Introducing: The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) - Save 50% During Launch Phase

The Leader’s Lens

Every week, you’ll get insights and actionable steps to help you navigate personal growth and professional success.

* indicates required

Hello, Impactful City Leaders!

Welcome to this week’s edition of “The Leader’s Lens!” Drawing from Roger Connors and Tom Smith’s groundbreaking work “Change the Culture, Change the Game,” we’ve explored how beliefs shape actions and drive results in municipal organizations. This week’s insights reveal why most cultural transformations fail – and more importantly, how to ensure yours succeeds.

BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL: Invest in Your Leadership Journey

Finding time for leadership development is challenging enough. Creating an actual game plan that drives real growth? That can feel impossible.

That’s why as a Black Friday special (only available Nov 29-Dec 1), I’m offering:

  • 50% off MLDC annual membership
  • Complimentary 1:1 executive coaching session to create your 2025 development roadmap
  • Weekly curated leadership insights (25-min digestible format)
  • Implementation tools for immediate impact
  • Virtual meetups with fellow municipal leaders

Stop piecing together your development plan alone. Let’s create a structured path to make 2025 your breakthrough year.

Use Coupon Code “BlackFriday” at checkout: SAVE NOW!

To learn more about the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), go here.

A SEASON OF GRATITUDE

In local government, recognition often comes in the form of complaints rather than praise. The water system works perfectly for years – silence. One day of issues – instant feedback. Yet the dedication of municipal employees continues, ensuring our communities thrive through their often unseen efforts.

This Thanksgiving season, I challenge you to be intentional about expressing gratitude. Take time to specifically thank your team members for their contributions. Whether it’s the water treatment operator ensuring safe drinking water, the maintenance crew keeping our streets clean, or the permit specialist helping businesses grow – every role matters.

Remember: gratitude isn’t just about feeling thankful – it’s about expressing it. Your words of appreciation might be the encouragement that helps someone persevere through their next challenge.

NEW ON THE PODCAST

Episode 120: Breaking Free from “We’ve Always Done It This Way”

Discover why changing your culture might be the most important thing you do this year. We explore:

  • Why most cultural changes fail in municipal government
  • How beliefs shape organizational results
  • Creating sustainable cultural transformation

Episode 121: From Banking to Breakthrough Leadership with Brooks Williams

Meet the City Manager who transformed “the town where everyone hates each other” into a high-performing organization. Hear about:

  • Creating radical transparency in local government
  • Building high-performance expectations in municipal organizations
  • Protecting boundaries while maintaining excellence

The last part of the podcast features a few snippets from Brooks’ new book, “Rising to Serve: Reimagining Public Administration for a New Era” which you can purchase at this link.

THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG: TRANSFORMING MUNICIPAL CULTURE

Drawing insights from the book, “Change the Culture, Change the Game,” we’ve explored how to create lasting cultural transformation in municipal organizations:

Monday: Transforming Municipal Culture: Beyond the Status Quo
Success Understanding the key challenges facing cultural transformation

Tuesday: The Results Pyramid: Transforming Leadership from the Inside Out
How beliefs drive actions and create organizational results

Wednesday: Cultural Beliefs and Leadership
The critical role of leadership in shaping and sustaining cultural beliefs

Thursday: Sustainable Culture Transformation
Building changes that last through political transitions and budget cycles

Friday: From Insight to Impact
Practical steps for implementing cultural transformation

A PERSONAL NOTE

This week’s exploration of cultural transformation reminds me why I’m passionate about municipal leadership. Every city has the potential for excellence – it’s the beliefs we hold that often limit what’s possible. Brooks Williams’ story proves that even the most challenging cultures can be transformed through authentic leadership and consistent action.

LOOKING AHEAD

Next week, we’re diving into “Burnout” by Emily and Amelia Nagoski as we take the month of December to focus on the B of my ABCs of Impactful Leadership framework: Personal Well-Being. In the week ahead we’ll explore:

  • Understanding the stress cycle in municipal leadership
  • Practical strategies for sustainable leadership
  • Building organizational resilience
  • Creating cultures that prevent burnout

P.S. Connect with me on LinkedIn to receive this content and engage in the comments!


Seth Winterhalter is President of HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions and creator of the ABCs of Impactful Leadership framework. Through executive coaching, results-based consulting, and the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), he helps city managers transform their organizational cultures to create lasting, meaningful impact in their communities.