Maximizing Impact: Identifying Your Highest Point of Contribution

In our previous post, we explored the power of saying ‘no’ and how it can revolutionize your leadership as a city manager. Today, we’re diving deeper into the concept of Essentialism by focusing on a critical question: What is your highest point of contribution?

The Essence of Contribution

As city managers, you’re tasked with overseeing numerous departments, projects, and initiatives. It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to be everywhere and do everything. However, true leadership isn’t about being all things to all people. It’s about identifying where you can make the most significant impact and focusing your energy there.

Your highest point of contribution is the intersection of your unique skills, your city’s most pressing needs, and the strategic goals that will drive your community forward. It’s where you can add value that no one else can.

Steps to Identify Your Highest Point of Contribution

1. Assess Your Unique Skills and Strengths:
   Take time to reflect on your career. What are you exceptionally good at? Where have you made the most significant impacts in the past? Consider both hard skills (like financial management or urban planning) and soft skills (like conflict resolution or public speaking).
2. Understand Your City’s Most Pressing Needs:
   Every city faces unique challenges. Is your community grappling with economic development issues? Infrastructure concerns? Public safety? Engage with your team, council members, and citizens to gain a comprehensive understanding of the most critical issues.
3. Align Your Abilities with Strategic Goals:
   Review your city’s strategic plan. Where do your strengths align with the long-term vision for your community? This intersection is where you’ll find your highest point of contribution.
4. Leverage the Eisenhower Matrix:
   Remember the Eisenhower Matrix we introduced in our last post? Use it to categorize tasks and responsibilities. Your highest point of contribution will often fall in the “Important, Not Urgent” quadrant – areas that have long-term strategic impact but may not demand immediate attention.

Overcoming Obstacles

Focusing on your highest point of contribution isn’t always easy. You might face resistance from those accustomed to your involvement in every decision. You may struggle with delegating tasks you’ve always handled. Here are some strategies to overcome these obstacles:

• Communicate clearly with your team about your focus areas and why they’re crucial for the city’s success.
• Invest in training and development for your staff, empowering them to take on responsibilities you’re delegating.
• Regularly reassess and adjust your focus areas as your city’s needs evolve.

Real-World Impact

When you analyze and assess your past and present and discover your highest point of contribution, you’ll notice a few key realities:

1. Enhanced Job Satisfaction: Your job becomes far more enjoyable as you give yourself permission to take tasks off your plate and empower others who actually enjoy that specific work and are good at it.
2. Increased Team Ownership: Empowerment creates more ownership, so your team members begin to see their unique role and purpose in achieving the big goals of the organization. When you’re a generalist, everyone looks to you for the answers. When you’re a specialist, everyone feels needed for their skills and contributions.
3. Authentic Leadership: You’ll stop chasing what you think your leadership should look like and start leading authentically in your own shoes. Nothing is better for your personal self and the health of your organization than you being you.

Find your highest point of contribution and lean into it hard, saying no to as much as possible outside of it and yes to more of what you love and are good at. This approach not only benefits you as a leader but also creates a more engaged, empowered, and effective team around you.

Conclusion

Identifying and pursuing your highest point of contribution is a continuous process. It requires self-reflection, strategic thinking, and the courage to focus on what truly matters. By doing so, you’ll not only become a more effective leader but also drive significant, lasting change in your community.

In our next post, we’ll explore how to remove obstacles and distractions, allowing you to spend more time in your areas of highest contribution. Until then, we encourage you to reflect on your unique strengths and how they align with your city’s needs. Where can you make the most significant impact?

Remember, true leadership isn’t about doing everything – it’s about doing the right things exceptionally well.

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Seth Winterhalter is President of HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions, dedicated to making stronger cities through stronger leaders. Through executive coaching, consulting, and the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), HaltingWinter helps city managers and municipal leaders transform their leadership impact and their organizational culture.