Episode 3: Grow Anyway: How to Lead and Advance in 911 Dispatch
Timestamps:
Intro (0:00)
Ashley's Journey Into Dispatch (1:08)
Megan's Path Into Dispatch (3:36)
You Don't Need a College Degree (6:09)
Grow Anyway: Leadership at Every Level (7:42)
Good Leaders vs. Bad Leaders (8:26)
Transparency in Leadership (10:28)
Leading Without a Title (11:35)
Creating Professional Development Opportunities (13:41)
Educating Each Other on the Job (15:55)
Building Trust and Having Hard Conversations (18:40)
Manufactured vs. Natural-Born Leaders (20:34)
The Learning Curve of Promotion (21:40)
Sponsor: ThisGen911 (29:14)
Budget and Leadership (30:12)
Growing Your Followership (36:22)
Handling Rejection and Setbacks (37:46)
Final Leadership Advice (43:48)
Wrap-Up and Outro (45:50)
Connect with Ashley Here
Follow Megan Here
In their third episode, Ashley and Megan tackle one of the biggest questions in the profession: How do you keep growing in a career that doesn't always make growth easy?
From sharing how they each found their way into 911 to navigating promotions, leadership opportunities, and professional development, they unpack what it really takes to keep moving forward.
They discuss the realities of limited support for dispatch, toxic workplace cultures, shrinking budgets, and the barriers that can make advancement feel out of reach. Their message is simple: you can't always control your environment, but you can control your willingness to learn, lead, and grow anyway.