Photo By Maj. Wayne Clyne | Oregon Air National Guard Col. Ryan Barton presents a leadership class to the...... read more read more
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WILSONVILLE, Ore. – Oregon Air National Guard Col. Ryan Barton delivered an engaging leadership presentation to the Wilsonville Police Department at Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Fire Station 56 on October 8, 2025, focusing on practical leadership principles drawn from his extensive military and personal experience.
The hour-long session was part of an all-staff training initiative organized by Wilsonville Police Chief Rob Wurpes, a former Army forward observer who served four years of active duty and three in the National Guard. Chief Wurpes emphasized the importance of leadership development at all levels and sought to bring fresh perspectives to his team through outside partnerships with military leaders.
"Leadership is important at all levels," explained Chief Wurpes before the presentation. "The Air Force has a long history of leadership. They train for it, they invest in it, and I think it's important for our folks to hear about leadership from different perspectives."
Rather than focusing solely on military doctrine, Col. Barton emphasized three core principles that transcended his military career: physical and mental fitness, emotional intelligence, and competence. He stressed that these foundations proved equally valuable in his family life and professional organizations.
"When you're leading right, this is what I've seen," Barton explained to the assembled officers. "I have been in small teams where everybody was good at their job, fit, healthy, and crushing the mission. Then a poor leader would step in, and the whole dynamic would change."
Barton shared candid stories from his personal life, including challenges with his two daughters, to illustrate that effective leadership often means making unpopular but necessary decisions. He recounted leading an organization through significant changes where some team members resisted the pressure to perform, despite overall mission success.
"There were some folks that didn't like the pressure to perform," Barton recalled. "What we were doing wasn't wrong—it was the right thing. But that's when leadership gets really hard."
The colonel emphasized that effective communication forms the foundation of good leadership, though he cautioned against over-communication that drowns important messages in excessive information. He stressed that leaders must clearly explain what their teams are doing, why they're doing it, how they're executing the mission, and what the future holds.
"Communication is not about what you're saying, it's about how it's received," Barton told the audience. He illustrated this principle with everyday examples of how well-intentioned words can be misinterpreted, emphasizing the importance of considering both the message and how it will be perceived by the listener.
Barton also challenged attendees to adopt a "bigger picture" mentality, acknowledging that leadership can often feel isolating but becomes less lonely when teams support one another. He reminded the officers that everyone has unseen struggles beneath the surface, and understanding those hidden challenges makes leaders more effective.
The presentation included practical tools for decision-making, encouraging officers to balance training and rehearsals with visualization techniques while avoiding "paralysis by analysis" in critical moments. He emphasized personal accountability, asking leaders to reflect on what they did or didn't do, and what they said or didn't say, to influence outcomes.
Chief Wurpes noted that the training aligned perfectly with his department's philosophy of continuous improvement and team building, particularly given that many officers rotate through Wilsonville assignments from the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office for approximately one-year terms.
"We like to take the opportunity to give some cool training," Wurpes explained. "I personally believe leadership is important at all levels, and the Colonel's got a great resume related to leadership."
The session concluded with Col. Barton reminding attendees that true nobility lies not in superiority over others, but in becoming superior to one's former self—a principle of continuous personal growth that resonated with the first responders in attendance.
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.15.2025 16:05 |
| Story ID: | 550185 |
| Location: | WILSONVILLE, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 101 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Oregon Air National Guard Colonel Shares Personal Leadership Lessons with First Responders, by MAJ Wayne Clyne, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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