Leadership is not black and white.

Once you have a leadership position, most of the decisions and situations you face will not be clear-cut or obvious on what you should do. Not black and white situations. 

Most leaders how to operate in the gray areas. If you have set your operation up correctly, black and white decisions are made on the front line.  

When you are making decisions in the gray area, you have to take information, advice, data, and make a decision based on your values and what is good for your people. 

And then don't look back. Make your decision and keep moving forward. 

Later, if you find out it wasn't the right decision, you make an adjustment as needed. 

If you are a leader, working in the gray is your new normal. 

This episode is the start of something special. Phil Gaines, retired Director of South Carolina State Parks, is going to be a semi-regular guest co-host on the Park Leaders Show. 

When parks lose a long-time leader like Phil, we lose so much knowledge and experience. By finding new ways to continue to bring past experiences into the work up and coming leaders are doing, we can continue to build the legacy of parks. 

Empowerment is an overused phrase and an underused practice. Leaders naturally want to have their hand in everything that happens. It is hard to let go and let other people do work that may impact your reputation. 

True empowerment is having front-line employees with the confidence and authority to make decisions. 

In order to empower employees, you have to be comfortable and confident in your vision. 

In this episode, we discuss what empowerment really is and why you need to adopt the idea to become a leader. We also give insight into how to begin to pass some of your responsibility and authority to employees. 

When someone visits a park and they are curious, what is the first thing they want to do? Ask a ranger. 

Park Rangers are icons of parks and one of the reasons people enjoy talking with Rangers is because they can answer your questions about nature. 

Now, you no longer have to seek out a Park Ranger in a park to get an answer to your question. 

Park Rangers Jess Phillips and Crystal Lloyd from North Carolina State Parks have launched the Ask a Ranger Podcast. 

Jess Phillips from William B Umstead State Park and Crystal Lloyd from Falls Lake State Recreation Area teamed up to launch a podcast to be able to reach people who can't or haven't visited their parks. 

Rangers Jess and Crystal share their story of how they started the podcast and some of the episodes they have created. They also offer advice on how you can start a podcast for your own park or agency. 

Park Rangers educate the public every day. A podcast is no different. It is just a new and different tool to allow you to reach new people. 

On this episode of the Park Leaders Show, we explore maritime archeology with Denise Jaffke

Denise as an Archeologist with California State Parks who is currently working on creating the Emerald Bay Maritime Heritage Trail. 

Parks play a role in putting together pieces of historical puzzles through archeology. Add water, and there is a new layer of mystery to historical sites. 

Denise explains the great work California is doing to share maritime historical treasures with the citizens of California.