Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
Our company has a research and training committee. One of its responsibilities is to schedule instructors and develop material for seminars and webinars that are conducted internally and for outside organizations. In the past, most of the instruction was done by a small group of senior associates. We recently expanded the teaching pool and invited others to join our team of presenters. Many jumped at the chance even though they had little or no experience teaching. They overcame their fears and trepidation and stepped up to try something new.
I find it amusing when I hear someone say they do not like something only to find out that they have never tried what they purport to dislike. A friend recently told me that he would never visit New York City because he knows he would not like it. What? A young adult granddaughter informed me that she doesn’t eat Indian food because it is too spicy. On further inquiry, it came out that she has never tried Indian cuisine. She told me that she does not need to try it because she just knows she would not like it. Really?
With this in mind, ask yourself, “When was the last time I did something for the first time?” It is easy to find ourselves in routines that do not vary day to day. We end up in a rut and can even become fearful of anything new. Along these lines, Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Sounds right to me.
Trying new things can be invigorating and an awesome way to grow in our professional and personal lives. Learning a skill, taking on a challenging project, or tackling a new hobby may take us out of our comfort zone, but it can lead to terrific positive consequences.
I recognize that doing something for the first time can bring both excitement and apprehension. That is OK. The key is to embrace the opportunity, learn from it, and apply any lessons we learn to future endeavors. Doing new things can increase our self-confidence, make us more creative, and enable us to better accept change. Mistakes will undoubtedly happen, but that should not stop us from trying new things. Missteps are a part of life and learning.
Keep in mind that trying new things need not be complex. It can be as simple as driving a new route to work, eating strange food, or listening to a different type of music. Experiment a little. It will add spice to your life.
When it comes to our careers, business guru Harvey MacKay suggested the following:
- Learn a new skill by taking an online class or participating in a workshop about something completely different from your job
- Attend an industry event or join a professional group to expand your network
- Take advantage of company-sponsored wellness programs
- Meet and collaborate with someone outside your team or department
- Become a mentor for a new associate or a teammate
- Volunteer to take on a project that is outside your usual responsibilities.
Add anything you want to the list. As you think about what you might do, take a moment to remember what it was like as a child and the thrill that came from trying and learning new things. It was a daily part of our lives. We had no fear of failure. What happens to the desire to try stuff as we age?
So, let’s not stop doing new things just because we are older. In fact, I can think of no better way to stay young, and that is definitely something I am on board with.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Russell B. Leavitt, CFPS, SET, is executive chairman and board member of Telgian Holdings, Inc. Leavitt’s Telgian roots can be traced to the genesis of the company. In 1990, he co-founded Fire Design Group, which merged with Tomes, Van Rickley, and Associates (TVA) in 1991. He subsequently served in numerous executive positions, including TVA Fire and Life Safety President, Managing Member of Fire Materials Group, LLC, and CEO of Telgian. Today, Leavitt serves as the Executive Chairman for Telgian Holdings, Inc., as well as the Chairman of Telgian Fire Safety and Telgian Engineering & Consulting.
Leavitt is active in numerous trade and professional associations and holds several leadership positions. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors as Immediate Past Chair of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), he has served as the Chair of the NFPA 13 Technical Committee for Fire Sprinkler System Discharge Criteria and continues to serve as a Principal Member. He is also a Principal Member of the NFPA Technical Committee for Installation and a Principal Member of NFPA 3 and NFPA 4. Leavitt also represents NFPA 13 on the Technical Committee for NFPA 909 (Code for the Protection of Cultural Resource Properties) and 914 (Code for the Protection of Historic Structures).
Throughout his career, he has authored numerous articles and training guides, including the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) Beginning Inspector Training Program and the AFSA Online Hydraulics Training Program. In addition, he is a major contributor to several NFPA Handbooks and served as the subject matter expert for numerous NFPA live and online training programs.
Leavitt shares his more than 40 years of experience in the fire protection industry by conducting training presentations for many professional and industry organizations, including the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), NFPA, and AFSA.
In 2013, he received the AFSA Henry S. Parmelee Award for dedication to the professional advancement of the fire sprinkler industry and improvement of fire safety through automatic sprinklers. He is also the recipient of the NFPA Standards Council Special Achievement Award in 2018 for his leadership of the task group, which completely reorganized NFPA 13 for the 2019 edition.
Leavitt is a Level IV NICET-certified technician and Certified Fire Protection Specialist who holds fire protection contracting licenses in multiple states. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.