with the tools to lead without falling into the trap of micromanagement. Participants will explore the balance between oversight and autonomy, […]
The Batesville Fire Department (IN) is hosting an instructor in-service June 7th from 8am-12pm. This four hour session will cover a wide range of topics essential to fire service instructors and the students/firefighters they train. Chief Dan Sunderman of the Sharonville Fire Deparment (OH) and Deputy Chief Alex Zielinski of the Eli Lilly Fire Department […]
🚨 Exciting news! I’ll be presenting at the 2026 NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, June 22–24. My session, “How Fast is Your Rescue: Using NFPA 350 for Safer Confined Space Operations,” will explore practical strategies for applying NFPA 350 guidance to improve safety, efficiency, and rescue readiness in confined space incidents. This premier […]
Join Alex Zielinski, Deputy Chief & Division Chief for a powerful session on leadership in the fire service. This session will explore: This session equips company officers with essential tools to lead effectively without falling into the trap of micromanagement. Participants will learn how to balance oversight with autonomy, foster trust, and maintain high performance. […]
Micromanagement is one of the most common — and most damaging — leadership failures in the fire service. It destroys trust, slows crews down, erodes confidence, and quietly drives good firefighters out of the job. Yet most officers who micromanage don’t realize they’re doing it, and most organizations don’t recognize the systems that allow it […]