Leadership Lessons

July 2016

VIDEO OF THE MONTH: Everyday Leadership by Drew Dudley

Drew Dudley believes leadership is not a characteristic reserved for the extraordinary. He works to help people discover the leader within themselves.

We have all changed someone's life - usually without even realizing it. In this humerous TED Talk, Drew Dudley calls on all of us to celebrate leadership as the everyday act of improving each other's lives.

ARTICLE OF THE MONTH: 12 Things All Successful People Do

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome ." - Booker T. Washington

Whether in business or life, we often walk a fine line between success and failure. Booker T. Washington's quote highlights the inevitability of challenges on the path to success. Success and failure go hand in hand. If you're hoping to succeed, you've got to fail or learn from those who have. This is due to the fact that successful individuals aren't just born - there's a lot more that goes into the equation.

On the hunt for success? Here are some habits to take note of: click here to continue the article.

Management Recipes for Success

Taking Public Works Leaders from Potluck to Gourmet - Published by The American Public Works Association (APWA)

Book Review by a TLP Cohort #4 Member

I would definitely recommend this book to other members of our cohort. Most importantly, this book deals specifically with the field we are in, public works and public service. What is great about it is that people from all different sizes of departments and communities can relate to it. For example, I am from a department of twenty employees. There is a chapter that deals with how to deal with unions and union leaders. It is not

something that I can exactly relate to, but someone from a larger city with hundreds of employees can get some good ideas and information from that particular chapter.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how to leave a good legacy behind. I enjoyed reading about how to be a good role model for our employees. These are things that are important to me and things that I want to work towards being young and new to a supervisor role in public works.

This book covers issues from dealing with employees and communities , to how to save money in your departments and everything else in between. There is something for everyone in this book, and I think that every member of our cohort would be able to learn something that they would be able to take back to their departments and use every day.

Cell Phone Etiquette in TLP Modules and In Your Day-To-Day Agency Operations

We certainly understand how busy everyone is, but it is important to establish professional cell phone courtesy when you are in meetings, TLP modules and in interactions with your team. Just like in TLP modules, you should establish some ground rules for when it is appropriate to use cell phones. The following policy that we have outlined for the TLP is a good example you could certainly use in your departments.

Please set your phone to vibrate or mute.
If there is an emergency, please take your phone into the hallway and quietly deal with the situation.
You should not check email, etc. during class time. We provide adequate breaks and a lunch so you can respond to email, texts, etc. then.

Giving careful attention during trainings and meetings allows everyone the opportunity to learn and grow in your positions.

You don't want to have to resort to implementing this policy.