The HaltingWinter Podcast

Show Notes: Book of the Week –  The 6 Types of Working Genius Episode 231 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Episode Overview Have you ever wondered why some aspects of your leadership role energize you while others feel like pure drudgery? In this episode, Seth explores Patrick Lencioni's framework from The 6 Types of Working Genius that explains this universal leadership mystery. Discover why your ene...

Show Notes: William "Buzzy" Newman: Succession Without a Script: Handing Over the City You Love Episode 230 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies  and  Zencity Overview What does it look like to lead the city you grew up in and then hand it over to the next generation? In this episode of  The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with William "Buzzy" Newm...

Show Notes: Jason Monroe: Commanding Chaos: What Firefighting Teaches About Leading a City Under Pressure Episode 229 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies  and  Zencity Overview In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Jason Monroe, City Manager of Frankfort, Kentucky. Jason's journey is anything but ordinary, rising from a child...

Show Notes: Book of the Week –  Strengths Based Leadership Episode 228 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Episode Overview In this introductory episode, Seth explores how local government's obsession with well-rounded leaders is actually undermining leadership effectiveness. Drawing from Tom Rath and Barry Conchie's research in "Strengths Based Leadership," Seth challenges the unspoken expectation that...

Show Notes: Doug Schulze: Rich Residents, Poor Revenues: The Reality of Leading Wealthy Cities Episode 227 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Tyler Technologies  and  Zencity Overview What's it really like to manage a city where billionaires live behind gated estates, yet the city budget barely covers the basics? In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with  Doug Schulze , a city...

Show Notes: Andrew Hart: From Embezzlement to Airports: Leading Through Cities, Counties, and Crises Episode 226 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity Overview In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Andrew Hart , Town Manager of Carmel, Maine, whose career has spanned small towns, county government, and decades of lea...

Show Notes: Book of the Week –  Surrounded by Idiots Episode 225 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Episode Overview Ever walked out of a meeting thinking an intelligent colleague completely missed your point? This week, the MLDC is exploring Thomas Erikson's fascinating book "Surrounded by Idiots" and discovering why communication breakdowns aren't about intelligence; they're about fundamentally differ...

Show Notes: Scott Andrews: Leading With Love: How Tragedy, Ambition, and Authenticity Shape Public Service Episode 224 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies and Zencity Overview In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Scott Andrews , County Manager of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, to explore a journey marked by ambition, resilience...

Show Notes: Dylan Ward: From LEGO Sets to City Streets: How Curiosity Built a City Manager Episode 223 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Zencity and Tyler Technologies Overview In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Dylan Ward, City Manager of Henderson, Kentucky. Dylan's path to leadership wasn't planned; it was discovered. What began as a lov...

Show Notes: Book of the Week – How Will You Measure Your Life? Episode 222 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Episode Overview What does real success actually look like in public service? In this episode, Seth explores insights from Clayton Christensen's How Will You Measure Your Life? and why traditional success metrics often leave accomplished local government leaders feeling empty and disconnected fr...

Show Notes: Ryan Pelletier: The View from Both Sides of the Table: Building Trust Between Cities and Counties Episode 221 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Zencity Overview In this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast , Seth Winterhalter sits down with Ryan Pelletier, a leader who has navigated nearly every seat in local government, from small-town manager to county administrator. Wi...

Show Notes: Rick Tonini: When Service Becomes a Lifelong Calling: Leadership, Loss, and Lasting Impact Episode 220 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Zencity Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down for a conversation with a small-town mayor (Rick Tonini; St. Matthews, KY) whose path to leadership started with a neighbor's call to serve — literally. As a kid, he was the g...

Show Notes: Book of the Week –  Principles Episode 219 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Principles  Series) Episode Title: When Principles Trump Politics Episode Overview You're sitting in a heated council meeting where three different factions are pushing completely different budget priorities. The mayor wants visible infrastructure projects for political reasons. Council members are de...

Show Notes: Mike Goodrum: From Cutthroat to Culture-Builder: What Ambition Won't Teach You About Leading People Episode 218 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Zencity Overview Michael Goodrum's rise through local government was fast, relentless, and at times, ruthless. From living in his car outside a community college to becoming City Manager of Sugar Land, Texas, Michael built a rep...

Show Notes: Jeff Meisel-From Embezzlement to Empowerment: Building a City That Trusts Again Episode 217 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Zencity Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Jeff Meisel , City Manager of Bowling Green, Kentucky, for one of the most powerful and transparent leadership conversations to date. Jeff's story isn't polished—it's lived. Born an...

Show Notes: Book of the Week – The Advantage Episode 216 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: The Advantage  Series) Episode Title: Why Smart Cities Still Fail Episode Overview Your organization has hired the best department heads, balanced the budget, implemented cutting-edge technology, and created a strategic plan that reads like a masterpiece. Yet somehow, your city still feels stuck in...

Show Notes: Ed Barrett - No Magic Wand: What It Really Takes to Revive a City Episode 215 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Zencity Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Ed Barrett—retired City Manager of Bangor and Lewiston, Maine—for a masterclass in what long-term, community-centered leadership really looks like. From his early days auditing performance metric...

Show Notes: Boone Bowling-Show Up, Listen, Lead: How to Build Trust from Scratch Episode 214 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Zencity Overview What happens when a 22-year-old with no political background or formal training decides to run for city council? In Middlesboro, Kentucky, it leads to transformation. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Mayor Boone Bowling to ex...

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Unleash the Power of Storytelling Episode 213 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: The Power of Storytelling Series) Episode Title: Why Your Best Data Falls on Deaf Ears Episode Overview Your presentations are packed with compelling statistics, your proposals are backed by bulletproof research, yet council members remain unconvinced and citizens continue to dis...

Show Notes: Steve Dalton: Debt-Free Isn't Growth: Infrastructure, Integrity, and the Impossible Annexation Episode 212 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Zencity Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Steve Dalton , City Administrator of Branson West, Missouri—a small town with 500 residents, million-dollar infrastructure, and a story that defies every assumption a...

Show Notes: Kathy O'Nan: Beyond the Tornado: Presence, Pressure, and the Power of Local Leadership Episode 211 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Zencity Overview In this powerful episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Kathy O'Nan, Mayor of Mayfield, Kentucky, a retired teacher turned public servant whose life was forever changed on December 10, 2021, when a catastrophic EF-4 torna...

Show Notes: Book of the Week – Who Moved My Cheese? Episode 210 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Who Moved My Cheese?  Series) Episode Title: When Change Catches Municipal Leaders Off Guard Episode Overview The federal grant you've relied on for three years just got eliminated. Your most experienced department head announced retirement. The state passed new regulations that completely ch...

Show Notes: Laura Philpot: Vision Over Ego: A Shift from Big Projects to Real Impact Episode 209 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Zencity Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Laura Philpot, City Manager of Maple Valley, Washington, to explore how a career rooted in public works evolved into a leadership philosophy centered on people, not prestige. Laura's journ...

Show Notes: Alan Keck: Leading Like an Entrepreneur: Risk, Resilience, and Reinventing Local Government Episode 208 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by  Zencity Overview In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Alan Keck, Mayor of Somerset, Kentucky, to unpack what happens when you bring an entrepreneurial mindset into City Hall. From a teenage calling into public service to lo...

Show Notes: Book of the Week –  Orbiting the Giant Hairball Episode 207 of The HaltingWinter Podcast (Part 1 of 5: Orbiting the Giant Hairball  Series) Episode Title: When Your City Hall Becomes a Giant Hairball: Breaking Free from Bureaucratic Gravity Episode Overview Your organization is accumulating policies faster than it's eliminating them, and this bureaucratic mass is quietly undermining yo...