Steve Pegram is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM),
Coast Guard Auxiliary Aviator, and currently serves as Chief of the USCG Auxiliary Incident Management Systems Branch while serving with me in the USCG Auxiliary University Programs Branch. In his "day job," Steve is "Senior Client Consultant for Crisis Communications & Operational Integration" at a great company called
Everbridge. Traveling the country working with various organizations on behalf of Everbridge, or making good things happen in the Coast Guard, Steve knows emergency management, and is truly dedicated to the safety of the American people. Steve quoted Albert Schweitzer when I first put
the weekly question to him, "
Why do you serve?"
I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve. ---Albert Schweitzer
I appreciate Steve Pegram following up on
last week's great response from Jon Hemler (University of Virginia Medical School), answering with his own thoughts as he tackles the leader-as-servant ethic, the importance of paying it forward, local cultures of service, and his own personal joy in it all. Thank you for your thoughts, and thank you for your service!
My road to service actually began over 30 years ago when I was promoted into a leadership position at FedEx. The extraordinary journey began with an eight week boot camp on leadership development. Those classes and discussion sessions with senior leaders instilled in me the leader-as-servant ethic. Embracing this ethic is the singular thing that has most directly contributed to the successes I’ve had in both my professional and personal life.
I serve in order to give back to a community and a country that has been far better to me than I perhaps sometimes deserved. I serve to “pay it forward” from those people who have helped me along the way.
I serve to make some small contribution to support the active duty men and women of the US Coast Guard. These fine people stand the watch for us everyday and it is but a small thing I can do to thank them for the service.
I serve because I steadfastly believe that service should be a local, emergent meme and responsibility that involves everyone in whatever capacity that individual chooses and not abrogated to any central bureaucracy. Creating a culture of service locally ensures a healthy and resilient community.
And finally, I serve because there is joy in it.
