Municipal Leaders: Develop Faster, Lead Stronger, Build Better
Leadership development opportunities are abundant. Trusted relationships with people who understand the pressures and unique challenges of municipal leadership are much harder to find.
The MLDC brings municipal leaders together for fresh ideas, meaningful conversations, and trusted relationships with peers who understand the work.
Don’t just learn alongside other leaders. Build deep relationships that multiply your impact.
Join a hand-selected cohort of 8-10 municipal leaders who understand the weight of your responsibilities, share your unique challenges, and are committed to helping one another grow and lead with greater impact throughout the year.
PARTICIPATION INCLUDES:
Ten facilitated 90-minute virtual Mastermind sessions with the same cohort throughout the year, starting in January 2027.
Every session combines:
30 Minutes | LIFE
A confidential check-in on what members are carrying personally and professionally.
60 Minutes | LEADERSHIP
Hot Seats, focused peer problem-solving, and cohort-selected conversations around the challenges members are actually facing.
For leaders who want a trusted group of peers who share a similar context, will challenge their thinking, and help them navigate the complexities of municipal leadership with clarity and confidence.
Applications close October 31st.
The Mastermind Intensive adds an in-person element to the virtual Mastermind experience.
THE INTENSIVE INCLUDES:
• Everything in MLDC MASTERMIND
• A Three-Day Mastermind Intensive | Nashville (location to be determined)
Begin the year together in person, building trust, establishing individual leadership priorities, and identifying the challenges and opportunities you’ll navigate together. [Two nights lodging and meals included.]
• Eight Virtual Mastermind Sessions
Continue the Life + Leadership format throughout the year with the same eight leaders.
• One Night Mastermind Intensive | Philadelphia
Reconnect as the ICMA Annual Conference concludes to debrief, share insights and takeaways, and spend one final in-person experience together. [Lodging and meals included.]
For managers and administrators seeking deeper trust, stronger accountability, and a circle of peers committed to navigating the year together.
Applications close October 31st.
The most important conversations in leadership are rarely the ones someone scheduled a presentation about six months ago.
They’re the decisions sitting on your desk today.
The employee situation you’re trying to navigate.
The council relationship that’s keeping you awake.
The opportunity you’re not sure whether to pursue.
The personal weight of leadership that doesn’t disappear when you leave city hall.
That’s what the Mastermind is built for.
Members bring current challenges, decisions, and opportunities into the room. The cohort asks questions, challenges assumptions, shares relevant experiences and perspectives, and helps each leader determine their own best path forward.
This isn’t about having someone tell you what to do.
It’s about having the right people around you while you figure it out.
If you’re an ICMA Credentialed Manager, you already know that professional development isn’t difficult to find.
Documenting it can be.
For applicable MLDC programming, Credentialed Managers receive clear documentation identifying the activity, professional development hours, format, relevant ICMA Practices for Effective Local Government Leadership, and learning context.
We prepare the documentation. You add your personal learning reflection.
No digging through old agendas.
No reconstructing session descriptions months later.
No trying to determine which ICMA Practices apply.
It’s one more way we’re making MLDC participation practically useful for municipal leaders.
Complete the short Mastermind application and tell us about your role, what you’re navigating in 2027, and what you hope to gain and contribute to a cohort.
Applications close October 31st.
During the first two weeks of November, Seth will personally review applications and intentionally assemble each cohort.
Selected applicants will receive an invitation identifying their Mastermind placement.
You’ll have five days to accept your invitation and complete enrollment. If a seat isn’t accepted, it will be offered to another applicant.
Once cohorts are finalized, you’ll receive your 2027 schedule, onboarding information, and everything you need to begin the year together.
Our goal is to have all 2027 Mastermind cohorts finalized before Thanksgiving.
No. MLDC is open to municipal leaders regardless of ICMA membership or credentialing status.
No. MLDC Membership is open enrollment. Applications are only required for the Mastermind and Mastermind Intensive.
Cohorts are intentionally assembled based on role, fit, perspective, experience, and the potential to create a strong group. They are not filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Consistent participation is essential to building trust within the cohort. Members may miss up to two scheduled Mastermind sessions during the year. Missing more than two may result in removal from the cohort without refund.
Yes. Candid conversation requires trust. Members are expected to maintain the confidentiality of conversations within their cohort.
The $3,500 annual investment includes everything in MLDC Membership, the eight virtual Mastermind sessions, the Nashville in-person experience, the Philadelphia in-person experience, lodging and meals during the in-person experiences.
Participants are responsible for transportation to and from Nashville and Philadelphia.
Applications close October 31st. Cohorts will be assembled during the first two weeks of November, with invitations following shortly thereafter.
Yes. Organizations will be able to pay by invoice/check or credit card. Payment instructions will be provided during enrollment.
