This video teaches you that nobody is perfect and we all have flaws and/or disabilities (mentally and/or physically). You should accept that flaw, whatever it is, and embrace it. You can do whatever you want to do, no matter what the obstacle. Sometimes you just need a little encouragement or a friend to help you through. This is probably one of the biggest leadership lessons to be learned: be true to yourself; that will lead to you overcoming obstacles and, in the long run, make you a better leader and a better human.
ARTICLE OF THE MONTH: "Inspiring the Next Generation of Women to Join the Transportation Industry"
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and its partners recognize the importance of introducing women and girls to the career possibilities and opportunities of the transportation sector. The importance of that goal drives a variety of activities and outreach programs focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Kids in the Workplace
Every year, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration take part in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Various activities at USDOT Headquarters and at FHWA's Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) are a hit with kids.
On April 25, 2019, USDOT's Office of the Secretary hosted more than 600 children aged 8 to 18 and their parents for USDOT Headquarters' Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. The event featured more than 40 workshops and exhibits. Highlights included "The Drone Experience," where participants could learn to fly small consumer drones, and a booth where children could write about how they would improve the Nation's transportation sector.
On June 25, 2020, the Transportation Leadership Program (TLP) went virtual. We held our first TLP session via Zoom with Cohort 6. The topic was Developing and Supporting a Resilient Team. Kenya Rutland and Kim Demur from KJR Consulting were our facilitators and did a fantastic job. We look forward to hearing feedback from our cohort members. Mary and I were very pleased with how wonderful it felt to be together, even virtually. There was great sharing among the members and even some time in small breakout rooms. COVID-19 provided opportunities to reflect on how the CT public works teams have shown their resiliency during challenging times. It was also an opportunity for our TLP team to reflect on their own leadership skills.
While we sure miss being with you in person, this did feel pretty good, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Best,
Donna and the T2 Team
"Op-Ed: Resilience is an Important Tool to Help with Coronavirus and the Surge in Cases" by Keith M. Bellizzi, Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut
We’re all exhausted and pushed to the limit by months of social distancing, and the recent news that cases are climbing in many states is especially scary.
While you may feel like ripping off your mask and heading for a bar, there are more productive ways to deal with the challenges we face. And in fact, staying home may be the best course of action in the next couple of weeks, some experts have said. It’s also a good time to learn and practice resilience.
As a professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Connecticut, I believe these unprecedented changes have had a significant and adverse impact on the mental health of Americans. And there is no end in sight. If ever a moment called for understanding the concept of resilience, this is it.
Resilience is the ability to adapt to adversity or a stressful life event. Research on resilience has a rich history, dating back to the 1950s; those studies focused on children growing up in high-risk environments. More contemporary research looks at how we adapt to traumatic events like cancer, natural disasters and terrorism.
Resilience can be learned
While some researchers suggest resilience is “trait-like” – that is, hard-wired into one’s personality – others say it can be learned and acquired later in life. Some even say adversity brings potential benefits. “There is nothing better than adversity,” said the activist Malcolm X. “Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve the next time.”
