Podcasts

Season 3 | Young Professionals in Forestry and Natural Resources | Episode 21

#56 | Winning isn’t everything but wanting to win is

December 28, 2017 | Brandon Bal

Brandon Bal is an Area Manager for American Forest Management (AFM) in Houghton, Michigan, near where earned his B.S. in forestry at Michigan Tech. Brandon leveraged some of AFM’s programs and was able to further his education online while he was still working. On the show, Brandon explains the benefits of advancing your education online, how to manage and work with more veteran foresters, and the leadership lessons he’s learned from work and one his favorite reads, Band of Brothers. He adds on this program, “As long as we’re striving for the same goal, we will always be successful.”

Key Takeaways:

[:55] A message from Leadership Nature.

[1:35] A quick intro about Brandon’s background.

[3:00] How did Brandon become interested in forestry?

[6;40] While Brandon has been with American Forest Management (AFM), he was able to take advantage of furthering his education online.

[8:15] What has been the most fun about Brandon’s career so far?

[9:45] Brandon discusses how the most challenging thing that he’s had to face in his career was one of his staff members committing suicide.

[11:30] What kind of leadership lessons has Brandon learned along the way?

[18:00] Getting good at communication is the hardest thing to do, but it’s by far the most important.

[19:00] What kind of mentors has Brandon had over the years?

[21:10] What advice does Brandon have for young professionals?

[23:05] Brandon has had some set backs in his career. What did he learn from these?

[24:45] Where does Brandon see the forestry profession going in the next few years?

[27:15] Brandon recommends reading Band of Brothers for leadership lessons.

Mentioned in This Episode:
www.Americanforestmanagement.com
Brandon on LinkedIn
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose
www.LeadershipNature.com