How to Spread Your Leadership Wings

I am often approached by young, energetic, well-intentioned, aspiring EMS leaders who want a clear definitive path to achieving their leadership goals. Their questions are usually the same: What’s my next best step? How do I get my name recognized? Are there leadership initiatives I can be involved with?

My advice traditionally focuses around being good at your day-to-day job and focusing on education, but recently a conversation with a peer made me realize that advice should be amended and modernized.  

Although the path to leadership is never a straight line, here are some steps you can take to progress ahead:

Become involved with a national EMS organization

The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), the National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA), the National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE) or any of the fine organizations that are out there would be a great place to start. You will not immediately be elected to the board of directors or get appointed as the chair of a committee. You will need to start off slowly by working on something that will show people your competence and ability to get a job done well.  

Become involved with a national accreditation body

If you want to learn about EMS systems and what makes them work, throw your hat in the ring to become a Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) site reviewer. If education is something you are interested in, apply to become a Continuing Education Coordination Board for EMS (CECBEMS) reviewer, or try to become a Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the EMS Professions reviewer. These accreditation bodies and others are the entities that set and implement standards for their specific areas of EMS, and your involvement will indicate your dedication to the profession as well as its need for standards.  

Get your work published or present at a conference

One of the secrets to writing and speaking successfully is writing and speaking about something you have significant experience in and are passionate about. You may want to start slow and work with a local or regional publication or conference. Then, when more secure in your abilities, progress to a state or national conference or publication.

Use social media in a positive way

Utilizing LinkedIn and Twitter to highlight articles of interest or presentations that you have delivered can dramatically increase the pool of people who see your work and know your brand. This can lead to offer to speak at conferences, co-author papers, get quoted on blogs and potentially job offers. But use social media wisely.   

Read as much EMS-related material as possible

The related point to the appropriate utilization of social media is reading as much as you can about EMS and anything related. This means trade magazines, academic journals, relevant blogs, etc. When you read about a innovations in EMS, you not only gain knowledge, you can potentially implement it in your agency. Additionally, you can inform your social network about these initiatives and advances.

Get a mentor

Possibly one of the most important pieces of leadership advice is to get a mentor. Find someone either within your EMS agency or outside who has “been there, done that” and can answer the tough questions that will inevitably come up.  This is a personal decision and this relationship can often assist you in many ways, even those that may not seem clear right now.

There are many paths you can take that will assist you in making a name for yourself in EMS. The important thing is to get out and act. Become more involved with the EMS organization of your choosing, reach out to the accreditation body you want to, apply for the conference you want to speak at or send an article outline to an editor. It won't happen overnight, but with consistence and persistence your efforts will take shape.

Raphael M. Barishansky, MPH, MS, CPM, is a solutions-driven consultant working with EMS agencies, emergency management and public health organizations on complex issues including leadership development, strategic planning, policy implementation and regulatory compliance. He has previously served as the Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) at the Connecticut Department of Public Health (2012-2015), as well as the Chief of Public Health Emergency Preparedness at the Prince Georges County, Maryland Health Department (2008-2012). A frequent contributor to and editorial advisory board member for EMS World, he can be reached at rbarishansky@gmail.com.