ITE Journal January 2018 - 35

GROWING YOUR CAREER

Finding the Courage
to Lead the Way
shutterstock/Denis Simonov

By Lindsay A. Walker, P.E., PTOE

"W

ould you like to open an office for Kimley-Horn in Kentucky?" My April
2016 answer: "No." And then, when the question came again in August
2016, my answer became, "Yes! Let's see what happens!"

What changed over the course of those four months? I developed
the confidence in myself that I no longer had to be "okay" with
being "okay" in my professional career. I could do something
different. I could challenge myself. I could be more than just an
engineer-the door became wide open to build a practice, but with
the backing and resources of a national firm.
LeadershipITE was a catalyst for this change in me. What did I
learn through the course of LeadershipITE that prepared me for this
professional challenge? It helped me focus internally-how I viewed
myself-and externally-how to be successful through relationship
building, conflict resolution, and working as a team. I evaluated
what my personal brand is-what words I think describe me and
what I aspire to be. My descriptive words include motivated, honest,
dedicated, and now, risk-taker.

Most of us have a natural resistance to change and transition.
I had to deal with this resistance before committing to taking on
this challenge. Everything was going to change-office location,
coworkers, office setup, and business systems. Personally, I would
be working more, which required a commitment from my family to
support me. I was fortunate that I did not have to make a change,
so all of this was by choice and had to be prudent risk-taking. The
"what if" questions had to go away, to be replaced with "I can."
Part of my confidence in this risk taking is that Kimley-Horn is
unlike any engineering and consulting firm that I have worked for
or partnered with before. A person can be a leader in what interests
them most in engineering. I could grow a practice with a focus in
transportation. I think the firm is set apart by its:
ƒ commitment to embracing technology and change;
w w w .i t e.or g

Ja nu ar y 2018

35


http://www.ite.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ITE Journal January 2018

President’s Message
Director’s Message
Introducing the 2018 ITE International Board of Direction
Introducing the 2018 LeadershipITE Class
Your ITE Councils: An Overview of the ITE Councils in 2018
People in the Profession
ITE News
Member to Member: Congratulations to ITE’s Three New Honorary Members
Where in the World?
Calendar
Industry News
New Products
ITE Adopts 2018–2020 Strategic Plan
Finding the Courage to Lead the Way
Providing Vehicular Cyclists with Routine Accommodation in the United States as Part of Complete Streets
Variable Driver Responses to Yellow Indications: An Operational Challenge and Safety Concern
Professional Services Directory
ITE Journal January 2018 - 1
ITE Journal January 2018 - 2
ITE Journal January 2018 - 3
ITE Journal January 2018 - President’s Message
ITE Journal January 2018 - 5
ITE Journal January 2018 - Director’s Message
ITE Journal January 2018 - 7
ITE Journal January 2018 - Introducing the 2018 ITE International Board of Direction
ITE Journal January 2018 - 9
ITE Journal January 2018 - 10
ITE Journal January 2018 - 11
ITE Journal January 2018 - Introducing the 2018 LeadershipITE Class
ITE Journal January 2018 - 13
ITE Journal January 2018 - 14
ITE Journal January 2018 - 15
ITE Journal January 2018 - 16
ITE Journal January 2018 - 17
ITE Journal January 2018 - Your ITE Councils: An Overview of the ITE Councils in 2018
ITE Journal January 2018 - 19
ITE Journal January 2018 - People in the Profession
ITE Journal January 2018 - ITE News
ITE Journal January 2018 - Member to Member: Congratulations to ITE’s Three New Honorary Members
ITE Journal January 2018 - 23
ITE Journal January 2018 - 24
ITE Journal January 2018 - 25
ITE Journal January 2018 - 26
ITE Journal January 2018 - 27
ITE Journal January 2018 - Calendar
ITE Journal January 2018 - New Products
ITE Journal January 2018 - 30
ITE Journal January 2018 - 31
ITE Journal January 2018 - ITE Adopts 2018–2020 Strategic Plan
ITE Journal January 2018 - 33
ITE Journal January 2018 - 34
ITE Journal January 2018 - Finding the Courage to Lead the Way
ITE Journal January 2018 - 36
ITE Journal January 2018 - 37
ITE Journal January 2018 - Providing Vehicular Cyclists with Routine Accommodation in the United States as Part of Complete Streets
ITE Journal January 2018 - 39
ITE Journal January 2018 - 40
ITE Journal January 2018 - 41
ITE Journal January 2018 - 42
ITE Journal January 2018 - 43
ITE Journal January 2018 - Variable Driver Responses to Yellow Indications: An Operational Challenge and Safety Concern
ITE Journal January 2018 - 45
ITE Journal January 2018 - 46
ITE Journal January 2018 - 47
ITE Journal January 2018 - 48
ITE Journal January 2018 - 49
ITE Journal January 2018 - Professional Services Directory
ITE Journal January 2018 - 51
ITE Journal January 2018 - 52
ITE Journal January 2018 - Outsert1
ITE Journal January 2018 - Outsert2
ITE Journal January 2018 - Outsert3
ITE Journal January 2018 - Outsert4
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