by Kellylynn McLaughlin, on Oct 27, 2020 5:06:25 PM
Now introducing the Post-Trip Inspection podcast-style! Hear directly from WIT Driver Ambassador Kellylynn McLaughlin herself, take a listen below.
As those in the trucking industry know, the Post-Trip Inspection is a time to check and see if anything has changed with your equipment since you began your trip and if there are any items that need to be addressed before continuing on down the road. It’s a time to reflect, assess, and plan what’s next.
REFLECT
This month has been a super busy and stimulating month for me. The onset of colder weather makes be happy (I love love love to drive through fall colors and crisp air) but that means winterizing and preparing for adverse driving conditions. I’ve worked with two new-hire trainees which is both exhausting and personally rewarding. I have had an extra challenge of balancing additional time away from home and off the road so that I can help out a dying family member. In addition, we at WIT are busy preparing for the Accelerate! Virtual Conference. This conference is something I look forward to every year. It’s where I meet my tribe, re-energize, find inspiration to be a better leader. I find myself contemplating leadership - what is that anyway?
ASSESS
There are all sorts of books out there about leadership. Frankly I just get overwhelmed when I see them all at the bookstore (back when I could go to a bookstore pre-COVID) and I can’t just make a decision on which one to buy. I’d like to think I know leadership when I see it or hear it though.
Listening to Ellen interview the 2020 WIT Influential Woman in Trucking Finalists on her WIT satellite radio show recently, one of of the women said someone once told her “Don’t be quiet at the table - you are sitting there because someone thought you had something important to say.” That resonated with me. It gives us all permission to talk at the table!
Another comment from a peer that has resonated with me is - “There was a time that the person you look up to wasn’t who they are now…stop being so hard on yourself." This is a hard one for me. It’s been hard for me to get comfortable with not getting it right every time but the key is to learn from failures, try again and not repeat mistakes, right?! This comment also inspires personal growth and forgiveness towards others who stumble while finding their leadership path.
A leadership coach told me, “Leaders are leaders because they are going somewhere. Who’s going to follow someone that is not going anywhere?” Good question!
PLAN
One of the missions of WIT is to celebrate our successes. I choose to be part of this organization because I want to be part of a group of professionals that is committed to raising each other up. I want to hear what others are doing in the industry, learn from them and be inspired to do more.
I think leadership is not about doing what you can for yourself - it’s what can you do for others. I know it sounds corny but it is not so easy to put into action in your life. Can you bring new ideas to the table? Can you challenge the status quo? Can you raise someone else up and help others out? Can you do more than what others expect you to do? Can you be the positive part of a team to encourage growth and to affect change. Where are you going?
My plan is to leave the transportation industry a better place than I found it. I can’t do that all on my own. Ellen, our founder, didn’t think she could do it on her own either. That’s why the Women In Trucking Association and its charitable foundation exist…so that we can all work together to identify and break down barriers to women (and men) in the industry, celebrate the successes of our female counterparts and shout out the best kept secret of the transportation industry - opportunities abound here for women!
