Municipal Leaders: Develop Faster, Lead Stronger, Build Better

The Leader’s Lens

Every week, you’ll get insights and actionable steps to help you navigate personal growth and professional success.

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Episode 376 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

Leadership doesn’t only grow inside City Hall.

Sometimes it grows on a mountain trail, crossing washed-out bridges, climbing over fallen trees, and navigating uncertainty one step at a time.


Episode 374 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

Success in local government is often measured by bigger cities, larger budgets, and more prominent titles. But what if the greatest leadership opportunity isn’t the next step up the ladder? What if it’s the chance to make a lasting difference in the community that shaped you?


Episode 373 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

There are few challenges more difficult in local government than managing rapid growth.

New neighborhoods. New infrastructure. New expectations. New residents. And alongside all of that comes a question every community must answer:

How do you embrace the future without losing what made your community special in the first place?


Episode 371 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

Local government leaders are constantly asked to solve complex problems.

A struggling organizational culture. Aging infrastructure. Workforce shortages. Political division. Public expectations that continue to rise.

The temptation is to jump straight to solutions.


Episode 370 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

Communities don’t become exceptional by accident.

Behind every thriving downtown, every well-maintained park, every new library, and every neighborhood where people feel connected is a team of public servants making thousands of intentional decisions over many years.

Few people understand that better than Brenda Eivens.


Episode 368 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

Few people grow up dreaming of becoming a town manager. Erica LaCroix certainly didn’t.

As a child growing up in rural Maine, she was convinced she’d become a veterinarian. That dream led her to Michigan State University, where she earned a degree in Animal Science with plans to attend veterinary school. But when that door didn’t open, another one did…one she never expected.


Episode 367 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

What if the best career isn’t the one you planned?

That’s the question at the heart of my latest conversation with Garrett Corbin, Town Manager of Carabassett Valley, Maine.


Episode 365 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

Before we dive into Eric Swanson’s remarkable career, it’s worth pausing on the advice that defines both the man and this episode:

“Just keep showing up.”

It sounds almost too simple. But anyone who has spent time in local government knows it may be the hardest leadership lesson to live.


Episode 364 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

When people think about local government, they often think about roads, budgets, permits, or public meetings.

Ken Pulskamp sees something much bigger.

After nearly four decades in local government, including helping build the City of Santa Clarita from its earliest days, Ken believes local government has a far greater purpose.

“We are architects of the good life.”


Episode 362 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

Most leadership stories celebrate the moment someone says “yes” to a promotion. Benjamin Marentette’s story is different. When he was unanimously selected to become the City Manager of Traverse City, Michigan, he turned the job down.

Not because he lacked the qualifications. Not because he didn’t love his community. And not because he didn’t aspire to lead. He simply knew he wasn’t ready. That decision became one of the defining moments of his leadership journey.