In this edition of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob lawrence welcomes Todd Stout and Mike Taigman of FirstWatch as they introduce the 2024 Jack Stout Fellow, Mary Meeks, district chief of night shift at Chatham Emergency Services.
The Jack Stout EMS Fellowship, endowed by FirstWatch, aims to empower emerging EMS leaders by equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to guide EMS systems effectively in the future. Developed by FirstWatch in cooperation with the Fitch EMS Foundation, the Fellowship underscores the commitment to leadership development and community service. Named in honor of Jack Stout, a pioneer in high-performance EMS systems, the Fellowship teaches principles such as people-centered leadership, data-driven decision-making, improvement science and systems thinking.
As the chosen Fellow, Meeks will attend the 2024 Pinnacle EMS Leadership Forum, participate in either the Fitch Ambulance Service Manager or Communication Center Manager program, and benefit from a customized mentorship led by Mike Taigman, renowned for his contributions to EMS quality improvement. This comprehensive program not only honors Jack Stout’s legacy but also ensures that his visionary principles continue to shape the future of EMS.
Notable quotes
“Leadership right now is at this wonderful generational crossroads.” — Mary Meeks
“Hope is not an operational plan. We can’t hope that things will work out for the best. We have to make a plan.” — Mary Meeks
“If people understand what you’re trying to accomplish and why you’re trying to do it, then when something goes awry, they can improvise and still be following the right path.” — Todd Stout
“Begin with your end in mind ... you just line everything up and you decrease your waste because you’re not going to be doing stuff that doesn’t help you achieve your final objective.” — Mike Taigman
“My key job as a leader is to unleash audacity within my team and help them rise up and be able to make decisions on their own in the absence of command.” — Mary Meeks
“Tactics is no longer the opinion of the senior officer present. In other words, if you have a good idea, you better tell me because you may have seen something that I haven’t seen, you may have seen an approach and an avenue to success that I haven’t picked up on.” — Rob Lawrence
“I think the key to it is to really care. You know, I think people in EMS and public safety in general have really strong BS detectors. And so if you’re just pretending to care to be a good leader, it’s not going to work.” — Todd Stout
Episode contents
01:00 – Introductions and a description of the Jack Stout Fellowship
03:15 – Mike Taigman discusses developing leaders
05:30 – Introducing Mary Meeks, the 2024 Jack Stout Fellow
07:30 – Mentoring plans for the Fellow
10:43 – Mastering people-centered leadership
16:00 – “Hope is not an operational plan.” The Mary Meeks approach to leadership
19:30 – Seeking joy in excellence
20:00 – Taigman on mentoring
21:00 – The customer comes second
24:00 – FirstWatch Collaborate Live
29:00 – Where is leadership right now and where does it need to go?
31:00 – Explaining the “why”
36:00 – Getting out of the comfort zone and challenging character
39:00 – Final thoughts
Additional resources
