The HaltingWinter Podcast

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  The One Thing Episode 306 of The HaltingWinter Podcast This week's Municipal Leadership Development Circle Book of the Week is "The One Thing" by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, and it has some unique insights that we'll be translating for effective leadership in local government. How many priorities are you juggling right now? Council demands, staff needs, commun...

Ken Striplin: Culture Is Built, Not Assumed What It Takes to Develop Leaders and Sustain Excellence in Local Government Episode 305 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What does it actually take to build a municipal culture that lasts? Not slogans. Not one-off trainings. Not a new strategic plan every few years. In this episode, Ken Striplin, City Manager of Santa Cl...

Jeff Weckbach: The Conversation That Launched a Career How Exposure and Mentorship Shape the Next Generation of City Managers Episode 304 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What if the future of local government hinges on a single conversation? Before he ever stepped into the Township Administrator's office in Colerain Township, Ohio, Jeff Weckbach was simply a coll...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  Boundaries for Leaders Episode 303 of The HaltingWinter Podcast What if you have more control as a local government leader than you realize? This week in the Municipal Leadership Development Circle, we're exploring "Boundaries for Leaders" by Dr. Henry Cloud, a book that reframes leadership from managing what happens to setting boundaries that create the condit...

Travis Coenen: Leading Where Everyone Knows Your Name Building Systems That Turn Small-Town Pressures Into Sustainable Growth Episode 302 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What does leadership look like when everyone in town knows you and isn't afraid to tell you what they think? In this episode, Seth sits down with Travis Coenen, Village Administrator of Wrightsto...

Brian Heck: Thick Skin, Soft Heart Absorbing Criticism While Building Communities That Last Episode 301 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What does it take to lead in local government for nearly four decades? In this episode, Seth sits down with Brian Heck, City Administrator of Montgomery, Minnesota, who was recently named one of the Top 10 City Administrators for...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  Essentialism Episode 300 of The HaltingWinter Podcast This week inside the Municipal Leadership Development Circle, we're exploring Greg McKeown's "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less," and it will challenge everything you think you know about effective leadership. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter introduces the core concepts from Essentialism and w...

Abbie Ogborn: Leading Before You Feel Ready Growth, Grit, and Guiding a Small City Through Big Change Episode 299 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies Abbie Ogborn didn't set out to become a city manager. She started as a softball umpire in her hometown of Wright City, Missouri. From there, she moved into the parks department, accounts payable, and in February 2020, s...

Craig Honeycutt: Why Compromise Isn't Weakness The Emotional Resilience Required to Lead in Local Government Episode 298 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies After more than three decades in municipal leadership, serving as town manager, city manager, county manager, and ultimately retiring as City Manager of Burlington, North Carolina, Craig Honeycutt has learned som...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  Payoff Episode 297 of The HaltingWinter Podcast You can't compete on salary. Your pay scales are rigid. Your bonus structure is practically nonexistent. If motivation really came down to money, you'd be leading the most demoralized teams in America. Except you're not. This week inside the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC), we're exploring "Payoff:...

Lyndsay Mitchell: From Plans to Progress Building Cities and Preparing the Next Generation of Municipal Leaders Episode 296 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What happens when great plans never turn into real progress? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Lyndsay Mitchell , Director of Strategic Initiatives for the City of...

Jesse Thyes: Built Along the Way How Leaders Emerge Through Experience Episode 295 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies Most municipal leaders didn't start with a clear plan to achieve their current role. They grew into the role through experience, responsibility, and the people who invited them to step forward. In this episode, Jesse Thyes, City Administrator of West...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  The Fearless Organization Episode 294 of The HaltingWinter Podcast When was the last time someone on your team told you something was failing before it became a crisis? This week's MLDC Book of the Week is "The Fearless Organization" by Amy C. Edmondson, and it addresses something every local government leader has felt but couldn't quite name: why your team sta...

Michael Hart: The Power of Being Known How Presence and Visibility Shape Community Identity and Impact Episode 293 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What does leadership look like when everyone knows your name and expects to see you at the grocery store, the park, and the coffee shop? In this episode, Seth sits down with Michael Hart , City Manager of La Junta, Col...

Steve Volkert: Silence Is the Sound of Success Communication, Invisible Impact, and Leading Without Applause Episode 292 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What if the absence of noise is actually the clearest sign that your leadership is working? In this episode, Steve Volkert , City Administrator of Hartford, Wisconsin, reflects on nearly three decades in local go...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less Episode 291 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Charles Darwin changed the world by working only four hours a day. Meanwhile, most city managers are grinding out 60+ hour workweeks while their decision quality deteriorates from exhaustion. This week's MLDC Book of the Week challenges the martyrdom culture in local governm...

Ben Lipps: When Leadership Gets Personal Incivility, Threats, and Staying Steady in Local Government Episode 290 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What happens when leadership stops being theoretical and starts showing up at your door? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Ben Lipps , Town Manager of Cumberland, Indiana, to...

Becky Windt Pearson: Governing at the Edge of the World What Alaska Teaches Us About Leadership, Resilience, and Responsibility Episode 289 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What does leadership look like when your city is the end of the road...literally? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Becky Windt Pearson , City Mana...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  The Burnout Epidemic Episode 288 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Your wellness program isn't fixing burnout, and Jennifer Moss explains why. This week's MLDC book, "The Burnout Epidemic," reveals that burnout isn't a personal problem requiring more yoga and meditation apps. It's an organizational design flaw that local government leaders have the power to fix. In...

Jennifer Bromeland: When Small Cities Carry Big Expectations Collaboration, Communication, and Community Trust Episode 287 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Jennifer Bromeland , City Administrator of Eagle Lake, Minnesota, to explore what leadership really looks like in small cities: wh...

Dennis Champine: Built for the Long Haul How One City Manager Outlasted Politics, Turnover, and Trend-Driven Leadership Episode 286 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What does it take to last in local government when the average city manager tenure is shrinking and the pressure keeps rising? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  Grit Episode 285 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Why do some municipal leaders thrive through decades of service while others burn out or quit internally? This week in the MLDC, Seth Winterhalter is working through Angela Duckworth's "Grit" and finds the answer isn't about intelligence or charisma. It's about something you can actually develop in yourself and your...

Rose Beverly: Holding the Line When a City Is Struggling Financial Strain, Fragile Public Trust, and the Work No One Sees Episode 284 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What does leadership look like when you inherit financial strain, face fragile public trust, and are still expected to keep a city moving forward? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth...

Elvin "EJ" Hardwick: Finding the Call Before the Title Youth Councils, Public Service, and the Making of a Town Manager Episode 283 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What happens when someone discovers their calling before they ever hold the title? In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Elvin "EJ" Hardwick , Town Manager of Somerset, Maryland, and one of...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  Deep Work Episode 282 of The HaltingWinter Podcast This week in the Municipal Leadership Development Circle, Seth Winterhalter breaks down the key insights from Cal Newport's book, Deep Work, and it might be the most important book you read as a local government leader trying to produce impactful work. When was the last time you had three uninterrupted hours to...