Municipal Leaders: Develop Faster, Lead Stronger, Build Better
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Episode 383 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies
There’s a strange pressure that comes with leadership. The higher you move in an organization, the more people assume you should know.
Know the budget. Know the regulations. Know development. Know public works. Know what to do when something completely unexpected lands on your desk.
But what if one of the most important things a leader can say is: “Teach me how this works.”
That idea kept surfacing during my conversation with David G. Brown II, Township Manager for the Township of Ocean, New Jersey, in Episode 383 of The HaltingWinter Podcast.
David’s career has taken him through economic development, redevelopment, public works, municipal administration, major construction projects, and community leadership.
He didn’t know everything walking into each opportunity.
He got curious. He learned. And he added what he learned to the toolbox.
At one point, David found himself helping lead the project that would eventually become Newark’s Prudential Center, working alongside construction managers, engineers, architects, government officials, and private-sector partners.
He wasn’t the expert in all of those areas. He didn’t need to be.
He needed to understand how the pieces worked together. The experience ultimately gave him a skill he didn’t even realize he had: project management.
That’s the pattern throughout David’s career: Get curious. Learn. Apply. Repeat.
And it leads to another important lesson: stop obsessing over whether the next job perfectly fits your career plan. Ask what it can add to your leadership toolbox.
Careers rarely unfold in a straight line. Sometimes the experience that looks like a detour is preparing you for a responsibility you can’t see yet.
David’s journey even includes losing an administrator position amid political change, only to be invited back years later.
The mayor who fired him was the mayor who hired him back.
You can’t always control how a chapter ends. You can control how you conduct yourself when it does.
Stay curious. Build the toolbox. Trust the process.
My full conversation with David G. Brown II is available now.
Watch the full conversation on YouTube or listen to the audio version below.
This episode is sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the leader in empowering the public sector with software solutions that connect data, streamline operations, and improve service delivery. From AI to budgeting solutions, Tyler helps local governments build stronger, more resilient communities. Learn more at tylertech.com/winter →
The MLDC is where local government leaders go to grow, together. It’s the fastest-growing leadership development community designed specifically for the public sector, now paired with a comprehensive 9-month Leadership & Culture Program for those ready to elevate their leadership and their organization. Learn more at haltingwinter.com/mldc →
The HaltingWinter Podcast shines a spotlight on the people behind our cities and counties. Through candid conversations with local government leaders from across the nation, host Seth Winterhalter explores the journeys, challenges, and ideas shaping stronger communities while inspiring the next generation of public servants.
