Municipal Leaders: Develop Faster, Lead Stronger, Build Better
Every week, you’ll get insights and actionable steps to help you navigate personal growth and professional success.
The federal grant you’ve relied on for three years just got eliminated. Your most experienced department head announced their retirement with two weeks’ notice. New state regulations completely changed how you deliver core services to your community.
Welcome to Summer 2025!
This week, we’re diving into Spencer Johnson’s “Who Moved My Cheese?” – a deceptively simple parable that offers profound insights for municipal leaders navigating the constant change that defines local government.
You might be thinking, “Seth, this is a business book about mice and cheese. What does this have to do with running a city?” But here’s what I’ve discovered working with municipal leaders across North America: the challenges Johnson describes in his story mirror exactly what you face every day as you lead your organization and serve your community.
The book follows four characters in a maze who depend on cheese for survival and happiness. When their cheese disappears, each responds differently. Two mice immediately search for new cheese. Two “littlepeople” resist the change – one gets angry and refuses to move, while the other eventually learns to adapt and venture into unknown parts of the maze.
Municipal leaders face a unique challenge: you must maintain essential community services while adapting to changes that are often beyond your control. Budget constraints, regulatory shifts, staff turnover, community growth, infrastructure demands – the list never ends.
The leaders who thrive during these transitions share three critical characteristics that Johnson illustrates through his characters:
They notice change before it becomes crisis. Like Sniff in the story, effective municipal leaders develop early warning systems. They pay attention to subtle shifts in budget trends, staff behavior, community sentiment, and regional dynamics. When they spot potential changes on the horizon, they begin preparing immediately rather than hoping the change won’t materialize.
They move quickly when change hits. Like Scurry, they distinguish between decisions requiring extensive deliberation and situations where rapid response creates better outcomes than delayed perfection. When state mandates arrive with tight deadlines or unexpected budget cuts demand immediate action, they act decisively with available information rather than getting paralyzed by analysis.
They release attachment to approaches that no longer serve their communities. Like Haw’s journey, they learn to evaluate methods based on current effectiveness rather than historical success. Just because a process worked well in the past doesn’t mean it’s the right solution for current challenges.
This week in the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), we’re not just reading Johnson’s book, we’re translating his insights into practical frameworks for municipal leadership. Our members will explore:
For the first time, we’re offering cities and counties the chance to combine our comprehensive 9-month Leadership Development & Culture Program with full MLDC access for their entire leadership team.
This integrated approach means your leaders don’t just attend monthly workshops – they’re part of an ongoing community of municipal leaders from across North America, receiving weekly content, participating in live discussions, and building peer relationships that extend far beyond any single training program.
Whether you’re dealing with:
This combined program addresses the root causes while building sustainable systems for ongoing growth.
We’re only accepting a select number of municipalities for this integrated program, and enrollment closes at the end of August. The cities and counties already implementing this approach are seeing measurable improvements in leadership confidence, cross-departmental collaboration, and employee engagement.
As David Dillner, City Manager of El Dorado, Kansas, shared: “The weekly conversation guides have transformed our leadership team meetings. We’re having deeper discussions, aligning priorities more effectively, and strengthening accountability across all departments.”
Change is constant in municipal leadership, but your response to change is always a choice. You can resist it, fear it, or embrace it as an opportunity to become more effective at serving your community.
If you’re ready to equip your leadership team with the skills to navigate change skillfully while building a culture that attracts and retains talent, let’s talk about how our combined Leadership Development Program and MLDC access can transform your organization.
Learn more about our integrated Leadership & Culture Program and discover if this approach is right for your municipality. Enrollment is limited and closes August 31st.
The cheese will keep moving. The question is: will your leadership team be ready?
