Carol:
Hello, hello, and welcome to the People-Forward Leadership Podcast. I am so thrilled to introduce our guest today, Melinda Adams, Executive Director of Island Transit in Washington State.
Melinda brings more than 17 years of experience in public transportation leadership. Before joining Island Transit, she served as transportation services manager and acting director at Everett Transit, where she led complex capital projects, regional transportation programs, and oversaw grants, compliance, communications, and customer service.
Now with more than 15 years of workforce development experience, she's known for being deeply employee-focused. She's often heard saying, "Leadership begins with an investment in your people, focusing on their development in order to achieve the highest results for your organization, and provide the highest level of service to your community." So you can see why she is the perfect guest for this podcast.
A proud Island Transit resident, Melinda has served on the Regional Transportation Operations Committee, the Snohomish County Public Information Officer Group, and the Puget Sound Transit Executive's Mobility Partnership, and she is known for her focus, creativity, and even a pretty healthy sense of humor when facing challenges. She is one of the growing number of female leaders who is serving as the executive director of Island Transit and joining a powerful wave of female leaders reshaping the future of public transit.
Melinda, welcome and thank you so much for being here.
Melinda:
Well, thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be with you today.
Carol:
I love it. I love it. So let's just dive right in. In our people-forward work, we often start with vision because it defines culture priorities and the way leaders show up every day. So when you stepped into this role, what was the leadership vision you brought with you and how has that served to create that vision for the next two years for Island Transit?
Melinda:
Yeah, that's a great question, Carol. I tend to have a very employee-focused leadership style, focusing on the workforce here at Island Transit and rebuilding broken relationships between management and employees. At nearly 160 employees, I asked each employee to meet with me one-on-one and bring two problems and two solutions. I completed this during my first nine months and I continued to meet one-on-one with all of the new employees to continue to set the tone and culture of the organization.
Now, this is definitely not a one-and-done type of communication style. It is important to me that our workforce know they can approach me at any given time and I will be there with a listening ear. While it's important to remember where the agency was and where the employees have been, I have set a tone of having a very focused, result-oriented outcome. So I let them know, "We're going to understand where you've been, but we're going to look forward to where we're going."
And so what I asked each and every one of them was to bring those two problems and two solutions because we want to be solution-focused. I believe that strengthening the internal core of the agency is what will flow into our community. Our employees are very community-focused here on the island, and it's a mainstay of our existence. The employees are committed to the rural community.
Carol:
That's awesome. I love what you talked about. I mean, the idea of coming in and meeting one-on-one, creating a space, an opportunity for people to get to know you, showing that you're an approachable leader is amazing. But I also love that you talked about that you're results-oriented, so bring their problems, but bring the solutions, but you kept people still moving forward and facing forward.
So that brings up to me a question about just even your own leadership style and what is the importance that you think self-awareness plays in being a good leader? Because you clearly came in with an idea for the vision and the culture of the organization and you welcomed input from the people around you, but how does your own leadership style play into you creating that kind of environment and meeting with the individuals and getting those two problems, two solution conversations that you have with everyone?
Melinda:
Yeah. You know, I think it's really important, as I look at leadership style, that self-awareness factor, it's critical to be aware of oneself and to be able to relate with compassion and humility. Having a humble nature, I think, is critical to success in leadership. There's a phrase that's often used, servant leadership. I think it's critical to listen before speaking, internalizing and contemplating what you're hearing from the employees. I wanted to create not a platform for complaints, but a platform for introspection and looking at what those solutions could be.
The leader that I was 30 years ago was not the leader I am today. It's a continual growth opportunity, and I think that as my younger self, I might've been more interested in what I could contribute, whereas now, I'm interested in what my people can contribute and really leaning in on them knowing that, as a leader, you're as good as your people make you. You really have to center in on them because it's us working together as a team that's going to help push this organization forward and serve our community.
Carol:
Wow. I think that's just a brilliant answer. I hear you saying, I just jotted down that you moved from an "I" to a "we" kind of leadership and really thinking about your people, love the term of servant leadership and compassion and humility. And I think it's so important because so many leaders confuse what leadership is and they think that it's all about them and what they do, and they think in order to have compassion and humility, that somehow or other it means you're not a strong leader. And it's so clear in how you came in the door, how you created the culture and set the vision for the organization, and what you said about, "Listen, I want to hear what happened in the past, but we definitely want to look to terms of how we're moving forward in the future."
So you combined that compassion and humility by having those conversations and listening to what they had to say and listening to your people, but still saying, "Okay, but let's move it together and let's focus on the results that we want to deliver as well." So that compassion and humility, that doesn't mean you're not a strong leader, that you're not a results-driven leader, or that you're not going to get things done as a leader. So I love that combination.
Melinda:
Yeah, thank you. I think it's really critical in moving forward. You have to add that human aspect, and I think that helps as we grow in our careers and we age and we look at the past and then look towards the future, and we're as good, like I said, as our people are.
Carol:
Yeah, I love it. So good for leaders to hear.
Psychological safety, I know, is very foundational when you're trying to come in and you're building trust and raising morale with an organization. And I know without it, trust can erode and people won't take the risks needed to really grow and move to the next level. So given some of your past challenges with morale and trust, what were some of your first steps that you took to build psychological safety across Island Transit?
Melinda:
Sure. I'm a person of integrity. I think integrity is critical as a leader, and so walking my talk, doing what I say I'm going to do, following through, being accountable, being human and compassionate while leading with strength and purpose. We all make mistakes, so I'm the first one to admit it. I'm not afraid to do that in front of my folks. We're all human and I think we just really need to meet people where they are.
Keeping my door open to conversation with all of the employees, letting them know it's not that one-and-done, but that they can return here. Now, this is not to say that I have all the time in the world because that'd be ludicrous, right? We don't. We're busy and so I have to set that time aside, but to me, that is a number one priority is meeting with those folks to be able to gain that trust, that confidence, and you can only do that over time and with consistency.
Spending time in their specific work groups to learn and understand how they accomplish their work. I am not the know-all be-all, right? I want them to show me what they do, what they excel at. And it helps them to take ownership when we want to make changes, then we do that together versus just in a directive approach.
I believe in riding buses, spending time not only with the dispatchers and operators, but also our customers. It's important that the employees see me listening to our customers in our community because that's what we want them to do because ultimately that's who we're here to serve.
Carol:
Wow, that's awesome. I mean, what a recipe for that. I mean, I heard integrity, walking the talk, accountability, listening, having a human focus, but still leading with strength, meeting people where they are, making change together. I love that, that if we're going to do change, let's join hands and do it together. And setting the example of really what leadership is, not only in the community, but with your people. That's a powerful recipe for really building trust and morale and having that safety within the organization. I mean, kudos to you for doing that.
Melinda:
Thank you. Thank you. Well, I think it critically, critically important and I sure have seen a lot of change just in my first 11 months here, so it's very gratifying to see.
Carol:
That's pretty powerful. So in terms of, we talked about your leadership and how you came in and really supported and moving the culture within, like you said, your first 11 months, in people-forward leadership, we often focus on turning managers into people leaders who coach, support, and empower. So what leadership capabilities have you been prioritizing for your managers and how are you working to help them build some of the incredible leadership skills that you've developed over your last 17 years?
Melinda:
You know, I think that it boils down to communication, communication, communication. When I arrived here, we had a lot of silos. We had a lot of departments operating independently, and when you're trying to instill leadership skill, perhaps in managers maybe that were promoted during a time just for their management or their technical skill versus their leadership, again, it's walking your talk and setting an example as a people leader. So you want to model what it is that you're looking for in your leaders, breaking down those silos and creating collaboration amongst the departments.
I do that in a weekly team meeting where we may have maintenance projects that are a bus buy, but that affects our operators, it affects operations, it affects planning, it affects information technology. All of those folks need to be in the room and have a stake in that bus buy, including one of the things I found here was not having operators involved in the purchase. I like to be able to bring them along to have... You'll have a male and a female and a larger person, a smaller person. We want to be able to involve them in those purchases so that we're not only just buying the bus for our customers, but our operators who are sitting in those buses sometimes eight up to 13 hours a day. So we can't just go out and do a bus buy without getting all of that information, but I'm kind of digressing here.
As I said, some managers were promoted into positions that maybe weren't ready. Were currently in an RFP process for an intensive leadership program in which I plan on taking with my leadership team step by step. So I'm going to be right there with them learning alongside them. I think as a good leader, you have to remember that we're always learning, there's always growth, there's always new things to learn, and that comes from that humility of not knowing, not thinking I know everything.
Carol:
Yeah. Wow, that's really good. I mean, breaking those silos, I hear that. I've heard that in other organizations, that people get in their own worlds and thinking about their own groups, but not thinking about the collective whole and the communication, communication, communication and collaboration are really great, and I could see that by including all the voices of all the stakeholders, it's really helping to support that.
And you talked about people getting promoted for their technical skills, and many leaders do rise through technical excellence, but the hardest shift is learning to lead people, not just projects. So to your point, people who are promoted, and I know you said you have an RFP in process for this, but what other things are you doing to prepare technically strong supervisors to become confident people-first leaders?
Melinda:
Sure. I have weekly leadership meetings, which when I first got here, I thought, "Wow, this is a lot to meet every week," but it has opened up such a great vein of communication amongst each of the groups, that now some of them, we have our IT department is holding a quarterly steering committee to ensure that they're up-to-date on all the projects from the other departments that they need.
So I have those weekly leadership meetings. Each of those includes a 30-minute training session on key leadership abilities, such as open communication, attentive listening skills, body language demeanor, all those things that we take for granted in our day-to-day that leaders need to be self-aware of how they're presenting to their employees. So we try and address that. I think there's one week a month that we don't have a leadership meeting, but other than that, we do. It's a two-hour leadership meeting every Tuesday.
Some leaders, there's the tough side of this as well. Some have needed a performance improvement plan. They've needed to have a detailed plan of, "These are the areas that I need to improve on to maintain my position as a leader," because along with that self-awareness, I have high expectations and what I expect of myself, I expect of my leaders. And so those improvement plans will directly address areas that are in need of performance, including follow up with a weekly or biweekly meetings to touch base on progress. So we have a timeline set, but we have specific goals to achieve. So it's not meant as a gotcha, but this is what's needed for that development. That's probably where my workforce development part comes in.
Getting to know people, my leaders, meeting with them one-on-one, understanding where they're at and the type of development they need and what they want to do with their careers. Is this something you want to do? Do you want to be a leader? Are you more comfortable in managing a project? You know?
Carol:
Mm-hmm.
Melinda:
Management and leadership are two very different things. So it's really getting to know them inside and out and then being able to say, "What are your needs?" And then putting that training, that coaching, there's mentorship programs out there. I'm a big believer in Women in Transportation, for example. They have a great mentorship program that allows people to grow in their roles. So it is not a one-size-fits-all. It's very individual for each person.
Carol:
I love that because that is so true that people's development has to be geared toward the people. It has to be for what the individual needs because everyone has a different starting place, a middle place, and they need different levels of support or type of support to be exceptional. But what you said is so key. The first question is getting clear on their career path. Is this really where you want to go? Is this really the position that's right for you? Are we trying to force a round peg into a square hole-
Melinda:
For sure.
Carol:
... when they're like, "No"? And going back to our first or earlier when we talked about self-awareness, that's so key for even as you're developing leaders, for them to have a sense of self-awareness about, "Really, am I cut out to be a people leader or a different type of leader?" And creating those opportunities, I think, are exceptional.
You mentioned earlier about silos, and when you encounter old habits or things like silos or favoritism, how do you lead through that in a way that actually helps to shift the culture?
Melinda:
Sure. I talk about all of this being self-aware, but I'm very direct with my leadership team. I have a very strong, assertive personality, and so I tackle the observations head on. A lot of times this is having uncomfortable conversations. I may use role-playing or discuss in our weekly team meetings to garner support from other leaders on the team who can also provide insight. If I say, "Hey, we have a challenge in this area. How do you see us approaching this?" and going around the room, and it helps, I think, peer-to-peer. It's not just coming from me, but it's coming from their colleagues and their counterparts. It provides insider input on how to handle a situation differently for a more positive outcome.
And I also deal with these one-on-one. I don't let things slip by. I think it's a lost opportunity to correct course because we have a lot of ingrained habits here at Island Transit and we have a lot of very long-time tenured employees. And so that culture shift, sometimes it's simply the language that we're speaking. So when I got here, there was a lot of us versus them, meaning the differences between union and management. And so initially, I was correcting language all the time. "It's not their contract, it's our contract. This is a partnership. Words matter," and our employees hear those words. And so they probably thought I was a bit of a mom at first when I said, "I'm going to do a little self-correction here because we're going to look at this in a new way."
I have a zero-tolerance policy for favoritism, bullying, or harassment of any management staff or of any kind, excuse me, and that was a huge problem here at the agency. I'm very direct with the staff that have been employed here during the prior administration. Some have been placed on PIPs to redirect, and some of others may have left our employ due to strict standards that I put in place. But that consistency, again, is key.
When I came in, I had four open leadership positions. I've taken my time to ensure the best hires possible. I've looked for leaders that are not looking for money, but those who are looking to affect change. That makes a huge difference. I believe the key to success is that one quality that we all have in common, which is making a difference on a day-to-day basis. That carries over into how we serve our community.
I took my time. My operations manager took nearly nine months to hire, but I didn't settle. And I know at times it was frustrating. It was hard on staff because people had to do more with less. But in the end of the end, setting that leadership team up for success is what's going to help bring everybody through, and so we have to get that right in order to move forward.
Carol:
Yeah, wow. There's a couple of things that you said that I think are so powerful, and I was actually facilitating an executive team two-day retreat last week, and we had this conversation in detail around changing the narrative, and that you said the language that's being used. And a lot of times sometimes just shifting culture or shifting direction means changing the narrative. It means that we can't keep saying the same thing and expecting a different outcome or a different way of thinking and being if we keep reiterating the same thing. And so I think that is so fabulous that you shared that about really shifting the language and the narrative being really important on the pathway to changing habits, but also tackling things head on.
And I really just want to emphasize that because often I believe some leaders think being a people leader means being soft and being in constant conversation or begging people to do things that are right or hoping for the best and that it's not hands-on leadership, that it's not the tough conversations, the direct conversations, the tackling things head on, like you said, that, "Listen, I asked, I listened, we set a new tone, we have a new narrative, but if you don't follow through, we're going to make some decisions, which include performance improvement, letting you go, or rehiring someone else."
So I just want to reiterate that because I think sometimes when leaders think that when you say, "I'm about the employees and helping people be successful," that the other side is just as important as that.
Melinda:
Absolutely.
Carol:
It doesn't mean that you're not tough or strong in your leadership as well.
Melinda:
Absolutely. Absolutely. That critical element, and I've even said things. One thing my employees can always count on is I will be honest, and unfortunately, sometimes that will hurt, but I don't believe we do people any favors by glossing over or not being honest about hurdles or challenges that we need to overcome. That's where I think those tough conversations... And that's not easy for everybody. It's not always easy for me, it's definitely not my favorite thing to do, but I do know that it has endeared trust because they know that I will be honest with them about what I'm thinking or feeling or where we need to go moving forward.
Carol:
Yeah, yeah. So one of the things that I even opened up talking about this shift or transition I think I'm seeing in the industry, we're seeing more women in transit leadership. That's really reshaping the future of the field. And transit leadership, you've been in it for 17 years, so historically it's been male-dominated and it's still really heavily male-dominated even today. And as we see more women stepping into these top roles, including yourself, I'm curious what your journey has taught you about leading as a woman in this industry, and how do you hope your example will shape the next generation of leaders at Island Transit and beyond?
Melinda:
Yeah. You know, being in a male-dominated industry and role has not been easy. I came up during a time where I've learned a lot over the years. I've always been a confident person, very outgoing, but many times in my career, that has been easily interpreted, excuse me, as aggressive when you're a female. And I think in my younger years, I felt the need to come on strong and really push for where I wanted or for what I wanted.
Now I possess what I call quiet confidence. I forget about the fact that I'm a female when it comes to leading this great group of people that I have. I put one foot in front of the other and I lead with humility and humbleness, and that's not to be mistaken for weakness as we were just discussing. I'm very strong, I'm decisive. I actually am very petite. I have a small stature, but I'm told that I have a very strong demeanor and presence. And I think, again, that points to being direct and open and not afraid to have those difficult conversations.
So how I deal with being a woman in this industry now as compared to 30 years ago where I really felt like I had to fight for my place in line, I feel very comfortable with where I am, and it doesn't cross my mind often.
Now, that said, I will take my female leaders and I will continually mentor them and bring them along, whether it's with women in transportation, any kind of development that I can see, especially if there is a female that wants to be a leader. We have a program here called the Transit Next Institute Leadership, and it's an application process through the Washington State Transportation Agency, and I've put two people through that this year in developing future leaders. But it' about being that role model too for how you can have a quiet, strong demeanor and still be large and in charge even when you're small.
Carol:
I love that. You know, it's funny. When I think of quiet confidence, I had an aunt who had quiet confidence, but we called her "the quiet assassin."
Melinda:
There you go.
Carol:
I'll just put that out there to see-
Melinda:
Okay, all right.
Carol:
... if there's a correlation or not. But yeah, I appreciate what you shared because even I started my initial profession as a lawyer, which I started in the late '80s, early '90s, which was very much more male-dominated, and if not in numbers, definitely a mentality. And I had watched colleagues take on their persona, the masculine persona, thinking that that was the way that they had to survive to lead.
And I bring this up because I think it's so important around authentic leadership, that people just show up as they are and bring whatever skills that they bring to the table. And there's so much from just a female perspective that brings a different feel and different way of showing up in leadership. And I think being allowed to bring that forth and not feeling that that has to be diminished to appeal to a more male persona or male perspective, I think is just incredible. And with you mentoring other leaders and helping them develop their strength and helping them develop their own leadership and just even in your own leadership in the industry as well, I'm sure it's a great example and role model for people to see because representation matters. When you see someone like you, it gives you an opportunity to say, "Oh, I can show up with compassion and humility, but strength and quiet confidence in the way that I lead."
Melinda:
Sure, sure. And I think as I grew up in the industry in my previous position, I never left my career in anyone else's hands. I made sure, and part of this may have come from my workforce development background, but I made sure that I was a needed entity. I made sure that I was taking on committees, groups, being involved with the City of Everett in different aspects. And I was not afraid to go to HR and say, "Hey, I need my position reevaluated. I think I'm here."
And that was a very assertive, borderline aggressive approach. But I think as a woman, especially in a male-dominated industry, especially at that time, this was pre-COVID, it was really important for me to take a firm stance because I was really surrounded by male colleagues. And because I was in compliance, with grants and compliance, I gained a reputation of being very rigid because I was very concerned with ensuring our taxpayers were getting their due day with making sure we're spending the money properly. And so that meant a lot of times I was saying, "No, no, no," and I was considered very rigid, but it was part of the role that I played.
So that was tough to overcome, but in the last few years there, I really, really enjoyed my position, my career, and felt that I had climbed to where I wanted to be.
Carol:
That's great. That is great. So I'm curious about when we think about technology and innovation and humility, as technology accelerates, leaders face the tension of driving efficiency while protecting the human side of work. With new tools and technology coming into transit, how do you balance this efficacy with the need to keep the workplace deeply human?
Melinda:
Yeah. You know, we have a repeating theme here, I think, again, about meeting people where they are and continually striving for that open communication. It's okay to be scared of technology, and I think that when we approach that, let's share that together and then overcome it together because I know here on the island, we have people at varying levels of technology. When I came in, we actually still had a virtual system, and I thought I stepped back into the 1980s server room when I got here. I was like, "Oh, boy."
And there was quite a bit of resistance to that change to move into the 21st century, and I'm happy to say that within the first nine months, we're all on PCs now. Our technology's advanced. I did a technology audit and then we as a team and our IT department moved forward together implementing that with the rest of the staff. But it's okay to be scared of that. Technology is here to stay, and it moves forward at a really rapid pace. I think as leaders, we need to be empathetic to the fact that people learn at different rates and comfort levels can be very different to technology. So it's critical to maintain that human aspect. After all, the communities we serve are in fact just that. They're human, and our interactions with our customers must keep that front and center.
So it's a true balance, but I think admitting to my IT department, "Hey, guys, you're going to have to teach me this. I'm not there yet. I don't know what this is," that lands that human aspect of me not knowing everything and needing help, right?
Carol:
Mm-hmm.
Melinda:
We all need help. We're born imperfect, so we can all use that extra helping hands. So I think by expressing that vulnerability with one another, I think that really helps to keep it deeply human.
Carol:
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's great. So my last question is, great leaders don't just manage organizations. They call others to action. And I know you've been working to build a pipeline and you're mentoring the next generation of leaders both inside and outside of Island Transit. So if you could send a message to transit leaders everywhere about why people-forward leadership matters now more than ever, and the way to do it in a way that's really effective and delivers results within your organization, what would you say?
Melinda:
You know, I would say people-centered leadership matters because it empowers employees, fosters collaborative, trusting environment, increases their productivity and engagement, and ultimately leads to better outcomes when you value people over projects. By prioritizing empathy and self-awareness, I think you spur individual growth and leaders build stronger teams, cultivate innovation, and create more fulfilling work experiences.
Carol:
Wow. Well, there you have it. I love it. Empowering employees, fostering collaboration, increasing productivity, and leading to better outcomes, wow, and fostering a better collaborative environment. That's a great recipe.
Melinda:
It really, it truly is, and I certainly strive for that. Do I do that every day? Absolutely not because we're all human, right?
Carol:
Mm-hmm.
Melinda:
And this is all a growth and learning experience, but I think that human aspect is definitely what leads to the people-centered leadership.
Carol:
Fabulous. I love it. I think that is a great way to end the podcast.
Melinda, I want to thank you so much for joining us today and for sharing your vision for your culture at Island Transit, the work that you've done and the work that you'll continue to do. And for leaders listening, remember all of the incredible nuggets. We're definitely going to have a lot of that in the show notes. And fundamentally know that when you invest in trust and self-aware managers and a culture that puts people first, you just don't improve performance, but you really help to build organizations where people want to stay and thrive.
So Melinda, I want to thank you again for joining me today.
Melinda:
Well, thank you so much for having me. It's been a pleasure.
Carol:
Awesome. This episode of the People-Forward Leadership Podcast is powered by our team at Carol Parker Walsh Consulting Group. We help organizations elevate leaders, strengthen teams, and build cultures where people want to stay, grow, and contribute. So until next time, keep leading people forward. See you soon.
