This is a witness statement based on 40 years on the job. I wrote this for my own benefit. Advice offered, when it was not asked for in the first place, is of little use. But those seeking advice may find some useful wisdom here. This is my experience and my take on what behaviors seem to matter most and where they came from. We have the oral histories of the Chiefs, all since Richard McArdle in the 1960’s. Pete Steen, past president of the Forest History Society, summarized the oral histories in the book, The Chiefs, but there was not a whole lot about leadership. I recognize that others may know far more than I, and I hope those others can find a way to share that wisdom.
A few last words about demeanor. As a Forest Supervisor, I appreciated Rangers and Staff Officers – men and women who went about the business efficiently, with great skill, and professionalism however boring. I was never afraid of boring. What matters is getting the work done. Leadership and good management are not about having charismatic personalities at the heads of our units. It is about finding the right fit.
The Forest Service understands the single most important action they can take to maintain and develop the capability to take on whatever comes down the road is picking the right people to lead. This is deceptively difficult. What are the characteristics of the best leaders? Tom Nelson was Deputy Chief for National Forest Systems in the 1970s. I overheard him say that he was lucky to pick the right person for the job 50 percent of the time. I think he was being honest in his assessment. People come in all shapes and sizes and abilities, and how to pick the best future leaders may be one of the biggest questions on current leader’s minds. It has been on mine.
Eddie Brannon
Milford, Pennsylvania
2024