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Stoplights, Roundabouts, and Leadership: Navigating the Highways and Backroads of Organizational Life & Leadership
February 4 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CST
This webinar is exclusive to PLAN member libraries, and the recording will be shared on the PLAN Niche Academy within a week of the live event.
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
About the Presenter: 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.
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Please note: If you use assistive technology and the format of any material present within this training site interferes with your ability to access information, please email [email protected]. In your correspondence, please indicate the nature of your accessibility issue, the preferred format in which to receive the material, the online course title, and your contact information.
This project has been funded under the provisions of the Library Cooperative Grant program, which is administered by the Florida Department of State’s Division of Library and Information Services.

