Introducing: The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) - Save 50% During Launch Phase
Every week, you’ll get insights and actionable steps to help you navigate personal growth and professional success.
I’m thrilled to kick off this week’s deep dive into a game-changing book that has the potential to revolutionize how you lead your teams and serve your communities.
We’re going to explore “Strengths Based Leadership” by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie, a powerful resource that aligns perfectly with the ‘A’ (Awareness) in my ABCs of Impactful Leadership framework. But don’t worry if you haven’t read it yet – I’ll be your guide through its most crucial insights and how they apply to your unique role as a city manager.
Picture this: It’s Monday morning, and you’re faced with a mountain of tasks. Budget reviews, infrastructure projects, community complaints, and a looming council meeting. The typical juggling act of a city manager. Now, imagine approaching these challenges not from a place of stress, but from a position of strength – your strengths, your team’s strengths, and the collective strengths of your entire municipal organization.
That’s the transformative promise of strengths-based leadership. It’s not about fixing weaknesses or being a jack-of-all-trades. It’s about recognizing and leveraging the unique talents that you and your team bring to the table.
Rath and Conchie’s research, backed by Gallup’s extensive studies, reveals three key elements of strength-based leadership:
As city managers, you’re not just administrators – you’re visionaries, problem-solvers, and community builders. Imagine the impact when you align your natural talents with these crucial roles.
Here’s where the ‘A’ for Awareness in our ABC framework comes into play. Strengths-based leadership starts with self-awareness. It’s about truly understanding what you naturally do best.
Are you a strategic thinker who can navigate complex policy issues? A relationship builder who can bring diverse community groups together? Or perhaps an executor who turns plans into tangible results?
Recognizing your strengths isn’t about ego – it’s about effectiveness. It’s the first step in assembling a diverse, complementary team that can tackle any challenge your city faces.
Over the next few days, we’ll dive deeper into how strengths-based leadership can transform your approach to:
As we embark on this exploration, I want you to start thinking: What do you believe are your top strengths as a leader? How do these strengths show up in your day-to-day work as a city manager?
Share your thoughts in the comments of this blog post on my LinkedIn page. Let’s start a conversation about the unique strengths that drive effective municipal leadership.
And don’t forget – this is just the beginning. To ensure you don’t miss any of these crucial insights, subscribe to our weekly newsletter, “The Leader’s Lens,” and tune into our podcast. Your journey to more impactful, strengths-based leadership starts now.
Together, let’s build stronger cities by building stronger leaders. See you tomorrow as we dive deeper into the power of self-awareness in strengths-based leadership!
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.
