Tora Rocha (City of Oakland)

About this Episode

In this episode Kendall, Rachel, and Tora Rocha discuss:
• Tora’s path from elephant training (for real) to leadership. Shoveling shit.
• New means to get respect in the field in the 1980s as a leader and a young woman
• The creation of her volunteer project at the rose gardens
• More on elephant training as a metaphor for leadership
• How introverts vs extroverts process things differently and how to utilize the skills of both to the best of their ability
• Fishbowl work and what you can learn from it
• You cannot lead by fear, it’s better to lead by example, especially if you are passionate about what you are leading
• Empathy is what is most missing in leadership – if you’re struggling watch Simon Sinek’s videos about leadership. https://www.youtube.com/user/SimonSinek
• It’s hard to do your job if there is no passion or expectations coming down from your leadership. If you don’t know what they are, ask
• Care about your people, utilize them to the best of their abilities
• Lessons from Naomi Kline’s The Shock Doctrine
• Staying connected to the reality of the day to day, and not just focusing on you, as a leader – the importance of avoiding the seduction of power
• The Pollinator Posse and changing the way people look at landscapes

Find Tora at: www.pollinatorposse.org

Special thanks to Mel Stanley for our theme music <3