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.
Are you a city manager, leader, or HR director feeling overwhelmed by the demands of municipal governance? You’re not alone. The unique challenges of public service can leave even the most dedicated leaders feeling drained and discouraged. But what if there was a way to reignite your passion, energize your team, and transform your city’s operations?
Let’s face it: burnout is the silent epidemic sweeping through city halls across the nation. You’re likely facing:
In our last post, we explored the power of vulnerability in city management. Today, we’re diving into the second skill Brené Brown highlights in “Dare to Lead”: Living into Our Values. In my own leadership journey and now as an executive coach working with city managers, I’ve seen firsthand how clearly defined and consistently applied values can transform leadership and organizational culture. Sadly, I’ve also seen how the values that hang from the wall alongside the mission statement are often mere words, never used to foster a thriving culture or drive desired results.
Brown defines values as “a way of being or believing that we hold most important.” In city management, your values are your north star, guiding decisions and actions even in the stormiest political waters. They’re not just words on a plaque in City Hall; they’re the principles you embody every day, in every interaction and decision.
For a city manager, living into your values might look like:
Welcome to the premiere episode of our new podcast series, “The Municipal Tightrope: Taming the Three-Headed Snake.” In this five-part journey, we’ll be exploring the complex and often overlooked world of city management.
In our inaugural episode, we introduce you to the dedicated professionals who keep our cities running smoothly: America’s city managers. Drawing from interviews with nearly 50 city managers across the United States, this episode offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of municipal leadership.
As city managers, you’re often expected to have all the answers, to be infallible decision-makers steering municipalities through calm and stormy seas alike. But what if I told you that the key to more effective leadership lies not in perfection but in vulnerability? This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s a core principle in Brené Brown’s groundbreaking book, “Dare to Lead.”
Brown defines vulnerability as “the emotion we experience during times of uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.” She argues that far from being a weakness, vulnerability is our most accurate measure of courage. It’s about showing up and being seen, even when there are no guarantees.
In the context of city management, vulnerability might look like:
As we conclude our week-long journey through my top six Patrick Lencioni books for city managers, we arrive at perhaps the most provocatively titled: “Getting Naked.” While the title might raise eyebrows in city hall, the concept of vulnerable leadership it promotes could revolutionize how we approach public service and city management.
In “Getting Naked,” Lencioni advocates for a radical approach to client service based on transparency, vulnerability, and total commitment to the client. For city managers, our “clients” are our citizens, elected officials, and city employees. Let’s explore how Lencioni’s principles can transform our approach to public service.
As we near the end of our week-long exploration of my top six Patrick Lencioni books for city managers, we turn to a challenge that resonates with every public servant: meetings. In “Death by Meeting,” Lencioni offers a provocative and practical approach to transform meetings from energy-sapping obligations into dynamic, inspiring sessions. While his focus wasn’t specifically on government, the principles are remarkably applicable to the unique meeting ecosystem of city management, where we have the opportunity to turn tedious gatherings into catalysts for civic innovation and progress.
As we continue our exploration of my top six Patrick Lencioni books, crafting their insights specifically for city managers, today we turn to “The Ideal Team Player.” While this book wasn’t written with government organizations in mind, its principles offer valuable guidance for building high-performing teams in city management.
Lencioni identifies three essential virtues that make someone an ideal team player: Humble, Hungry, and Smart. Let’s examine each through the lens of city management:
As we continue our week-long exploration of my top six Patrick Lencioni books, crafting their insights specifically for city managers, today we turn to one of his most renowned works, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.” While this book wasn’t written specifically for government organizations, its principles are remarkably applicable to the unique challenges faced by city management teams.
As we continue our week-long exploration of Patrick Lencioni’s insights for city managers, today we turn to one of his most popular works, “The Advantage.” You may notice striking similarities between the core concepts in this book and yesterday’s discussion of “The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive.” This consistency isn’t a coincidence—it’s a powerful reminder of a crucial truth in leadership:
Healthy organizations don’t need constant novelty. They need unwavering commitment to fundamental principles.
In Patrick Lencioni’s “The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive,” he highlights four key disciplines that leaders should prioritize to build a healthy organization. Today, we’ll explore how these obsessions can be applied specifically to the unique challenges and opportunities encountered by city managers.
