leadership lessons from 25 years in public service lessons from... · 17. take the time for...

Leadership Lessons From 25 Years in Public Service BY JUAN C. PEREZ, ASSISTANT CEO – TLMA DIRECTOR

TRANSPORTATION AND LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY

COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER OF ASPA AND THE UNIVERSITY OF LA VER NE

OCTOBER 11, 2017

About the County of Riverside Established in 1893

7,300 Sq. Miles

$5.4 Billion Annual Budget

42 Departments & Over 22,000 Employees

28 Incorporated Cities

We are the 4th most populous county in the state and 10th in the nation

Transportation & Land Management Agency

The Riverside County Transportation & Land Management Agency (TLMA) is the Umbrella Agency for four County Departments

Transportation Department Planning Department Building & Safety Department Code Enforcement Department

Employs about 600 dedicated public servants

Public Works, Land Use and Environment Unit

TLMA Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Waste Management Department Department of Environmental Health

25 Lessons in 25 Years


25. Seek to persuade rather than coerce

Makes for lasting change instead of passive resistance

Engage the creative energy and enthusiasm of the group

Work to win hearts and minds


24. Own your mistakes, rather than place blame

Builds credibility Promotes accountability


23. Measure what you value, and use that to guide decisions


22. Turn both victories and failures into “teaching moments”

Celebrate the positive

Crisis management – Learn and reframe

“Conduct autopsies, without blame” -Jim Collins-


21. The Leader is ALWAYS communicating Leaders are always under scrutiny Actions more powerful than words

Silence also communicates – courage to speak up

“Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often” -Mark Twain-


20. See and understand the opposing view Be flexible and willing to compromise Seek the win-win – adds value in negotiations


19. Grow lasting relationships Collaborative rather than transactional


18. Infuse your workplace with joy and (appropriate) humor

Create an environment where people want to come to work and contribute

Be humble and able to laugh at yourself


17. Take the time for strategic thinking

Proactive vs. Reactive actions Don’t let the “Tyranny of the Urgent” be all that consumes your

focus

“Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important, there is an insidious tendency to neglect important tasks that do not have to be done today—or even this week.” -Charles E. Hummel-


16. Invest in growing other leaders, mentoring

Practice more leading, less managing Leadership is a force-multiplier


15. Challenge those around you to be leaders, no matter their role in the organization


14. Seek diversity in your teams We live within an increasingly global community Diversity increases the ability to understand and communicate with your customers Foster thought diversity – Avoid “Groupthink”


13. Build Social Capital within your Community and Organization

Strengthen Internal ties between organizational components Foster and expand external ties to customers, constituents, colleagues Help fill up the “reservoir of good will”

“Social Capital greases the wheels that allow Communities to advance smoothly” -Robert Putnam-


12. Build a Strong Organizational Culture

Organizations are dynamic living organisms, always evolving All parts are interdependent, equally important, and have to work together Organizational culture is the D.N.A. that drives it – spend your leadership effort in

creating the best organizational culture that you can – Nurture, Feed, Cherish and Celebrate it

“If one wishes to distinguish leadership from management or administration, one can argue that leaders create and change cultures, while managers and administrators live within them”

-Edgar H. Schein-


11. Chaos Happens – How will you deal with it?

Expect the unexpected – the “new normal” given the pace of change

Be stable during unstable times – everyone looks to the leaders for their cue dealing with crisis

Learn from other leaders dealing with disaster situations, mentally put yourself in their role

“Chaos is ubiquitous; it is stable, it is structured” -James Gleick-


10. Be a Storyteller – everyone loves a good story

How we message What We Do and Why We Do It is key to our leadership success Create and share the story of your organization – why does What We Do matter? Competition for limited resources – the best story often wins Rituals and Symbols increase organizational legitimacy Tell your story through many channels, including social media

“Storytelling is an essential leadership skill. In addition to communicating the values and norms of organizational culture, stories inspire action in a way that abstraction do not”

-Cohen & Prusack-


9. Leaders must drive organizational change

Innovate and take calculated risks Study, assess, then act Factor in the risk of doing nothing when making

decisions Innovation is key to organizational continuity

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” –Heraclitus-

“The ultimate test of practical leadership is the realization of intended, real change that meets people’s enduring needs.”

-James MacGregor Burns-


8. Trust is the universal social lubricant Honesty, Consistency, Fairness Communicate decisions – the “Why” is as important as the “What”

“Trust lubricates cooperation” -Robert Putnam-

25 Lessons in 25 Years 7. Embrace lifelong learning, and teaching

How can you expect others to learn, change and grow, if you don’t?

Constantly scan the horizon to see what’s out there and what others are doing


6. Practice self-awareness

Active listening Read how others are reacting to you Situational awareness – understand

the moment, adjust Emotional Intelligence: EQ more

important than IQ


5. Infuse Meaning into your work and that of others Find out what drives and motivates Align with organizational goals

“Those who help us center our work in a deeper purpose are leaders we cherish, and to whom we return love, gift for gift” -Margaret Wheatley-


4. Be Genuine and Authentic – connect with others

Servant Leadership – lead for the sake of serving others Get to know your team, care for their well-being Follow the “Golden Rule”

25 Lessons in 25 Years 3. Lead with positive energy and enthusiasm

25 Lessons in 25 Years 2. It’s about Perseverance and Enjoying the Journey

“Every day is a good day”

Stick-to-it-ive-ness


1. Leave a lasting legacy of Stewardship and Service to others

Make a positive difference Leave it better than you found it

“To elevate the goals of humankind, to achieve high moral purpose, to realize major intended change, leaders must thrust themselves into the most intractable processes and structures of history and ultimately master them.” -James MacGregor Burns-

What Will Be YOUR Legacy Be?

leadership lessons from 25 years in public service lessons from... · 17. take the time for...

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