In this episode of the Convergent Impact Leadership Podcast, I’m joined by Chief Ben Ojinaga, Assistant Chief of Operations with the Greeley Fire Department. With more than three decades in the fire service, Chief Ojinaga shares a grounded, experience-based perspective on what strong leadership actually looks like in the day-to-day, not in theory, not on a slide.

We talk about the early influences that shaped him, why “principled relationships” have become a cornerstone of how he leads, and what it really means to serve your people while still holding the line on standards and accountability. Chief Ojinaga also unpacks the idea that there are no bad teams, only bad leaders, and why the company officer is the true center of gravity in a fire department.

🔥 Tune in to hear:

✅ How early firehouse experiences shaped his view of mentorship and leadership

✅ What “principled relationships” means, and why it matters more than ever

✅ A powerful story about how honesty and the “why” can change a firefighter’s entire trajectory

✅ A practical definition of servant leadership that goes beyond buzzwords

✅ Why “no bad teams, only bad leaders” is really about accountability and support

✅ The power of presence, and why leaders cannot lead from behind a desk

✅ The legacy mindset of “leave it better than you found it,” and how to live it out

If you lead in the fire service and want a real-world conversation about trust, standards, and building teams that perform, this one will hit home.