Boots on the Ground, Flats in the Boardroom: Transportation Women Tell Their Stories

by Grace Crunican, Elizabeth Levin

Stories have power, but only if people know them. "Boots on the Ground, Flats in the Transportation Women Tell Their Stories" details the rise of 18 pioneering women in transportation by telling their stories in their words. From the woman who ran the Federal Aviation Administration during 9/11 to the woman who helped make seatbelts standard in cars, "Boots on the Ground, Flats in the Boardroom" provides raw stories of how these women learned to succeed in a white, male-dominated industry. Authored by seasoned transportation authorities Grace Crunican and Liz Levin, "Boots on the Ground, Flats in the Boardroom" presents leadership lessons from women who changed the world.

Genres: Transport

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2015

Reviews

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boots on the ground, flats in the boardroom is an account of the careers of 18 professional women in transportation – planners, builders, and operators of the vast system that helps us get around and keeps our economy running. This is a topic that is especially important to me since I work on similar topics and have been a feminist man in a number of fields that are (to varying degrees) still male dominated. I really enjoyed it and am very grateful that the authors took this project on. Most of the rest of this is just some notes I put down while reading.
So few of these leaders set out to work in transportation. There is a diversity and creativity – and randomness – of the "ins" these women found into the world. They came from advocacy, administration, politics, but hardly any planned to be in transportation. I didn’t either, so I love seeing that is a bit of a theme. Most men I think do go in with intention, so it made me wonder what can be done at various levels of education to help change that and get more women and more diverse backgrounds in general involved. Transport is also an industry I have structural problems with – it is very road-first, not very innovative. Pave more lanes, and that will solve the problem -
against all evidence that "you can't pave your way out of a traffic problem." More women is likely to help break us out of this loop.
I took a number of specific and helpful lessons too. Shirley DeLibero picks up on one of my least favorite (but one I often mock) pieces anti-transit rhetoric. She was dealing with people who thought transit would bring crime into their community, and she pointed out “when was the last time you saw somebody on the bus with a television!” LaVerne Francis Reid believes “in what [she calls] servant leadership. Provide opportunities for people to do their best work.” Yes. She also reminds us that “service is the price I pay for the space I occupy on Earth.” This helps me articulate how I want to act as a man in a male-dominated field. I occupy a space here, I want to do my share of service to make up for that and make this field more welcoming to all.
Dana C. Hook points out that early on “I didn’t feel any resistance… I wasn’t a threat. It’s not until you get to be experienced and an equal that you experience more resistance.” I’ve also seen organizations provide good opportunities for young women in junior roles but no path to leadership and few women leaders. We need to do so much better at recognizing women as peers and leaders, and fast-track the most extraordinary women in our field to make the most impact as quickly as possible.
Liz Levin laments, “Women have been following the guys. They learn and follow the rules made up by the guys, e.g. self-promote, be aggressive, find a sponsor, have a big goal… They and the women following them in the pipeline often resign themselves to the idea that ‘That’s just how it is.’” We should let new people bring better ways to do it and remind ourselves of the harm in the words “that’s just how it is.”
The book shows the impact of some organizations I didn’t know exist but will now watch out for. WTS and the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation (BPW ) came up over and over again as critical enablers for the women in this book. And in one story, there was the Simmons School of Management, an “all-women’s, feminist business school.” Organizations really matter, especially for underrepresented groups supporting each other.
I know this book was probably intended mostly for women, but I got a lot out of it too. One more recurring theme was the importance of supportive colleagues, mentors, and supervisors, including men. I’m trying to be part of that change.

---------------------------
52 books in 52 weeks update:
book number: 22 / 52

scorecard (see below):
W: 12/26
NW: 10/26
NA: 10/20
D: 1/5
F: 10
NF: 11

-------
Notes: I'm trying to read 52 books this year. To make sure I'm getting a broad range, I'm tracking some metrics. Open to more if folks have suggestions. My goal is to read books that are:
at least half by women
at least half not by white people
at least 20 by non-americans
at least 5 that I don't think I'll like or agree with going in

I'll also go for about half fiction and half non-fiction

[Alexandra Matri Aiello · Rating 3 out of 5]

I say that if you are a woman working in the transportation field, this is a must read because there's a lot of good career advice here. However, the book is poorly written which is what saddens me. Every interview starts off with "this is her story," and I couldn't help but be reminded of the start of a Law and Order episode. The authors had so many opportunities to be creative with the way they presented the stories, but each one follows the same exact formula which doesn't give these stories justice as these women are very transformative and influential figures within the transportation field. I think that the book is in sore need of a re-write but even with all that said, don't let that stop you from picking it up as I do see myself referring to this book throughout the rest of my career because I think there's a lot to take away from the stories.

[Virginia J. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had the distinct pleasure of meeting many of these women profiled in this book through my involvement in the Transportation industry. I feel very lucky to have heard some speak, been in meetings with some, had lunch with some - never pass up an opportunity to learn from those who have blazed the trail for you.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read for women who work in transportation (or the public sector generally or private engineering firms) to get a sense of the barriers that existed for 18 interesting women, how their challenges were overcome, and what recognizable hurdles are still being faced by women today. The premise of writing a book like this is fantastic.

Despite the great models selected, the book fails to feel like much of a roadmap for career paths since so many stories include lines like "she didn't plan to" or "she never thought she would" which implies that they stumbled into incredible careers rather than pursuing them. This writing style, combined with detailed information about families and children, serves to make each chapter another reminder that we simply wouldn't write mini-biographies of men in a way that sounds anything like this.

As someone working in transportation in the public sector in Boston this book really resonated with me as the featured speakers discussed people and places that are familiar to me, but I'm not at all sure what it would feel like to be reading it without that background.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though some of the stories dragged a bit, this was an inspirational read and definitely something I'd recommend to anyone working in transportation (regardless of gender).