TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
In late 2012, when Nat Ford was hired to be the JTA’s new CEO, the Authority was meeting its responsibilities by operating fixed-route bus service, repairing bridges, building roads, and operating within budget. But there was an opportunity to do much more. An independent consultant reported in an assessment of the JTA that the Authority had outdated technology, inadequate staffing levels and customer service, misaligned internal and external communication, and substandard on-time bus performance that was 20% below industry peers. Road projects stalled and a local option gas tax (LOGT) that could help pay for infrastructure improvements was scheduled to sunset. The internal leadership culture and external view of the authority’s reputation was good, but not great. Transforming the Authority into a leader in the industry was a priority of Ford’s soon after he joined the JTA. He knew the JTA had the potential to be one of the best in the country. In extensive listening sessions and meetings with a cross-section of the public that included customers, business executives, government leaders, nonprofits, and the private sector, a common refrain was that the JTA needed to transform into a modern authority to meet the demands of a growing city that stretched into the suburbs with customers who wanted more mobility and connectivity options.
“The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.”
John C. Maxwell, The 17 th Irrefutable Laws of Teamwork
ULTIMATE URBAN CIRCULATOR – A CASE STUDY | 11
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