Darin Bergquist
Secretary of Transportation
South Dakota
1. What do you think is the key to effective leadership?
Leading by example and not expecting others to do anything you aren't willing to do yourself. Identify the strengths of the people around you and find ways to allow them to utilize those strengths for the benefit of the organization. Be willing to accept personal responsibility for organizational failures, yet be willing to share the credit for successes.
2. What is your favorite leadership quote?
"Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results." - George S. Patton
3. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
The right thing and the most popular thing are not always the same, but it is of utmost importance to do the right thing instead of the most popular.
4. What do you hope to get out of your Toll Fellows experience?
I hope the opportunity to work with this group of tremendously talented people who have a variety of roles in and perspectives on public service and public policy will be a great learning opportunity. It is very easy to get caught up in our day to day activities while surrounded by the same people and essentially becoming stuck in a rut of doing things the way we've always done them. I expect the Toll Fellows experience will enable me to gain new perspectives on dealing with issues and alternate ideas and methods for analyzing and solving problems. At the same time, I anticipate the experience will force me to step outside my comfort zone and ultimately enable me to be a better and more effective leader for my state and agency. Maybe most importantly, it will provide an opportunity to establish and develop valuable friendships with outstanding people from across the country that will hopefully continue for many years following this experience.
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