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Welcome to the premiere episode of our new podcast series, “The Municipal Tightrope: Taming the Three-Headed Snake.” In this five-part journey, we’ll be exploring the complex and often overlooked world of city management.
In our inaugural episode, we introduce you to the dedicated professionals who keep our cities running smoothly: America’s city managers. Drawing from interviews with nearly 50 city managers across the United States, this episode offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of municipal leadership.
Whether you’re a public servant, a community leader, or simply curious about how your city operates, this episode provides valuable insights into the often-overlooked world of city management.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Have you had experiences with city management in your community? What surprised you about the role of city managers? Share your comments on our LinkedIn page.
Stay tuned for our next episode, where we’ll dive deeper into the specific challenges these city managers face. We’ll explore what happens “When the Snake Strikes” – the conflicts, obstacles, and dilemmas that make city management such a demanding job.
Don’t forget to subscribe to The HaltingWinter Podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform to ensure you don’t miss any episodes in this illuminating series.
Thank you for joining us on this journey through the municipal tightrope. We’ll see you on the streets and in the byways!
As city managers, you’re often expected to have all the answers, to be infallible decision-makers steering municipalities through calm and stormy seas alike. But what if I told you that the key to more effective leadership lies not in perfection but in vulnerability? This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s a core principle in Brené Brown’s groundbreaking book, “Dare to Lead.”
Brown defines vulnerability as “the emotion we experience during times of uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.” She argues that far from being a weakness, vulnerability is our most accurate measure of courage. It’s about showing up and being seen, even when there are no guarantees.
In the context of city management, vulnerability might look like:
As we conclude our week-long journey through my top six Patrick Lencioni books for city managers, we arrive at perhaps the most provocatively titled: “Getting Naked.” While the title might raise eyebrows in city hall, the concept of vulnerable leadership it promotes could revolutionize how we approach public service and city management.
In “Getting Naked,” Lencioni advocates for a radical approach to client service based on transparency, vulnerability, and total commitment to the client. For city managers, our “clients” are our citizens, elected officials, and city employees. Let’s explore how Lencioni’s principles can transform our approach to public service.
Lencioni identifies three fears that prevent us from being vulnerable. Let’s examine each in the context of city management:
As we near the end of our week-long exploration of my top six Patrick Lencioni books for city managers, we turn to a challenge that resonates with every public servant: meetings. In “Death by Meeting,” Lencioni offers a provocative and practical approach to transform meetings from energy-sapping obligations into dynamic, inspiring sessions. While his focus wasn’t specifically on government, the principles are remarkably applicable to the unique meeting ecosystem of city management, where we have the opportunity to turn tedious gatherings into catalysts for civic innovation and progress.
In city management, meetings are not just internal affairs. They range from staff gatherings to public council sessions, from stakeholder consultations to inter-departmental collaborations. Each type comes with its own set of challenges:
As we continue our exploration of my top six Patrick Lencioni books, crafting their insights specifically for city managers, today we turn to “The Ideal Team Player.” While this book wasn’t written with government organizations in mind, its principles offer valuable guidance for building high-performing teams in city management.
Lencioni identifies three essential virtues that make someone an ideal team player: Humble, Hungry, and Smart. Let’s examine each through the lens of city management:
As we continue our week-long exploration of my top six Patrick Lencioni books, crafting their insights specifically for city managers, today we turn to one of his most renowned works, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.” While this book wasn’t written specifically for government organizations, its principles are remarkably applicable to the unique challenges faced by city management teams.
Lencioni identifies five interrelated dysfunctions that can undermine even the most talented teams. Let’s examine each through the lens of city management:
As we continue our week-long exploration of Patrick Lencioni’s insights for city managers, today we turn to one of his most popular works, “The Advantage.” You may notice striking similarities between the core concepts in this book and yesterday’s discussion of “The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive.” This consistency isn’t a coincidence—it’s a powerful reminder of a crucial truth in leadership:
Healthy organizations don’t need constant novelty. They need unwavering commitment to fundamental principles.
In Patrick Lencioni’s “The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive,” he highlights four key disciplines that leaders should prioritize to build a healthy organization. Today, we’ll explore how these obsessions can be applied specifically to the unique challenges and opportunities encountered by city managers.
At City Hall, where each day brings new challenges and unexpected turns, establishing the right routines as a key leader can be a game-changer in moving from stagnation and frustration to accomplishment and achievement. In an environment where adaptability is crucial, well-designed routines provide a stable framework for navigating constant change. The authors of “Peak Performance” (our book of focus this week) emphasize that routines and rituals are crucial for maintaining high performance over any extended time. However, in a bureaucratic environment like city government, it’s critical to distinguish between routines that drive progress and those that lead to stagnation and frustration. Let’s explore how to create routines that foster innovation and effectiveness in the complex world of city management.
Passionate city leaders are the heartbeat of thriving communities. Safeguarding this passion is not just personal—it’s a civic responsibility. As leaders tasked with guiding our cities through complex challenges, we must recognize that our effectiveness is directly tied to our well-being. The authors of “Peak Performance” emphasize that sustainable high performance requires a delicate balance between stress and recovery. Let’s explore how city leaders can apply these principles to prevent burnout and maintain their effectiveness.
