First Responder Leadership Program
First responder leaders must build and lead high performance organizations and teams that can operate effectively and thrive in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) situations. This requires exemplary leaders who can provide purpose, motivation, and direction to effectively accomplish missions requiring adaptable responses. VUCA also demands that leaders build the trust and credibility needed to influence staff, colleagues, and the community under stressful conditions. First responder leaders are tasked with creating team and organizational cultures that facilitate operating in VUCA – cultures typified by honor, ethics, high-performance, loyalty, duty, cohesion, and that leverage the strengths and talents of a diverse workforce.
“This [program] has opened my eyes as an organizational leader and given me tools and resources to build my skills and team.”
“I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this program, and learning how to develop myself as a leader. I am taking many suggestions from both instructors and working to implement them into my role to build my team.”
“A lot of times with leadership training you get a lot of intangibles, vague, non-specific information. With this course I was able to walk away with tangible guidance and course of actions to apply to real world situations that I am faced with. With some other leadership training you get just theory routed in literature, but in this program the well credentialed instructors were able to also show how the literature had been used in their real-world applications of their own careers.”
-Program Participants, Fall 2023
Program details including cost, schedule, lodging, faculty, and more can be found in the accordion section at the bottom of this page. Please contact executivewake@wfu.edu with any questions about the program.
Course Details
Course Fee:
The cost of the program is $2395 and is due in full at time of registration. If you need to pay by check, please reach out to execedinfo@wfu.edu to obtain an invoice.
- 3 days of advance leader development
- Breakfast, lunch, snacks
- Printed materials
- Leadership Assessment
- Networking Reception
- End of program certificate
- Parking in a Wake Forest lot
- Lodging – Discounted hotel rates for participants near the Wake Downtown building are available in the lodging section at the bottom of this page.
- Dinners – there are many restaurant options in walking distance of Wake Downtown where participants can get dinner on their own or with other participants
- Format: In Person
- Cost: $2395
- Program Length: 3-day program
- Registration Deadline: May 4, 2026
Key Takeaways
In life, everything rises and falls based on the leadership that is present or absent. We are here to enhance the leadership of first responder executives so they may better lead and serve in their agencies and their communities.
Meet the Faculty
Additional Information
We are pleased to offer a special discounted rate at The Cardinal Hotel (A Kimpton Hotel) for our upcoming event.
Hotel Address: 51 4th Street East, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101, United States
Booking Details:
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Special Rate: Click here to book your discounted room
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Availability: Please note that this offer is limited. The discounted rate is only available for the first 9 rooms booked, so we recommend securing your reservation as soon as possible.
This program is designed for First Responder leaders within law enforcement, emergency medical services, and fire departments wishing to develop and grow personal and team leadership skills. Mid and senior level leaders/officers are encouraged to join this program individually or in teams from their organizations.
Sample Schedule
Day 1 8:30am-4:30pm
Opening Discussion: Conversation with Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr. on Leading the Way in First Responder Organizations
Session – Centering Yourself as a First Responder Leader – Authentic and influential Leadership
- Leadership as an influence process – not a position (formal and informal leadership)
- Elements of follower motivation
- Leader character, values, and ethical-decision-making
- Building a personal model of leadership and a Leadership Philosophy Statement
Session – Exemplary Leadership and Leadership Styles for First Responders (3 hours)
- Transactional and transformational forms of leadership
- The functions of effective leaders
- Adapting your leadership style to the situation
- Developing team members into leaders
Day 2, 8:30am-7:00pm
Session – Being a Credible First Responder Leader – Building Trust, Credibility, and Leader Presence
- Establishing trustworthiness and credibility as a first responder leader
- The elements of leader presence and developing your brand as a leader
- Building trust within first responder teams
- Restoring broken trust bonds
Session – Shaping a High-Performance Culture in First Responder Organizations
- Assessing the Current Culture
- Creating a Vision for the Aspired Culture
- Tools to Shape the Envisioned Culture
- Building an Inclusive Culture that Leverages Diversity
- Applying Tools to Create an Action Plan to Shape Culture
2025 Panel – Leading the Way in First Responder Organizations
*2026 Panelists TBC
- Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr. Forsyth County
- Sheriff Charles Blackwood, Orange County
- ASAC Philip VanWyngarden, FBI, Charlotte Office
- Chief Trey Mayo, Winston-Salem Fire Department
- Dr. Stephen Powell, Department of Emergency Medicine, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
5:30 – 7pm Networking Reception
Day 3, 8:30am-4:30pm
Session – Leading High Performing First Responder Teams
- Crisis Leadership
- Aligning the Team Around a Shared Vision and Leader Intent
- Communicating the “What” and “Why” while Empowering the “How”
- Creating Coordination and Collaboration and Synchronizing Unity of Effort
- Conducting Team Learning via After-Action Reviews (AARs)
Session – Building High Performing First Responder Teams
- Team Formation, Structure and Functioning
- Accelerating the Form-Storm-Norm-Perform process
- Creating role clarity in and between teams
- Creating Social Cohesion and Task Cohesion
- Establishing the Attributes and Disciplines of High Performance Teams
- Building an effective Team Charter
Program Wrap up and Certificate Awards
Course materials are included in the cost of tuition and will be distributed electronically and/or on paper in advance of the program start date. Participants are recommended to have a laptop or tablet computer to access course materials during the program delivery.
Program Cancellation
This course is offered contingent upon sufficient enrollment. If a course must be canceled, all registered participants will be notified at least five (5) calendar days before the course’s start date. All registered participants will receive a 100% tuition refund. No fees will be charged for canceled courses.
Individual Cancellation – Refund Policy
Prospective participants who withdraw at least 10 days prior to the start of a course will receive a full refund of tuition paid.
For more information, or to speak with a program adviser, please send an email to executivewake@wfu.edu
Interested in Custom Programs?
With our custom programs, you’re able to build a stronger, smarter team—your way.