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.
If you’ve been in public sector leadership for more than a minute, you know this truth:
It’s not the theory that gets you.
It’s the reality.
The pressure.
The politics.
The public scrutiny.
The impossible expectations.
The loneliness of sitting in a seat where no one fully understands what you carry.
Why Trust Is the Infrastructure Local Government Can’t Afford to Ignore
At HaltingWinter, we believe leadership isn’t just about processes or policies—it’s about people. And when it comes to people, trust is everything.
You didn’t step into municipal leadership to feel stuck, drained, or defined solely by your role. But too often, that’s exactly what happens.
Long hours. Constant crises. Endless expectations. Somewhere in the middle of serving your city, it’s easy to forget that you’re more than a leader—you’re a human being with passions, creativity, and purpose that reaches far beyond the boundaries of city hall.
As a city manager, you’ve felt it before: that moment in a council meeting when the quietest person in the room finally speaks and cuts through hours of circular discussion with unexpected clarity.
In this week’s MLDC book of the week, Susan Cain’s “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking” examines why these moments happen and how municipal leaders can intentionally create more of them. Her work challenges the unspoken assumption that the best ideas come from the loudest voices in the room—a revelation with immediate applications for your council chambers, staff meetings, and community forums.
In the world of municipal leadership, knowledge is crucial – but connection is transformative.
When we launched the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), we knew we wanted to create more than just another professional development program. We envisioned a community where city leaders could grow together, share experiences, and build lasting relationships.
Right now, something extraordinary is happening among municipal leaders across the country. City managers, department heads, and municipal leaders are gathering in a unique digital space, marking the beginning of a transformative journey together.
As you read this, the inaugural members of the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) are:
“I don’t have time for professional development.”
It’s a common refrain among city managers, and understandably so. Between council meetings, community crises, budget challenges, and departmental oversight, finding time for leadership development can feel impossible. But what if the path to transformative growth didn’t require hours of your already-packed schedule?
Picture yourself in your office at city hall on a typical Tuesday morning. Your inbox is overflowing with urgent requests, three department heads are waiting for critical decisions, and the mayor just texted about an emerging community crisis. Meanwhile, you’re trying to maintain focus on the long-term strategic initiatives that will shape your city’s future. Sound familiar?
This is the daily reality for city managers across the country – a complex dance of immediate demands and strategic vision, political navigation and organizational leadership, personal well-being and public service. But what if there was a framework specifically designed to help you not just survive these challenges, but transform them into opportunities for growth and impact?
As we approach the final days of 2024, I’m reminded of Stephen Covey’s profound insight about proactive leaders: “They pick up the phone while others are letting it ring. They act while others are being acted upon.”
This principle has never been more relevant for municipal leaders. In my conversations this week alone, I’ve heard two distinct perspectives:
“I need to wait until the new budget cycle to think about development.”
“I can’t afford another year of reactive leadership.”
One of these leaders will transform their municipality in 2025. The other will be having the same conversation next December.
The decorations are still up, the leftovers are still in the fridge, and that familiar post-Christmas contemplation sets in. As municipal leaders, this quiet moment between Christmas and New Year’s offers us a rare gift – the space to think beyond the urgent and consider the ultimate.
Stephen Covey challenges us to “begin with the end in mind.” But let’s be honest: When was the last time you had the clarity and space to truly envision your leadership legacy?
