Daniel Brooks
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“I’ll tell you,” said Daniel Brooks, “not every ‘opportunity’ was what I ‘wanted’ to do, but looking back, is what the team needed from me at that time. So, I seized the opportunity to learn, grow and look for ways to continuously contribute at a high level.” He is most proud of his breadth of experiences that span multiple functions and leading interdepartmental teams. To be a successful leader requires the courage to stay humble in decision-making, but also the courage to know when a decision must be made and make it.
What qualities do you think are necessary to be a good leader in the oil and gas industry?
Transparency, clarity, courage, integrity, awareness and an honest business-minded approach come to mind.
It is critical to maintain transparency within the organization, which aligns back to the values of the organization—we should all know with crystal clarity where we are headed, why we are headed in that direction, and what is the ultimate objective or ultimate measure of success.
I believe a good leader in our industry also exhibits courage—the courage to speak up and support not only the collective/easy-to-follow ideologies but to also have the courage to hear the counter-narrative/story. Also, courage to do the right thing right. Finally, courage to stay humble in decision making—hear other perspectives, learn from one another and collectively find the best/most efficient way forward—and to know when a decision must be made, make it and drive forward.
Integrity, as I’ve heard Alan Simpson, former senator of Wyoming, say, “With integrity, nothing else matters; without integrity, nothing else matters.”
From an awareness perspective, it is crucial to understand how the business is breathing—understanding the “heartbeat” of the organization. I think that also blends into understanding the team’s needs/wants/attitude in daily tasks—then, critically, taking action to ensure those are addressed. From an external perspective, that means staying aware of not only our industry but also the macro-level economy, political scene and world events.
Honest approach to the business means let’s look hard at ourselves and stay honest to each and every decision or step in the journey. If we may have strayed, we call ourselves on it and correct. Externally, that means staying honest in our efforts to be good stewards of the communities in which we operate, and maintaining good relationships—not simply because that is right, but because that is the only way to do things as a community.
What professional and/or personal advice would you give other young professionals in the industry?
Patience without being complacent. I would also say, stay eager in learning, whether that is graduate-type course work, professional development material, etc., but enjoy learning, or find a way to enjoy learning. Have a sincere passion for learning the organization—learning what and how the team operates, why they operate that way, and how we can be better team members.
Take a look at the rest of the Forty Under 40 2024 winners.
