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.
Episode 277 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
City management isn’t about control.
It’s about stewardship: showing up day after day to lead through uncertainty, pressure, and moments that don’t wait for permission.
In Episode 277 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Andy Pederson, Village Manager of Bayside, Wisconsin, and President-Elect of ICMA, to explore a leadership journey shaped by longevity, service, and a deep sense of calling.
Every January, leaders feel the pressure to “get balanced.”
New routines.
New habits.
New expectations.
But if you lead in local government, you already know the truth: the work doesn’t slow down because the calendar flips. The weight doesn’t disappear because intentions are good. And balance, at least the way it’s been sold, has never quite fit the reality you live in.
Episode 275 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
Municipal leadership has a way of convincing people they’re supposed to carry it all by themselves.
The pressure doesn’t shut off.
The criticism doesn’t always make sense.
And the responsibility—financial, organizational, human—never really leaves your shoulders.
A Reconnect with David Cameron on Mental Health and Municipal Leadership
Episode 274 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
Some leadership stories deserve to be revisited, not because they were successful, but because they were honest.
David Cameron was the very first full-length local government leader interviewed on The HaltingWinter Podcast (Episode 107). At the time, he was City Administrator in Republic, Missouri. Today, he serves as City Manager of Springfield, Missouri, leading a city of more than 170,000 residents and a workforce of over 2,200 employees.
In this Reconnect episode, David and host Seth Winterhalter sit down for a candid conversation before replaying the original interview, one that goes deeper into the reality many leaders quietly live with.
Some leadership decisions only make sense years down the road.
Unfortunately, the criticism shows up immediately.
In Episode 273 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, I reconnect with Bret Prebula, City Manager of Suisun City, California, before replaying one of the most impactful conversations we’ve ever shared on the show.
The future of local government won’t be shaped by policy alone. It will be shaped by people and by whether the next generation sees city management as a calling worth stepping into.
In Episode 272 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth sits down with Max Fisher, an MPA student and Assistant to the City Manager’s Office in Levelland, Texas, whose journey into local government offers a powerful mirror for today’s leaders.
You know that situation you’re facing right now? The one that feels impossible?
What if the problem isn’t the situation itself, but the story you’re telling yourself about it?
Episode 270 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
Every so often, someone enters the local government arena who refuses to accept the quiet limitations we’ve all inherited—constraints around risk, innovation, culture, and what a “small city” is allowed to become.
Intashan Chowdhury is one of those leaders.
Episode 269 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
Most people outside city hall never see the tension local government leaders carry. They don’t see the governance dynamics behind the scenes, the pressure to deliver services with limited resources, the weight of decisions that shape lives and neighborhoods for decades.
But every so often, a conversation cuts through the noise and reminds us what this work is really about.
Episode 269 is one of those conversations.
You’ve earned the promotions. Built the resume. Gained the respect. Checked all the boxes.
So why does something still feel missing?
This week in the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), we’re exploring David Brooks’ The Second Mountain, a book that puts words to what many accomplished local government leaders are feeling but can’t quite articulate.
