076: Don't Raise Your Voice, Elevate the Conversation

David Smith was born and raised in Hawaii and began his career as a biologist in 1983. Today, he is the State Forester and the Forestry and Wildlife Administrator for the Division of Forestry and Wildlife in Hawaii. On today's show, David talks about the diverse ecosystem of Hawaii, how good leaders talk it out — not shout it out — and to not beat yourself up too much if you get passed up for a promotion.

Key Takeaways:

[:55] A message from Leadership Nature.

[1:40] A quick intro about David's background.

[2:40] How did David become interested in forestry?

[3:50] What types of jobs have been the most memorable for David?

[6:10] What was David's first leadership position?

[7:45] David discusses what kinds of things began to change during the leadership position.

[10:05] What is Hawaii's ecosystem like?

[18:35] What's David the proudest of?

[27:00] Don't raise your voice. Talk it out. Most of us have 95% in common.

[31:00] Designing an effective process is crucial. David shares an example of what he means by a 'good' process.

[33:35] What advice does David have for younger professionals wanting to get started?

[41:05] How does David attract and retain talent?

[45:25] Don't get too upset if you're not moving up quick enough.

Mentioned in This Episode:

DLNR.hawaii.gov/dofaw/

Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect, by Bob Rotella and Robert Cullen

Drucker.institute

A Pattern Language: Towns, Building, Construction, by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray Silverstein