Roger Contor – Intelligent Courage
“Successful Courage Is Intelligent Courage.”
Roger Contor grew up on an Idaho ranch near Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone’s calling first drew him into the Park for recreation and then into a 30-year-career that spanned a range of Park Service jobs from janitor to Regional Director.
Along the way, Contor accomplished a few things. Roger reflects on changing land management in an agency comfortable with the status quo.
In His Own Words
“Careers are a long-term process. When disappointment comes your way consider how to achieve your dream in some other way or later in your career. I’ve always remembered Brock Adams’ advice that “….conservation activism is constant pressure endlessly applied.”
My way of doing things is not to worry too much about the bad things that might happen. Spend your time working on progressive things that will work now and in the future and consider risk as an additional thing to manage.
Above all, make a clear-cut decision to either do something or do nothing. Don’t let decisions creep up on you by default. Being clear about when you are willing to show courage on an issue is half the battle you’ll have with yourself.
Then design some way to manage your courageous act. Don’t just let it happen without forethought. Successful courage is intelligent courage.”