Donald Griego started his career with the New Mexico Forestry Division in 1997 and graduated from New Mexico State University with a B.S. in Wildlife Management. Donald was the State Fire Management Officer and Resource Protection Bureau Chief for 13 years and has held over 11 positions in the 21 years he’s worked in forestry. Today, Donald currently serves as the State Forester of New Mexico.
On the show, Donald shares his diverse experience as a forester and offers advice for young forestry professionals looking to advance their career. His advice is: You can’t always rely on texting to get the job done! Go out there and meet people, shake their hands, and look them in their eye. It goes a long, long way.
Key Takeaways:
[:55] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:40] A quick intro about Donald’s background.
[2:40] How did Donald become interested in forestry?
[4:05] What was Donald’s first job for the Forest Service like?
[5:10] Donald has been with the Forest Service for 21 years and has held 11 positions. Most new folks coming in only stay around for five years before transitioning into something else.
[6:25] What’s the most challenging/fun job Donald has had so far?
[10:25] How is New Mexico’s terrain different compared to other states?
[11:55] How do leadership responsibilities differ when taking on different management roles?
[13:05] Over the years, Donald has had to learn how to adapt to new technologies in order to communicate with the younger generation.
[14:25] What does Donald wish he’d learned sooner about leadership?
[17:40] What does Donald love about this next generation or two that are coming into the industry?
[18:25] What is Donald most proud of in his career?
[20:00] Get out there and communicate! You can’t always rely on email or texting to get the job done.
[21:15] How can the younger generation build leadership skills?
[24:05] Donald shares some of his mentors that have made an impact on him throughout his career.
[25:45] What are some things the forestry industry can get improve upon?
[28:00] Donald recommends checking out the author Oren Harari!
[29:55] Remember! You can’t do this alone. We need everybody to come together to promote forest health.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell, by Oren Harari
Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type, by Isabel Briggs Myers and Peter B. Myers
George Geissler is a Certified Forester and has been a member of the Society of American Foresters since 1987. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management from Louisiana State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University. George currently works as a State Forester and is the Director of the Forestry Services Division in Oklahoma. On today’s show, George offers some words of wisdom on what he wished he had learned sooner in his career, why he decided to get his MBA, and why he loves to hire those who think much differently than he!
Key Takeaways:
[:55] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:40] A quick intro about George’s background.
[4:10] How did George become interested in forestry?
[6:30] Despite the many years George has been in forestry, he still gets family members not understanding 100% what he does!
[8:50] How does George educate others about Oklahoma’s diverse forestry?
[10:55] What makes Oklahoma’s forest so unique?
[16:25] Why did George decide to get an MBA at Harvard during his forestry career?
[18:50] What is the leadership like on a corporate level?
[23:30] What is the hardest part about having a job like this?
[25:35] You need to look at things with a different perspective and you do that by hiring people who don’t think like you.
[28:20] What is George most proud of in his career?
[34:25] Great communicators are often truly passionate people in what they’re doing.
[35:00] What does George wish he’d learned sooner in his career?
[39:05] What advice does George have for young professional foresters?
[41:40] George and his team make it a priority to maintain and enhance a learning department in their office. Learning never stops.
[43:40] George shares his favorite quote!
Mentioned in This Episode:
Bob Boyes has dual executive leadership responsibilities with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. At the department, he works as a State Forester as well as Deputy Director. He is responsible for the Division of Forestry, the Division of Wildlife, the Mineral Resource Management, and the office of Real Estate Land Management. With his extensive leadership experience, Bob offers some key advice on how to be an excellent leader, the differences between being a frontline manager and an executive, and what he looks for in a new hire.
Key Takeaways:
[:55] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:35] A quick intro about Bob’s background.
[3:00] How did Bob become interested in forestry?
[6:30] What was Bob’s transition like from forester to leader?
[11:05] What’s the difference between being a frontline manager and being an executive?
[13:35] What is Bob the proudest of in his career?
[16:40] How does Bob find his talent? What kind of forester does he look for?
[18:10] Bob discusses the generational differences in the talent pool and what he’s learned from the younger generation so far.
[22:15] What did Bob wish he learned about leadership early on in his career?
[28:15] Once you’ve accepted that everybody’s different, then everything else ends up making sense.
[31:35] What are some of the best ways a new forester can improve their skills?
[33:25] What kind of future challenges do foresters need to be thinking about?
[35:40] Bob recommends reading Shackleton’s Way and The Sociopath Next Door to help better understand people.
[38:55] Bob shares some final words of wisdom: Always retain an open mind!
Mentioned in This Episode:
Shackleton's Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Antarctic Explorer, by Margot Morrell and Stephanie Capparell
Steve Sinclair is the Director of Forests and State Forester for the Vermont Department of Forest, Parks, and Recreation. Steve has more than 40 years in the industry and has taken on a wide variety of interesting leadership roles since then. On the show, Steve discusses how to lead a productive team, having fun on the job, and finding ways to adapt to new and challenging situations. With Steve’s extensive wisdom and optimism, this is not a show you want to miss!
Key Takeaways:
[:55] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:35] A quick intro about Steve’s background.
[3:05] How did Steve become interested in forestry?
[5:15] Steve discusses why his father has been a very inspirational mentor to him and how he was so graceful when it came to office politics and conflict resolution.
[7:50] As a forester, it’s so important to become a good listener and to have empathy for others.
[9:20] How are we as a profession doing when it comes to managing the public’s expectations of the resources we have?
[10:00] The definition of a healthy forest is: productive, diverse, complex, and resilient. A leader should also have these same qualities too.
[12:00] Our profession still has a long way to go when it comes to diversity. Why has progress been slow?
[15:00] What kinds of challenges has Steve had when it comes to hiring and acquiring new talent?
[23:15] Steve has taken a wide variety of forestry positions since joining the industry 43 years ago. What have been some of the interesting things he’s seen and done throughout his career so far?
[30:50] What has Steve noticed about leadership based on the various roles he’s taken so far? How does leadership change depending on the position you’re in?
[34:45] Balancing work and your private life is incredibly important in anything you do. When these two things match well, then productivity increases!
[36:05] Steve uses the StrengthsFinder tool to help get the best out of his team.
[38:15] What is Steve most proud of in his career?
[42:20] What did Steve wish he’d learned sooner about his profession?
[45:20] What advice does Steve have for young foresters?
[51:00] Steve highly recommends the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
[53:45] Do you want to be right or do you want to do the right thing?
Mentioned in This Episode:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
Vince Keeler has 15 years of experience as a forester and earned his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science & Natural Resource Management at Tuskegee University. Vince currently works as the Director of Forestry for the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation. On the show, Vince explains why it’s important to let your team do what they do best and how sometimes the best way to resolve a disagreement is just by taking a look outside your office walls and going through the forest with your colleague.
Key Takeaways:
[:50] A message from Leadership Nature.
[1:35] A quick intro about Vince’s background.
[2:45] How did Vince become interested in forestry?
[5:25] What was Vince’s first forestry job like?
[8:45] Vince was happy he was fighting wildfires because he was able to move to different states and see more of the U.S. It was very rewarding work.
[10:00] Fast forward seven years later, Vince ended up becoming a Timber Management Officer and oversaw a staff of 13.
[14:05] How can you become a better expert in your field?
[18:00] What does Vince currently do for the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation?
[20:25] Vince shares a story of how his company helps local families and the community.
[23:30] Vince is looking to hire a forester!
[24:00] What has been the most fun about Vince’s career?
[27:05] What kinds of mentors has Vince had over the years?
[31:45] Older foresters, you gotta take the time to write down your expertise so you can use it to educate others. The knowledge you know will get lost if you don’t.
[33:20] What kinds of things can the forestry profession improve upon?
[37:20] What does Vince wish he’d learned sooner?
[39:00] Vince recommends reading the Bible. So many great lessons and inspiring messages in there.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Email Vince: vkeeler@heirsproperty.org