From the Hill to the highway: David Strickland’s leadership road map

One of the most difficult things that I faced in the first few months of being an administrator was letting go of the part of my job that I was most comfortable with. It’s easy for me to pick up the phone and talk with a member of Congress on a specific issue, but I have to let my congressional affairs staff do that. You have to allow people the freedom to do their jobs. I believe in empowering the staff. They are the experts. Also, you should always be prepared to lay everything out on the line for a decision that you feel strongly about. If you put in that type of energy and focus, you are bound to succeed.

How do you connect with the employees at your agency?

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I try to take the time to reach out and interact with the staff. It’s easy to have everyday dealings with the senior management core, but it’s the middle managers and staff that often get the work done. I made it my goal to visit all 10 of our regional offices during my time as administrator. I just finished with number nine and I’ll be visiting the last one in mid August. I have to interact with the people who are the functioning arm for NHTSA. They are our connections with state government and they do tremendous work.

What do you wish you would have known about the job before you started?

One part of the job that I did not expect is my role as the agency's spokesperson. I am the face of NHTSA. Having been a congressional staffer, I learned to stay away from the limelight. I definitely had to grow into it a bit.

If you weren’t at NHTSA, what job would you like?

I would love to teach, perhaps as a college professor in public policy and government because I think my experience might help prepare the next group of leaders and scholars in terms of how we can make American government better. Other than that, maybe if I cut myself in half I could become a Formula One race car driver. Unfortunately, I weigh well north of 125 pounds.

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