Introducing: The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) - Save 50% During Launch Phase

The Leader’s Lens

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

* indicates required
The HaltingWinter Podcast: Monte Walker

Are you quietly questioning whether your employee recognition programs and incentive systems are actually working? You’re not alone. As municipal leaders, many often find themselves implementing the same motivation strategies that have been used for decades – but what if there’s a better way?

In this week’s episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter challenges conventional wisdom about motivation in municipal government, drawing powerful insights from Daniel Pink’s “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.” Through real-world examples and surprising research, we explore why traditional approaches to motivation often backfire in public service – and what actually works.


Imagine: It’s Monday morning, and a city manager is staring at the latest employee engagement survey results. Despite implementing performance bonuses, employee-of-the-month programs, and standardized recognition initiatives, engagement scores remain stagnant. Department heads report increasing difficulty motivating their teams, and the traditional “if-then” rewards aren’t moving the needle on performance or satisfaction.