Abbie Ogborn: Leading Before You Feel ReadyGrowth, Grit, and Guiding a Small City Through Big Change

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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, she was sworn in as the City Clerk.

Three weeks later, City Hall shut its doors.

In this episode, Abbie shares what it was like to step into leadership just before the pandemic and how the crisis accelerated modernization, strengthened regional partnerships, and reshaped how her city serves its residents.

Now serving as both City Manager and City Clerk, Abbie is helping guide Wright City through one of the most significant growth seasons in its history. With nearly 1,900 residential units approved and major infrastructure changes underway, including the expansion of Interstate 70, the pressure to plan well, protect identity, and prepare for the future is right in front of her.

This is a conversation about stepping up when the opportunity arrives, even if you don't feel completely prepared.

It's about learning fast. Listening well. And building a city that can carry its future.

If you lead in local government, especially in a growing community, this episode will feel familiar and encouraging.

Sponsored by:

• Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

• The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

Craig Honeycutt: Why Compromise Isn't WeaknessThe Emotional Resilience Required to Lead in Local Government

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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 something many leaders only discover the hard way:

Compromise is not weakness. And criticism is rarely personal.

In this conversation, Craig reflects on a career built from the ground up, starting in small communities, learning operations firsthand, navigating political transitions, leading through natural disasters, and managing in an increasingly polarized climate.

He shares why local government is truly the infrastructure of daily life…why young leaders should start small and "do everything," and why emotional resilience is the defining trait of successful managers today.

This episode is a masterclass in steady leadership, especially in a time when incivility and polarization are testing public servants across the country.

Sponsored by:

• Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

• The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – PayoffEpisode 297 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

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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: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations" by Dan Ariely, and what we're discovering is going to change how you think about motivation in your organization.

Dan Ariely is a behavioral economist at Duke University who has spent years running experiments on what actually motivates people. His research proves something revolutionary: we've been completely wrong about motivation. Meaning, acknowledgment, and a sense of accomplishment often work better than money, not just a little better, but dramatically better.

In this episode, you'll discover why your constraints aren't liabilities once you understand what actually drives human motivation, and why the competitive advantage you've been searching for has been hiding in plain sight all along.

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a network of local government leaders from across North America, including city/county managers, administrators, and department heads, giving you access to: ✔ A weekly podcast series breaking down one book for municipal applications ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools ✔ Our live, weekly, virtual mastermind session ✔ Monthly webinars with relevant training from local gov leaders

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations by Dan Ariely

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Lyndsay Mitchell: From Plans to ProgressBuilding Cities and Preparing the Next Generation of Municipal Leaders

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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 Arlington, Texas, for a grounded and candid conversation about what it actually takes to move cities forward and who will be left to do the work if we don't start preparing now.

Lyndsay's journey into local government was anything but linear. She didn't set out to work in city leadership, and like many municipal professionals, she didn't even know these careers existed until late in college. That reality shapes how she thinks today about succession, workforce development, and the growing gap between planning and execution in local government.

Sponsored by:

• Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

• The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

Jesse Thyes: Built Along the WayHow Leaders Emerge Through Experience

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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 Bend, Wisconsin, shares his journey from technical roles in planning and zoning to the administrator's chair. Along the way, we explore how early frontline work builds leadership capacity, how mentorship changes trajectories, and why effective municipal leadership is less about status and more about serving the moment.

This conversation is a reminder that leadership isn't assigned early; it's formed over time, through trust, pressure, and the willingness to say yes before you feel ready.

If you've ever questioned your path into leadership or wondered how to develop the next generation, this episode will resonate.

Sponsored by:

• Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

• The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – The Fearless OrganizationEpisode 294 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

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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 stays silent when they should be speaking up.

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In this episode, Seth Winterhalter introduces Edmondson's groundbreaking research on psychological safety: the belief that people can speak up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes without being humiliated, ignored, or blamed. You'll discover why the best teams actually report MORE problems (not fewer), and why local government's unique pressures create some of the biggest barriers to psychological safety.

_*]:min-w-0 gap-3">

If you've ever wondered why your leadership team stays silent in meetings, why problems hide until they become crises, or why your talented people leave for other organizations, this episode reveals what's really happening and what you can do about it.

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a network of local government leaders from across North America, including city/county managers, administrators, and department heads, giving you access to: ✔ A weekly podcast series breaking down one book for municipal applications ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools ✔ Our live, weekly, virtual mastermind session ✔ Monthly webinars with relevant training from local gov leaders

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

• Book: The Fearless Organization by Amy C. Edmondson

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Michael Hart: The Power of Being KnownHow Presence and Visibility Shape Community Identity and Impact

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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, Colorado, whose path to municipal leadership defies the traditional résumé. From military service and small-town mayor to firefighter, banker, and ultimately city administrator, Michael's story reveals how trust is built not through titles, but through presence.

They explore what happens when communities stop trying to be something they're not and instead lean fully into who they are.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that visibility isn't performative in local government—it's relational. And that the identity of a community is shaped, reinforced, and protected by leaders who are willing to be known.

Sponsored by:

• Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

• The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

Steve Volkert: Silence Is the Sound of SuccessCommunication, 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 government and the quiet realities that define effective leadership long after the meetings end and the headlines fade.

From a career that began in radio and media to years spent navigating council dynamics, community growth, and organizational culture, Steve shares why communication—not control—is the true currency of city management. He also speaks candidly about the invisible nature of impact in local government, the emotional isolation that often comes with the role, and why strong professional relationships aren't optional; they're essential.

This conversation is a reminder for leaders who are doing meaningful work without recognition and an invitation for the next generation to consider a profession that shapes lives in ways few ever see.

Sponsored by:

• Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

• The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work LessEpisode 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 government leadership: "Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less" by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang reveals why the most productive leaders throughout history worked far less than you'd think and what neuroscience tells us about how your brain actually solves complex problems.

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a network of local government leaders from across North America, including city/county managers, administrators, and department heads, giving you access to: ✔ A weekly podcast series breaking down one book for municipal applications ✔ Daily blog reflections and implementation tools ✔ Our live, weekly, virtual mastermind session ✔ Monthly webinars with relevant training from local gov leaders

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

• Book: Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Pang

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Ben Lipps: When Leadership Gets PersonalIncivility, 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 explore what it means to lead when public service becomes personal.

Ben's journey into local government didn't begin in city hall; it began on the front lines of public works. From mowing grass and fixing potholes to supervising infrastructure, managing emergencies, and ultimately stepping into the town manager's seat, Ben's story is one of earned credibility, steady growth, and leadership forged through experience rather than title.

But this conversation goes deeper.

Ben shares candidly about navigating community growth, zoning conflict, and the rising incivility many local government leaders now face, including personal threats that tested not just his role, but his resilience. Together, Seth and Ben unpack the emotional weight of the manager's chair, the hidden cost of public outrage, and what it takes to stay grounded when leadership stops at 5:00 pm for no one.

Sponsored by:

• Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

• The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a global community for local government leaders who want ongoing support, practical insights, and a trusted peer network to help them lead with clarity and conviction. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
• Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com