MLDC Book of the Week: Give and Take

There’s a stat buried in Adam Grant’s research that should make every local government leader pause: the people who perform worst in any organization and the people who perform best are often the same personality type. Not opposites…the same type. What separates them isn’t talent, effort, or even intent. It’s one subtle habit most leaders have never been taught to examine.

This week, MLDC members are spending five days inside Grant’s Give and Take, looking at the research behind why some leaders build networks and trust that compound for years, while others, despite good intentions, quietly burn out or get taken advantage of.

Here’s a taste of what members are working through:

• How to read the people on your team in terms of what they actually expect back from you and why that changes everything about how you delegate, motivate, and build trust
• The difference between the kind of giving that burns leaders out and the kind that sustains a career in public service for decades
• Why a single wrong hire can cost you two to three times more than your best team member ever gives back and exactly what to watch for before you make that hire
• How the strongest regional partnerships and coalitions in local government actually get built, and why it has almost nothing to do with negotiating skill
• The one shift a leader can make at the top of an organization that changes what an entire team believes is safe to do

If you’ve been sitting on the fence about joining the MLDC, this is the moment. Secure your 2027 MLDC membership today and get access to the daily insights, the full book library, and the community of local government leaders doing this work alongside you.

And if you’re ready to go deeper, we’re opening a limited number of seats in our 2027 Mastermind groups, starting in January. These are small, focused cohorts built for leaders who want more than content…they want accountability, direct access to peers facing the same challenges, and real feedback on the problems you’re carrying right now.

Applications for the Mastermind groups close October 31st. Seats are limited, so don’t wait until the deadline to apply.

Learn more and get started at HaltingWinter.com/MLDC.

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), led by Seth Winterhalter, is a community for city and county managers, administrators, and local government leaders who believe leadership shouldn’t be carried alone. Through trusted peer relationships, candid conversations, and practical leadership development, the MLDC creates space for municipal leaders to think differently, grow intentionally, and navigate the challenges of leadership alongside people who understand the weight of the work. Learn more at HaltingWinter.com/MLDC.