VIDEO OF THE MONTH: "Why It Pays to Be Hungry" by Les Brown
Les Brown is considered to be one of the greatest speakers the world has ever seen. But growing up labeled 'educable mentally retarded' made it virtually impossible for him to get there. Young, ready and hungry, Les Brown reveals how he scored his dream job in the most impossible way.
ARTICLE OF THE MONTH: "Transportation Leaders Define Success" Reprinted from the January/February 2019 Edition of FHWA's Innovator
How do transportation agencies cultivate innovation? At the Every Day Counts (EDC) summits, agency leaders took part in panel discussions on empowering staff, leveraging expertise, and sharing innovation successes.
How do you define success?
"When we talk about innovation deployment, I define success as creating an environment where everybody who works at the department feels empowered to bring forward ideas and suggestions on how to do business differently," said Victoria Sheehan, New Hampshire Department of Transportation commissioner.
"Success means developing a team who understands that our core mission is customer service, whether that means project delivery or the delivery of services such as highway maintenance and public transportation," said Anna Barry, Connecticut Department of Transportation deputy commissioner. "We also want a team who understands the need for continuous improvement."
"Monday Morning Leadership: 8 Mentoring Sessions You Can't Afford to Miss" by David Cottrell -Book Reviewed by TLP Cohort #6 Member
This book is a fictional narrative story of a wise older mentor aiding a younger family friend in some ongoing issues at work, which are impacting his entire life. The chapters explore each Monday morning meeting between the two individuals where the younger character, Jeff, explains issues within his team that are causing concern. The older mentor, Tony, is a corporate consultant with many years of management experience. Each week a different topic is addressed and each week Tony asks Jeff what he will do differently this week with his approach to work, based on their discussions.
The book contains some basic leadership guidance that is stated clearly and then re-visited in the following chapter to see what worked and what did not. The book has concise and even summarized chapters and key actions to help in your role as a leader in your team. Although some tips were standard fare, it was interesting to see the issues presented from a viewpoint that the reader may not normally take in their daily work life.
I would recommend this book as a quick read in the format it is presented. The book does not read like a boring leadership manual with too many complex techniques and strategies. The main points are clearly presented and easily understood in the narrative approach of this book.
"4 Myths About Having Mentors (and How to Overcome Them)" by Jo Miller from Be Leaderly
Mentors are special people. They take us under their wise, experienced wings and help us make sense of the often-bewildering world of work. Mentors help us to sharpen our skills and smooth out our rough edges. My mentors have helped me discover new strengths, go boldly after bigger goals, and avoid (or bounce back from) some cringe-worthy career missteps. A mentoring relationship is a precious resource, indeed. Are you making the most of yours?
Like any worthwhile professional development pursuit, being mentored is something you can improve at. If any of these myths resonate for you, click through, read on, and make the most of your mentor's investment in you.