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.
This week in the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), we’re exploring “The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It” by Jennifer Moss. And if you’re a city manager, county administrator, or department head watching your best people burn out despite every wellness initiative you’ve tried, this book is going to challenge everything you thought you knew.
You’ve seen it happen.
The brilliant new hire with impressive credentials struggles after six months. The long-serving employee who started at the bottom is now solving problems no one else can touch.
Council rejects a proposal you’ve worked on for years. Some leaders mentally draft resignation letters. Others start thinking about how to approach it differently next time.
How do you explain the difference?
You know that comprehensive plan your council wants? The one you’ve had on your calendar for six weeks? Still not done.
That organizational restructure that would actually solve your capacity problems? Still in draft form.
The performance system redesign your department desperately needs? Still on the “someday” list.
It’s not because you’re lazy. It’s not because you don’t care. It’s because you’re trying to do deep, strategic work in an environment designed for constant distraction.
When’s the last time you made a decision you regretted?
Not a catastrophic mistake. Just something where you looked back later and thought, “If I’d had ten more minutes to think about that, I would’ve handled it differently.”
Now ask yourself: Were you hurrying when you made it?
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.
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?
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.
You’re sitting in your office. It’s 7 PM. The budget still doesn’t balance. Your phone has three unread texts from a council member who’s “just checking in.” The community meeting from earlier today is still replaying in your head and not in a good way.
And you’re thinking: “How did I end up here?”
You know that moment. The one you don’t talk about at staff meetings or mention at conferences.
You’re sitting in your office after the council meeting where everything went sideways. Or you’re in your car at 7 p.m., staring at the steering wheel, wondering why you’re still doing this. Or you’re lying awake at 2 a.m., replaying the public hearing where residents blamed you for problems you didn’t create and can’t solve alone.
And the question surfaces: “Why am I doing this?”
You spent three months developing the strategic plan. Every department contributed. The data was solid. The analysis was thorough. The recommendation was sound.
You walked into the council meeting prepared and confident.
