6 Insights for Future Leaders from a Past Chair
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- After more than two decades of involvement with the American Planning Association (APA), David Fields, FAICP, shares his lessons learned to inspire the next wave of leaders.
- His advice includes the benefits of meaningful engagement with the association, the opportunity to contribute and volunteer, and connecting with peers.
- Fields encourages members to see how they can get involved in APA's Chapters, Divisions, interest groups, and more.
Photo courtesy of David Fields, FAICP.
My mission as a planner is simple: create places my grandparents could live. The American Planning Association (APA) has been with me through every step of my 30-year career, from serving as Houston, Texas's first chief transportation planner, where we reduced fatal crashes by 10 percent in two years and designed the first public transit system for the small border town of Nogales, Arizona.
But after 20 years of serving the APA in various elected roles — including most recently as chair of the Divisions Council — I'm happy to not be running for any new office. It's time for a new group to lead, and I believe I can help most by being there to support the new leadership and the organization by sharing what I've learned over the past two decades.
6 Tips for New Leaders
1. YOU GET OUT AS MUCH AS WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT
If all you want is a member ID number, that's easy. But you're missing out. If you'll commit some time and energy, you'll learn so much, develop an extensive professional network, a good number of friends, and many opportunities to grow your career.
A leader is not always the person who gets the most votes, but someone who sees a problem and decides they're going to fix it. APA is great in so many ways, but its best feature is that there are always ways to get involved to make it better. If you truly want to be an APA leader, find something that can be better and work on it.
2. THE VALUE OF APA ISN'T PLANNING. IT'S THE PLANNERS
No matter how many years of experience you have — from emerging professionals to those who have decades under their belt — you get as much out of APA as you put into it. So, offer to organize a webinar, write an article, or help with social media (divisions are perfect starting points). The people you work with on all those activities are the people hiring planners. Imagine if they already know you when your résumé hits their inbox?
If you're a more experienced planner, sit down and talk with members of the Student Representative Council. They see our profession very differently, and understanding their views can help you better engage your community and be a better team leader.
3. CONNECT IN-PERSON
Some of the disconnects we see as an organization — and, honestly, as a society — including different generational priorities and our inability to bridge political divides, could be improved by sharing a meal together. So, for example, if you're working on a new APA initiative, you can make tons more progress in-person than you could over virtual meetings. Or, if you're traveling somewhere new, why not reach out to the local chapters and local planning communities and see who'll meet you for a coffee or drink?
4. DON'T ASSUME ALL MEMBERS THINK ALIKE
This isn't a hive mind situation. Planners are a microcosm of the U.S., and members hold many political beliefs. They come from so many different sociodemographic backgrounds and can offer so much for you to learn.
If you're an environmental planner from Oregon, talk to a housing planner from West Virginia. Or, if you're a liberal planner from the East Coast, do yourself a favor and talk to a libertarian from Texas. Talk about property rights, or local vs. state vs. federal control. Talk about environment review, economic development, transportation, legal issues, and community organizing. Get as many different viewpoints as you can.
5. NEVER STOP LEARNING
People with all types of beliefs, opinions, and expertise attend the National Planning Conference (NPC), so it's a good reminder to not only spend time in the sessions but also in the hallways and receptions so you can get to know more about your association members. Pro tip: It's OK to skip a session and invite some planners to go on your own unscheduled mobile workshop to see the great host city, not just the convention center.
6. TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIND YOUR PEOPLE
APA offers so many avenues for engagement: 25 divisions (one included with membership), 48 chapters, interest groups, committees, task forces, events, and more. If those aren't up your alley, that's totally OK. But with so many opportunities to grow your planning entourage, why not give it a try — especially with free membership for students! If it's not a match, talk to members about other professional organizations that interest you. The best we can do for planners is to help them feel at home. Maybe in the future, you'll rejoin APA, or you'll join both.
Take the Next Step
If you find any of these suggestions useful, pass them along. And, if you have additional thoughts, I'd love to hear them.
And don't be afraid to seize an opportunity here. It may just lead to you becoming one of the future leaders of APA.
Top image: David Fields, FAICP, (right) is pictured during a session at the American Planning Association's 2024 National Planning Conference in Minneapolis. Photo by Wise Owl Multimedia.
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