The HaltingWinter Podcast

Mike Van Milligen: The Four Principles of Lasting Leadership Lessons from 33 Years of Transforming One Community Episode 356 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What does it take to lead a community through decades of meaningful transformation? After 33 years as City Manager of Dubuque, Iowa, Mike Van Milligen has a remarkable answer. During his tenure, Dubuque overc...

Opal Mauldin-Jones: If You Stop Learning, You Stop Leading How Continuous Growth Leads to Lasting Impact Episode 355 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What if the greatest investment you could make in your organization isn't a new strategic plan, technology, or initiative but your own growth as a leader? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhal...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – The Boys in the Boat Episode 354 of The HaltingWinter Podcast This episode continues the MLDC Summer Series, Stories That Shape Leaders , with a deep dive into The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, the true story of the University of Washington's underdog crew team and their improbable run to gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Seth unpacks why this story re...

Jeremy Scott: The Leaders Who Adapt Why Great Public Servants Rarely Follow a Straight Path Episode 353 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies Jeremy Scott's journey to becoming a county administrator was anything but conventional...and that's exactly what makes his leadership story so compelling. In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth sits down with Jeremy...

Tim Ellis: The Communities People Choose Why Quality of Life Is Your Greatest Economic Strategy Episode 350 of  The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What makes people choose one community over another? For Tim Ellis, the answer goes far beyond jobs, taxes, or housing. After four decades in local government—including 15 years as City Manager of Goodlettsville, Tennessee—h...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  Team of Rivals Episode 351 of The HaltingWinter Podcast In 1860, Abraham Lincoln won the Republican nomination over three men who were more experienced, more connected, and more respected than he was...and then handed them the most powerful jobs in his administration. This week on The HaltingWinter Podcast, we're kicking off something special in the MLDC...our...

Sabrina Cotta: The Best Leaders Don't Have All the Answers Why Better Solutions Start on the Frontline Episode 350 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What if the best ideas in your organization aren't sitting in the executive office? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Sabrina Cotta, City Manager of Ashland, Oregon, and Pre...

Shaun Barnett: The Future Won't Build Itself Why Communities Need Visionary Leadership Episode 349 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What does it take to lead a community into the future while honoring the history that built it? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Shaun Barnett, City Manager of Woodward, Oklahoma, to discu...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  Multipliers Episode 348 of The HaltingWinter Podcast What if the biggest performance gap in your organization isn't a budget problem or a staffing problem, but a leadership problem? Specifically, yours? In this episode, Seth works through Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman, a book that draws a sharp line between leaders who a...

Patrick Bryant: Relationships Before Results The Hidden Key to Organizational and Community Success Episode 346 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Patrick Bryant, City Manager in Avondale Estates, Georgia, who shares his journey from growing up in a politically engaged family in Alabama t...

Jeff Niten: Building Beyond Today Why Great Communities Require Long-Term Thinking Episode 346 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Jeff Niten, City Manager of Mountlake Terrace, Washington, to explore what it takes to lead a community with the future in mind. Jeff's journey into local gove...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – No Rules Rules Episode 345 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Most local government organizations have plenty of processes. What they're often missing is trust; the kind that comes from a leader who shares the full picture, creates enough safety that people tell the truth, and has built a team capable of handling both. This week on the HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Wint...

Katelyn Zeits: Beyond the Corner Office How Relationships Transform Organizational Culture Episode 344 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What if transforming organizational culture isn't about policies, strategic plans, or organizational charts, but about relationships? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Katelyn Zeits , C...

Scottie Harris: Calm in the Chaos Leading a Community Through Crisis, Recovery, and Uncertainty Episode 343 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What does leadership look like when the phones stop working, the roads wash away, and an entire community is looking for answers? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Scottie Harris,...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  Primed to Perform Episode 342 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Why do your people come to work? Not what you hope the answer is; the real answer. The motive that actually drives them every day. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter introduces Primed to Perform by Neel Doshi and Lindsay McGregor, this week's book inside the MLDC, and unpacks why local government leader...

Dean Huard: The Second Mission Why Veterans Belong in Local Government Episode 341 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What happens when a military career ends but the desire to serve remains? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with former Army Lieutenant Colonel and former city manager Dean Huard to discuss leadership, purpose,...

Jordan Villwock: The Culture Advantage How Ontario Became America's Top Local Government Workplace Episode 340 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What does it take to build a workplace where people want to stay, grow, and lead? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Jordan Villwock, Deputy City Manager for the City of Ontario,...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  Unreasonable Hospitality Episode 339 of The HaltingWinter Podcast What separates a competent organization from one that people actually trust? It's not efficiency. It's not accuracy. It's not even innovation. According to Will Guidara, former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park (once named the best restaurant in the world), the answer is hospitality . And there's a...

Leonard Hernandez: More Than Books and Buildings How Libraries and Counties Create Community Episode 338 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What do libraries, museums, parks, and county government have in common? Far more than most people realize. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Leonard Hernandez (County Manager in Thurston County, Washington) to e...

Mike Winder: The City Hall People Actually Want to Visit R ethinking Community, Communication, and Civic Trust Episode 337 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What if City Hall became one of the most engaging places in the community instead of one of the most intimidating? In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth sits down with Mike Winder —recently recogn...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week –  An Everyone Culture Episode 336 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Most local government leaders will tell you they're committed to developing their people. And they mean it. But in An Everyone Culture , Harvard researchers Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey make a case that confronts the reality facing most leaders: the way nearly every organization is built — including yo...

Paz Gomez: The Mission Behind Public Works From Navy Engineering to Building Thriving Communities Episode 335 of  The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies During National Public Works Week , we're highlighting the people and stories behind the infrastructure that keeps our communities moving forward every single day. In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterh...

Julie Underwood: Building More Than Infrastructure Why Public Works Must Build People, Not Just Projects Episode 334 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies Julie Underwood's journey into local government leadership is anything but ordinary. Born in Vietnam and raised in the American South, Julie shares how identity, belonging, and resilience shaped both her life and lea...

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Belonging Episode 333 of The HaltingWinter Podcast What if the biggest thing holding your team back has nothing to do with skills, systems, or strategy? In this episode, Seth Winterhalter digs into Belonging by Owen Eastwood, the performance coach behind the England Football team, NATO's Command Group, and the British Olympic team, and why his central argument s...

Kathy Hodgson: When You're Not Ready, But You Lead Anyway The Reality of Growing Into the Role of City Manager Episode 332 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies What happens when you step into the biggest leadership role of your career…and realize you're not ready? In this episode, Kathy Hodgson—longtime City Manager of Lakewood, Colorado—shares the honest story of gro...