July 2025: Lead Before the Alert
In this leadership reflection, Brian Dickson draws on the devastating July 2025 Central Texas floods to illustrate how effective crisis leadership demands not just planning—but also timely judgment, proactive decision‑making, and the courage to challenge assumptions—so evacuation actions precede official alerts.
July 2025: Pickleball, Pulled Muscles, and Poor Planning
This article uses a personal anecdote about a pickleball injury to illustrate how businesses, particularly in the transportation industry, often pursue growth without adequate preparation. It emphasizes that while growth can be beneficial, it must be supported by proper planning and infrastructure to avoid potential pitfalls.
July 2025: Fix the Failure, Win the Customer
This article explores how transportation leaders can turn service failures into trust-building moments by responding with empathy, urgency, and accountability. The article offers practical strategies for using mistakes as opportunities to strengthen customer loyalty and improve team performance.
July 2025: Hearing the unheard: Leadership lessons from the Disney parking lot
Using a parable about truly listening beyond the obvious, Dickson underscores that effective leadership demands proximity, empathy, and the willingness to challenge outdated policies by stepping into the daily realities of your team.
June 2025: Shaq, Free Throws, and Buses: The Power of Outside Help
Using a lesson from NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, this article explores how even high performers need expert support—just like transportation companies benefit from specialized consulting to overcome operational challenges.
June 2025: Storm Ready: A Transportation Leader’s Guide to Hurricane Season Prep
This article outlines a proactive, leadership-driven approach to hurricane preparedness for ground transportation operators, with strategies to protect people, assets, and operations before, during, and after the storm.
May/ June 2025 | Navigating Success: The Dashboard Analogy for Business Performance
This article compares vehicle dashboards to business KPIs, showing how tracking key metrics helps leaders spot issues early and drive better performance.
June/ July 2025 | Distracted Driving: A Leader's Guide to Effectively Managing Electronic Device Policies and Mitigating Associated Risks in Transportation
Drawing on nearly 30 years in ground transportation, the article highlights how the rise of electronic devices—from smartphones and AirPods to smartwatches—has significantly increased safety risks, with FMCSA data showing drivers engaging with phones are six times more likely to experience safety-critical incidents. It underscores the need for comprehensive fleet-wide distraction policies, prompt enforcement, and advanced monitoring tools to effectively reduce distraction-related risks.
April/ May 2025 | Navigating Economic Uncertainty: Strategies for Financial Resilience in Challenging Times
Amid a nearly 10% market downturn in early 2025, this article offers transportation executives a clear roadmap—covering budgeting, expense tracking, discretionary spending, hiring, and service adjustments—to build financial resilience during economic turbulence.