Leadership Under Fire

The LUF team believes that a careful examination of history’s most accomplished mission-oriented leaders reveals that their success was strongly correlated to scholarship and professional reading.  LUF book clubs have been a conduit to meaningful discourse, reflection, and critical thought.   Jim Roussell has guided several LUF book clubs.  Jim’s infectious commitment to professional reading was at the foundation of his preparation for the duration of his remarkable career in the USMC and Chicago PD.  He relied heavily on his self-study to compliment his extensive operational experience and inform his leadership philosophy and complex problem-solving skillset.  Today’s episode is part two of Jim unpacking Robert Coram’s “Brute” which originally aired on March 6th 2025.  Jim provides valuable insight into the philosophy, traits, and approach that enabled LtGen Victor Krulak to transform the USMC’s warfighting capability set.    2026 LUF Leadership Development Course

Matt Murphy is a 24-year veteran of the FDNY. He began his career with Ladder 34 in 2002 before joining Rescue 1 in 2009 and Rescue 3 in 2017. Outside the firehouse, Matt is an accomplished climber, chef, backcountry skier, and runner. His passion for the outdoors has played an important role in shaping his approach to training, preparedness, and problem solving skills that continue to inform his work both on and off the fireground. Fall Leadership Development Course

Today, we remember the 25th anniversary of the attacks of September 11th, 2001. In this episode, we’ll revisit powerful reflections from some of our remembrance episodes over the years, honoring those who served, those who sacrificed, and those we lost that morning. But first, we’ll hear from retired FDNY Firefighter Jim McNamara as he reflects on what September 11th means to those who were there and what it means to remember, 25 years later.       Music: The Parting Glass by Alexander Nakarada (https://creatorchords.com)Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Today, we are speaking with retired LT Shane McKeon as he is about to embark on his journey to complete the Western States 100. Shane is a seasoned endurance athlete and dedicated student of leadership and performance. He joined the ranks of the FDNY in the aftermath of September 11th and spent many years serving as a firefighter in Engine Company 84 and Ladder Company 34 in Washington Heights before being promoted to Lieutenant. Throughout his career, Shane served as a lead fitness instructor at the FDNY Probationary Firefighter School, a program manager for the FDNY’s A Day in the Life of a Firefighter program in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and as a member of the FDNY’s First Line Supervisor Training Program. Before joining the FDNY, Shane played Division I baseball and spent two seasons in professional baseball. Since becoming a member of the department, he has completed 25 marathons, numerous ultra-distance open-water swims, and two Ironman triathlons. As we record this Shane will be competing in the Western States 100, the world’s oldest and most prestigious 100-mile endurance race.

Our guest on this episode of the Leadership Under Fire: Humanizing the Narrative podcast is Capt Tim Young of the St. Johns County Fire Rescue Department in Florida. Captain Young is a 22-year veteran of the department and currently serves at Station 14, having previously been assigned to Station 10. An avid reader and lifelong student of the profession, he resides in St. Johns County with his family.