Stoplights, Roundabouts, and Leadership: Navigating Organizational Life and Leadership

To register for this webinar please follow this link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/3617617400217/WN_Xlh_vbvRR2CrTBHPZEnNlw. Sessions are free and available only to members of the Michigan library community. Registrants will receive instructions and a link to attend the session directly from PCI after they register.

Some leaders and teams spend their days waiting at stoplights: seeking permission, direction, or perfect clarity before moving forward. Others have learned to build roundabouts instead, creating systems of shared trust and understanding that keep work flowing smoothly. In this engaging and practical session, we’ll explore the “transportation map” of leadership using metaphors like freeways, speedbumps, dirt roads, and roundabouts to examine how organizational structures shape momentum, creativity, and collaboration. Participants will leave with concrete strategies for tearing down unnecessary stoplights and designing “well-functioning roundabouts” that empower teams to navigate safely, efficiently, and with less stress.

Attendees will learn to:

• Identify common “stoplights” that slow progress and decision-making in organizations
• Explore the principles of trust and shared understanding that make roundabout-style leadership work
• Discover practical tools for creating smoother workflows, clearer communication, and empowered teams
• Reflect on personal leadership habits that either create congestion or enable healthy movement

Instructor: Sam Passey serves as the Associate Dean of Library Services at Colorado Mountain College, a dual-mission institution with 11 campuses that offers both associate and bachelor's degrees. Previously, he spent 17 years as the director of Uintah County Library in Northeast Utah, where he oversaw the design and construction of a new library facility and mentored numerous staff members who have since become leaders in the library field. He has a Master’s degree in Library Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies Education. A recognized speaker, presenter, and writer, Sam specializes in library and museum management and leadership.

PCI Webinars are recorded and available to members of the Michigan library community in the Library of Michigan's Niche Staff Skills Academy about a week after they air. New webinars will be in the New category for several weeks. You do not need to register for a webinar in order to view it later in the Staff Skills Academy.

This project is made possible by grant funds from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) administered by the State of Michigan through the Library of Michigan.