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Leading Through Ideas

By Mr. Ransford McCourt P.E., PTOE posted 01-03-2020 09:17 AM

  
Transportation professionals become leaders in different ways. We start with curiosity and the desire to solve real world problems. We listen to questions and brainstorm resolutions by planning, creating, analyzing, designing, and implementing solutions for the traveling public. It’s a different environment from the narrative driven, spin-enhanced, polarized political world around us.

Many say transportation professionals can’t be good leaders. I’m here to tell you every transportation professional has the potential and opportunity to be a great leader. Leadership is not living in an idea or organizational silo and expecting others to value our knowledge or react to challenges from those outside our industry with contempt. An effective leader has the ability to adapt to a setting so that everyone feels empowered to contribute creatively to solving problems. We are surrounded by a problematic culture clouded by self-worth, process, and ego, all of which erodes our values to our communities and isolates us from decisiveness. 

To be an effective leader, we need to listen and understand why people feel the way they do. We need to ask clarifying questions, provide a safe environment to encourage candidness, and be open to those with alternative thoughts. We must empathize with others’ experiences and relate our creative knowledge, data analytics, and solutions to their needs. I’m comfortable using my ideas and problem-solving skills to communicate information that guides a transportation decision-making process in a quantitative, data-driven way (the engineer in me). This isn’t “educating” people to pre-conceived solutions or outcomes. We shape our communities best through collaboration and seeking common understanding—not by narrowed perspectives of broad issues or polarization. This isn’t a skill learned from calculus, statics, or dynamics. To lead means having the ability to clearly state the “why” and articulate the guiding principles in our industry, all while sharing a common vision of purpose allowing others to take action toward achieving their defined goals.

I’m a supporter of sharing ideas that help stimulate collective thought toward a common goal. Ideas allow us to discern both problems and solutions together. Many times, the solutions appear to be in search of a problem. Ideas don’t have to be great to be valuable—unpopular ideas sometimes lead to stronger solutions. By sharing ideas openly, we collectively engage in discussion toward common objectives. Ideas are a gateway to action as they stimulate people’s interest (and better ideas) and act to identify those interested in support of change.

A topic I am passionate about is safety, which provides us all fertile ground to lead. We don’t have to be reminded of the annual toll of our transportation system—it’s been there
my entire 40-year career. Today we are in the best position to help lead our industry toward meaningful change in highway safety. But it won’t come from analysis or design. It will come from us collectively coming together and sharing the same common purpose. Enforcement, judicial, insurance, education, vehicle manufacturers—together, collaboratively working as one. Sharing our best ideas, mobilizing decision making and prioritizing toward action. Please go to http://bit.ly/Safety_Ideas to review some first level ideas. This year let’s resolve to take action toward Vision Zero together. Help Shape Your Community!

This blog post is from the President's Message in the January 2020 issue of ITE Journal. 
http://www.nxtbook.com/ygsreprints/ITE/ITE_January2020/
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