Dr. David Griffin: ‘The success in my life has come from the worst day of my life’

Dr. David Griffin, assistant chief of administration in Charleston, S.C., joins Better Every Shift this week, sharing powerful lessons learned from the tragic Sofa Super Store fire where nine of his fellow firefighters died; his journey to find himself and his mission after the tragedy; how he resurfaced his love of learning; and how he manages to keep all the plates spinning amid his work schedule, speaking engagements and business ventures.  

Plus, we get into all this: Griffin’s initial resistance to change following the fire; acknowledging why so many members retired after the incident; the various coping mechanisms he tried to navigate the trauma, including MMA; and his subsequent realization about not knowing what he didn’t know – and diving head-first into absorbing training and operations resources.

• Don’t miss: The power of combining years of operational experience with a “super nerd” appetite for learning
• Episode power quote: “My day doesn’t manage me. I manage my day.”
• Hot seat sneak peek: His favorite tattoo – and its deeply personal meaning – plus his first time smoking a steak

Resources we mentioned on the show

• 15 years later: ‘We are home-growing our leaders’ in Charleston
• "In Honor of The Charleston 9: A Study of Change Following Tragedy"
• “The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team”

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