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TOP 50 0 TRAITS OF A GREAT TRANSIT MANAGER 42 < mETRO mAGAZINE SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 What traits and skill sets are important to becoming a great public transportation leader? METRO surveyed more than 200 transit executives to fi nd out. Being a skilled communicator and listener were the most commonly cited attributes. >BY JANNA STARCIC, Executive Editor WITH THE NUMEROUS CHALLENGES THEY FACE ON A DAILY basis, leaders of public transportation systems across the U.S. need to wear many hats. We asked transit executives what traits and skill sets they feel are necessary to be a great transit leader. Being a good communicator and listener were some of the most often cited responses, while having a good sense of humor and being able to laugh was only mentioned by two respondents, but are just as crucial. Here, in no particular order, are their responses: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Possess a thick skin. •To be a great transit manager, you need to be able to handle criticism well from all angles, be it your customers, the press or from within your organization. People person. •Great transit managers must enjoy working with people. •Have the ability to relate to customers, legislators, gov- ernment offi cials, community stakeholders, staff members and employees in all departments. Persistent. •Whether it's the long lead times for projects to come to fruition, or the pursuit of a transit tax referendum, transit managers must be able to survive during challenging times. High level of integrity/ethics. •Transit managers must be honest and display a high level of integrity as they represent the transit system and serve the public. • Managers must also be able to admit mistakes and move on to correct problems. Organizational skills. •Have good project management skills and pay atten- tion to details. Community involvement. •It's crucial to be involved in community programs and projects to get to know your customer base. metro-magazine.com