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.
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?”
Marcus Aurelius asked himself the same question. Except his office was a military tent on the Roman frontier, and instead of budget spreadsheets, he was dealing with plague, war, and senators who’d literally stab him in the back.
Here’s what most people don’t know: Marcus didn’t want to be emperor. He was a philosopher. He wanted to read, think, and teach. But when his adoptive father chose him as successor, Marcus did what you do every day; he showed up and did the job anyway.
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius isn’t a leadership book in the traditional sense. It was never meant to be published. It’s Marcus’ personal journal, written during military campaigns, reminding himself how to lead when everything feels impossible.
Think about that. The most influential leadership book in history is basically someone’s private notes to himself about how to get through another day of overwhelming responsibility.
This week in the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), we’re diving into Meditations. And before you think “ancient philosophy isn’t relevant to my Tuesday afternoon,” let me tell you why this book matters more now than ever.
Marcus Aurelius faced circumstances you’ll never face. Wars. Plague. Political plots. Life-and-death decisions.
But he also faced circumstances you face every single day:
People who made his job harder. Officials who were incompetent or corrupt. Impossible expectations with inadequate resources. Pressure from every direction. The loneliness of leadership. The exhaustion of constant crisis management.
And here’s what he figured out: You can’t control what happens to you. But you absolutely can control how you respond.
That’s not philosophical theory. That’s practical survival strategy for anyone leading in difficult conditions.
The council votes down your recommendation? Can’t control that. But you can control whether you spend the next week bitter and defensive, or whether you regroup and find another path forward.
The community shows up angry at a public hearing? Can’t control that. But you can control whether you listen with genuine respect or just count the minutes until it’s over.
Your best department head gives two weeks’ notice? Can’t control that. But you can control how you support the transition and what kind of leader you are during uncertainty.
Marcus wrote: “You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
Meditations answers the question every local government leader asks during difficult moments: How do I stay effective when I can’t control what’s happening around me?
Marcus Aurelius led the Roman Empire for nearly 20 years during some of its most difficult times. He didn’t burn out. He didn’t become cynical. He didn’t abandon his commitment to doing good work.
Not because circumstances were easy. Because he had a daily practice that kept him centered. Because he focused on what he could control. Because he chose to lead with excellence regardless of circumstances.
You face similar choices every day. Not with the fate of an empire at stake, but with real consequences for your organization and community.
The technical skills aren’t usually the problem. You know how to do the job. The challenge is doing it sustainably—without burning out, without becoming cynical, without losing sight of why you chose public service in the first place.
That’s what this week is about.
If you’re already a member of the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), this week’s content started this morning. You’ll receive daily blog posts, podcast episodes, and discussion materials exploring how ancient wisdom applies to modern leadership challenges.
If you’re not yet a member, this is the perfect week to join. Because honestly—if you’re feeling overwhelmed by things you can’t control, exhausted by difficult people, or wondering if you can sustain this pace much longer, Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations for you.
He just happened to write it 2,000 years ago in a language you don’t speak while running an empire you’ve only read about in history books.
But the pressure? The difficult people? The weight of responsibility? The choice between becoming bitter or staying committed to good work?
That’s exactly the same.
And the insights that helped him lead effectively for two decades can help you lead more effectively starting Monday.
Join the Municipal Leadership Development Circle today and discover how an emperor who didn’t want the job became one of history’s greatest leaders and how you can apply the same principles to your leadership challenges right now.
The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a professional growth community exclusively for city managers, administrators, and local government leaders. Each week, we explore insights from transformative books and apply them specifically to the unique challenges of municipal leadership. Join Seth Winterhalter, President of HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions, and leaders from across North America to build stronger cities through stronger leaders. Learn more at HaltingWinter.com/MLDC.
