Mike Kraus

Mike Kraus spent 33 years in the fire service; his last few as fire chief. He now writes, advises, and speaks, in an on-going effort to help individuals develop themselves, and organizations develop their people - to be the most effective leaders possible. Mike's tenure as fire chief coincided with the worst economic times in this country, since the Great Depression. His city was so hard hit financially that he had to oversee an approximate 25% reduction of the organizational budget. This unpleasant but necessary process taught Mike the importance of looking for "out of the box" solutions that normally would not be considered. These difficult times also forced Mike to rely on and hone his supervisory, managerial, and leadership skills. As a result of this experience, he put together a book on the basics of being a boss; intended to build a solid foundation for anyone even remotely aspiring to a leadership position. One of the "out of the box" solutions enacted during his time as fire chief, was transitioning three fire agencies into one Regional Fire Authority. While the course was plagued with challenges and pitfalls, Mike and his staff persevered because it was the right thing to do for the taxpayer. He gained real experience and learned many lessons through this process as well, and wrote an additional book - designed to assist those appointed and elected officials considering such a process. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Mike and his books. He may be contacted via his website at "mkleadership.com"