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’ve earned the promotions. Built the resume. Gained the respect. Checked all the boxes.
So why does something still feel missing?
This week in the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), we’re exploring David Brooks’ The Second Mountain, a book that puts words to what many accomplished local government leaders are feeling but can’t quite articulate.
Brooks argues we climb two mountains in life. The first mountain is the one society celebrates: career advancement, professional recognition, and personal achievement. And there’s nothing wrong with that mountain. You needed to climb it. The skills you developed matter.
But here’s what Brooks discovered: many people reach the summit of that first mountain, look around, and realize the view isn’t what they expected. They’re successful but not satisfied. Respected but restless. Accomplished but unfulfilled.
The second mountain is different. It’s not about building yourself up; it’s about giving yourself away. Not about independence, but interdependence. Not about chasing happiness through achievement, but cultivating joy through service.
On the first mountain, you ask: What can I achieve? What will people think of me? How do I advance?
On the second mountain, you ask: What am I called to serve? Where am I uniquely positioned to make a difference? What am I willing to give my life to?
Here’s what makes this particularly challenging for you is that you can’t just abandon the first mountain. You’ve got councils to manage, budgets to balance, and performance metrics to hit. The professional demands are real.
But if that’s all there is—if it’s just about managing up, protecting your reputation, and positioning for the next opportunity—you’ll spend your whole career successful but not satisfied.
The question isn’t whether you can escape first-mountain demands. The question is whether you can begin moving in a second-mountain direction while still meeting those demands.
If you’ve been feeling that tension between success and satisfaction, if you’re wondering whether there’s something more meaningful than the next promotion, if you’re ready to explore what genuine fulfillment in public service looks like—this week and the MLDC community is for you.
The first mountain you can climb alone. But the second mountain? You need people roped together with you for that climb.
Join the Municipal Leadership Development Circle today. Daily content that challenges you to grow. A community of local government leaders committed to making their communities thrive. And this week, a journey up the second mountain together.
Because you didn’t get into this work just to build a career. You got into it to make a difference.
Let’s remember why that matters.
The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a professional growth community exclusively for city/county 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.
