Although my background is 33 years in the Air Force and US Special Operations a friend in the fire service suggested I read this book. I purchased this book and was very pleased with the depth and clarity of this author’s understanding of leadership. What struck was his brilliant insight in how to lead an organization and at the same time mentor future leaders. This book to be a must read for anyone aspiring to be in a leadership role no matter what the profession.

It is not every day your boss publishes a book. Having the opportunity to read a leadership book written by someone you know, and whose leadership you get to observe up close on a daily basis, is a rare and insightful experience. You see not only their strengths and accomplishments but also their moments of vulnerability, authenticity, and the behind the scenes decisions that often go unnoticed. This review reflects more than just a peek behind the curtain—it is an honest reflection shaped by lived experience: Carry the Fire: The Crucible of Leadership in the Fire Service Leadership is dangerous. Not in the dramatic, cinematic sense, but in the real, grinding way that comes from standing exposed in front of the work, making decisions in full view, navigating resistance, and carrying the weight of responsibility when outcomes are uncertain. This book captures that danger with honesty and clarity. It does not romanticize leadership, nor does it offer sanitized advice from a distance. What makes it powerful is that it is written not just by someone who has studied leadership, but by someone who is living it. Writing about leadership while actively practicing it is a courageous act. It forces an author to confront the gap between what they believe and what they actually do, a gap that every leader grapples with. That is what makes this book resonate. It is not theory, it is testimony. The lessons are not abstract, they are earned. And the author does not write from behind the curtain, they write from the front line, where leadership is messy, imperfect, and very human. There is no leadership without exposure. No one leads and remains untouched. But writing about it while you lead, while your choices are still unfolding, that is a deeper risk. This book takes that risk. And in doing so, it offers not just insight, but a kind of solidarity for those willing to lead despite the cost.

Finally, a book that helps you advance in leadership roles.