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.
You’ve done everything right.
Competitive salaries. Solid benefits. Regular recognition at staff meetings. Department appreciation events. You even advocated for their budget increases at council.
Yet another resignation letter lands on your desk. The exit interview says the same thing you’ve heard before: “I didn’t feel appreciated.”
You’re frustrated. You’re confused. And honestly? You’re a little angry. Because you do appreciate them. You’ve been showing it. Or so you thought.
Here’s the problem: You’re speaking a language your team doesn’t understand.
Episode 239 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity
What does leadership look like when tragedy strikes?
For Ghida Neukirch, City Manager of Highland Park, Illinois, that question became more than hypothetical on July 4, 2022, when a mass shooting devastated her community during its annual parade.
In Episode 239 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Ghida shares her remarkable journey, from fleeing civil war as a child to leading through one of the darkest days in Highland Park’s history, and the lessons she carries for every city manager and local government leader.
Episode 238 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity and Tyler Technologies
City management is often described in terms of budgets, ordinances, and long-term planning. But those who’ve sat in the chair know the reality is far more volatile: power struggles, political pressure, and crises that erupt with no warning.
In Episode 238 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, we sit down with Lori Curtis Luther, City Manager of Overland Park, Kansas, to hear the unfiltered truth of leading a city when the spotlight turns harsh and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
You prepared thoroughly for the budget meeting. Your analysis was comprehensive, your recommendations sound, your presentation logical. The department heads nodded in agreement.
Then the community activists arrived at the public hearing.
They didn’t want your methodical breakdown of fiscal constraints. They wanted acknowledgment of their concerns. Connection. Urgency. Your analytical approach, the one that works perfectly in administrative settings, now created distance when you needed engagement.
Same leader. Same preparation. Wrong dimensional approach.
Episode 236 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity
Most city managers don’t set out to become city managers. For Lee Feldman, it started as a summer internship and a gopher job in a city manager’s office in North Miami Beach. He had no idea at the time that it would lead to a career spanning four decades, four major cities, and a term as ICMA President.
But Lee’s story isn’t just about longevity. It’s about knowing when to say yes to opportunity…and when to walk away.
Episode 235 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity
Most city managers will tell you they never planned on ending up in their role. For Kiel Mangus, City Manager of Derby, Kansas, that couldn’t be more true. His career began with what was supposed to be a short internship in economic development. On his first day, the director went on maternity leave. Suddenly, Kiel was fielding calls, learning on the fly, and realizing just how much local government shapes everyday life.
You know those mornings when optimism feels impossible. The budget constraints keep tightening. Your best department head just gave notice. Council is questioning your judgment. Community expectations continue rising while your resources keep shrinking.
Some days, keeping your glass half full feels like the hardest part of leadership.
Episode 224 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity and Tyler Technologies
When most people picture a city manager, they imagine someone who came up through planning, finance, or administration. Rarely do they imagine a firefighter.
But for Sean Grayson, City Manager of Nevada City, California, the path to municipal leadership started in a firehouse.
Episode 232 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Zencity and Tyler Technologies
What happens when a leader trades the efficiency-driven pace of private law for the people-centered, transparency-driven reality of local government?
That’s the journey of Regan Bolli. In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Regan shares how a difficult transition from “bottom-line first” to “people first” became the defining shift of his career and the culture of an entire city.
You hired good people. You know they’re capable. So why does your talented team seem disengaged during strategic planning but energized during crisis response?
Why do some council meetings leave you feeling drained while others fuel your enthusiasm for the work? Why does that department head who’s brilliant at operations struggle to build support for new initiatives?
Here’s the breakthrough: It’s not about competence. It’s about alignment.
