BROADCASTS.com

b'

\\u201cI like to tell [students] you\\u2019ll never know what you\\u2019re capable of until you try.\\u201d

\\u201cThe future is whatever they want it to be. And there is nothing that should stop them from getting there.\\u201d

--Mike Black

Mike Black, Oglala Sioux, is the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Mike\\u2019s story is a great example of what happens when you combine experience, skills, and mentorship. On their own, each is a valuable asset. But they may not be enough individually to propel your career to the highest level. Combined, they are powerful.

Mike Black was born in Flandreau, South Dakota and grew up in Aberdeen, South Dakota. As a kid, Mike enjoyed school and sports. Math came easy to him, so it\\u2019s no surprise that he attended the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Several friends from Aberdeen also attended the school, providing a critical peer support group.

After college, Mike wanted to return to Aberdeen. The BIA was hiring a mechanical engineer so it worked out well for him to take this position. But Mike\\u2019s path wasn\\u2019t a straight line to the Director\\u2019s chair. He started as a \\u201cGS-5.\\u201d The \\u201cGS\\u201d scale is how the government determines pay for employees. To provide perspective, the GS schedule goes to 15. So Mike started in the bottom third of pay. Maybe, despite the pay, Mike had some amazing work, right? Wrong. Mike spent the first several months printing blueprints. Mike learned the lesson that even though he was full of energy and had a degree, he had to learn the ropes before getting to work.

But along the way, the same supervisor who put him on the printer also allowed Mike to ask questions. He was able to learn about the more substantive hands-on work. He learned not only the nuance of the trade but how to operate within BIA. He also learned humility. Mike embraced those lessons and kept them close as he rose through the BIA. To hear how he did it, listen to part 1 of Lakota Voices.

In this episode we discuss:

\\n
• The tradeoffs for a college student to do doing manual labor jobs vs. internships during summer break.
\\n
• The role of mentors in professional development.
\\n
• Who can be a mentor (hint: EVERYONE).
\\n
• How being told \\u201cno one is irreplaceable\\u201d was some of the best advice he ever received.
\\n
• How important it is to push your comfort zone.
\\n
• Balancing personal life and career development. Rarely do either of these subjects care about the other when presenting opportunities or challenges.
\\n
• One of Mike\\u2019s critical growth moments that involved balancing a significant personal situation (divorce) and moving to another state for a promotion.
\\n
• Challenges and opportunities are often the same thing.
\\n

This is part 1 of a series called Lakota Voices.

For more episodes, subscribe to iTunes or Stitcher or visit NextGen Native to get all previous episodes.