The HaltingWinter Podcast

Show Notes: Episode 125 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Culture By Choice: Leadership Lessons from ICMA President-Elect Mike Land

Episode Overview Journey through Mike Land's fascinating path from bread truck deliveries to municipal leadership excellence, as he shares how intentional culture-building transformed his organizations. Now serving as City Manager of Coppell, Texas and ICMA President-Elect, Mike reveals how persistence, self-awareness, and purposeful leadership development create thriving municipal cultures.

Key Takeaways

• The critical difference between "culture by chance" and "culture by choice"
• How behavioral expectations shape organizational excellence
• Why technical proficiency must be balanced with human competency
• Building sustainable leadership through continuous learning
• Transforming challenges into cultural growth opportunities

Topics Discussed

• The journey from Houston bread routes to municipal leadership
• Creating and maintaining purposeful organizational culture
• Leading through significant financial challenges
• The power of collaborative budgeting and planning
• Building leadership capacity through mentorship
• The importance of persistence in personal development
• The role of behavioral accountability in cultural health
• Upcoming initiatives as ICMA President-Elect

Connect With Seth Winterhalter

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

Special Offer Ready to transform your leadership journey? The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is accepting founding members for its January 2025 launch. Early enrollment bonuses include:

• Pre-Launch Pricing (50% OFF!!!)
• Executive Coaching Opportunities
• In-person training events
• Visit haltingwinter.com/mldc to secure your spot.

The HaltingWinter Podcast is dedicated to making stronger cities through stronger leaders. Join us every week for insights, strategies, and practical wisdom for municipal leaders.

Show Notes: When Service Becomes Surrender Episode 124 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Episode Overview Explore the critical difference between true service and leadership surrender in municipal government. Drawing from "The Power of a Positive No" by William Ury, Seth Winterhalter reveals how city managers can maintain boundaries while strengthening relationships and increasing their leadership impact. Learn how to transform automatic surrender into strategic service through practical, proven frameworks.

Key Takeaways

• The three most common "service traps" that lead to leadership surrender
• How to use the Yes-No-Yes framework to maintain boundaries while preserving relationships
• Why setting boundaries actually enhances your service impact
• Practical scripts for transforming surrender moments into leadership opportunities

Resources Mentioned

• Book: "The Power of a Positive No" by William Ury
• The HaltingWinter Blog: www.HaltingWinter.com/news
• Weekly Newsletter - The Leader's Lens: Subscribe for Free
• Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC): Learn More Here

Connect With Seth

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

Special Offer Ready to transform your leadership journey? The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is accepting founding members for its January 2025 launch. Early enrollment bonuses include:

• 50% OFF Pricing
• Executive Coaching Opportunities
• In-person training events
• Visit haltingwinter.com/mldc to secure your spot.

Show Notes: The Power of Roots: From Local Kid to Two Decades of Municipal Leadership Episode 123 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Episode Overview Discover the unique journey of Bill Wagoner, Arcola's first and only City Administrator, as he shares insights from 20 years of municipal leadership in his hometown. From growing up as the water superintendent's son to leading transformative infrastructure projects, Bill's story illustrates the power of deep community roots and sustainable leadership in small-town government.

Key Takeaways

• How local knowledge and relationships shape effective small-town leadership
• The challenges and advantages of being a hometown leader
• Strategies for wearing multiple hats in small municipal government
• Building legacy through mentorship and internship programs
• Transforming personal challenges into community growth opportunities

Topics Discussed

• The journey from local kid to city administrator
• Managing work-life boundaries in a small town
• Creating sustainable leadership practices
• Building the next generation through internship programs
• Leading transformative infrastructure projects
• The unique challenges of being your city's first administrator

Connect With Seth

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

Special Offer Ready to transform your leadership journey? The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is accepting founding members for its January 2025 launch. Early enrollment bonuses include:

• 50% OFF Pricing
• Executive Coaching Opportunities
• In-person training events
• Visit haltingwinter.com/mldc to secure your spot.

The HaltingWinter Podcast is dedicated to making stronger cities through stronger leaders. Join us every week for insights, strategies, and practical wisdom for municipal leaders.

Show Notes: The Self-Sacrifice Myth: From Survival Mode to Strategic Leadership Episode 122 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Episode Overview Discover why the culture of self-sacrifice in municipal leadership might be undermining your effectiveness, and learn evidence-based strategies for sustainable high performance. Drawing from "Burnout" by Emily and Amelia Nagoski, Seth explores how city managers can transform their approach to leadership stress while maintaining professional excellence.

Key Takeaways

• Why managing the stressor isn't the same as managing the stress itself
• The hidden cost of constant vigilance and mental monitoring
• How "Human Giver Syndrome" impacts municipal leadership
• Practical strategies for sustainable high performance in public service

Resources Mentioned

• Book: "Burnout" by Emily and Amelia Nagoski
• The HaltingWinter Blog: www.HaltingWinter.com/news
• Weekly Newsletter - The Leader's Lens: Subscribe for Free
• Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC): Learn More Here

Connect With Seth

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

Special Offer Ready to transform your leadership journey? The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is accepting founding members for its January 2025 launch. Early enrollment bonuses include:

• 50% OFF Pricing
• Executive Coaching Opportunities
• In-person training events
• Visit haltingwinter.com/mldc to secure your spot.

The HaltingWinter Podcast is dedicated to making stronger cities through stronger leaders. Join us every week for insights, strategies, and practical wisdom for municipal leaders.

Episode 121 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Meet Brooks Williams, the City Manager of Ferris, Texas, who is transforming the perception of public service through bold leadership and innovative management. From his unconventional path through banking to becoming the longest-serving city manager in Ferris's 150-year history, Brooks shares how he turned around a city known for dysfunction into a high-performing organization that moves faster than its private sector partners.

• How banking and private sector experience shapes innovative public sector leadership
• Transforming a challenging municipal culture through radical transparency
• Creating high-performance expectations in government organizations
• The importance of vulnerability and honest communication in leadership
• Why protecting personal boundaries is crucial for sustained leadership impact
• Building a culture that challenges "we've always done it this way" thinking

"Converting oxygen into carbon dioxide is not going to work for us here. That is not the litmus test for if you're a successful employee."

"Any conversation we have is out of a place of love... I don't believe you really care about people if you're not willing to have tough conversations."

• Brook's Book: "Rising to Serve: A Re-imagining Public Administration for a New Era"
• Connect with Brooks on LinkedIn

Note: Our Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is launching in January 2025 and founding memberships are open for a limited time! Visit HaltingWinter.com/MLDC to learn more and save your seat. Early enrollment pricing and bonuses are limited!

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter to get all our podcasts, articles, and more in one easy-to-read weekly resource: Subscribe Here

Connect with Seth on LinkedIn

Check out HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions - your primary resource for developing city leaders and fostering a flourishing municipal culture that produces extraordinary results through executive coaching, professional speaking, and results-based consulting.

Show Notes: Breaking the "We've Always Done It This Way" Cycle Episode 120 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

Episode Overview Discover why "we've always done it this way" might be the most expensive sentence in municipal government, and learn practical strategies for breaking free from this limiting cycle. Drawing from "Change the Culture, Change the Game" by Roger Connors and Tom Smith, Seth explores how city managers can transform organizational culture from the inside out.

Key Takeaways - Understanding the Results Pyramid and why changing actions without changing beliefs doesn't work - How leader beliefs shape organizational culture more than external factors - Three elements of sustainable cultural transformation in municipal government - Practical strategies for creating experiences that challenge limiting beliefs

Resources Mentioned - Book: "Change the Culture, Change the Game" by Roger Connors and Tom Smith - The HaltingWinter Blog: www.HaltingWinter.com/news - Weekly Newsletter - The Leader's Lens: Subscribe for Free - Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC): Learn More Here

Connect With Seth - LinkedIn - Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Special Offer Ready to transform your municipal culture? The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is accepting founding members for its January 2025 launch. Early enrollment bonuses include: - 50% OFF Pricing - Executive Coaching - In-person training events Visit haltingwinter.com/mldc to secure your spot.

--- The HaltingWinter Podcast is dedicated to making stronger cities through stronger leaders. Join us every week for insights, strategies, and practical wisdom for municipal leaders.

On this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, discover how Albany City Manager, Peter Troedsson, brings the steady leadership of a Coast Guard helicopter pilot to municipal governance. Through organizational transitions, a global pandemic, and daily city challenges, Troedsson shares how his military experience shaped his approach to keeping cool when the stakes are high.

Troedsson shares valuable insights on:

• Making the transition from military to municipal leadership
• Building collaborative teams across departments
• Leading through uncertainty while maintaining stability
• The critical role of humility in public service
• Bridging the gap between military service and city management

Whether you're a veteran considering municipal leadership or a city seeking your next manager, this conversation offers practical wisdom on leveraging military experience to strengthen our cities.

Note: Our Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is launching in January 2025 and founding memberships are open for a limited time! Visit HaltingWinter.com/MLDC to learn more and save your seat. Early enrollment pricing and bonuses are limited!

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter to get all our podcasts, articles, and more in one easy-to-read weekly resource: Subscribe Here

Connect with Seth on LinkedIn

Check out HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions - your primary resource for developing city leaders and fostering a flourishing municipal culture that produces extraordinary results through executive coaching, professional speaking, and results-based consulting.

Different Minds, Better Solutions: The Science of Collaborative Intelligence

In this week's episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, we explore how understanding and leveraging different thinking patterns can transform municipal leadership and drive better solutions in our cities.

• Mind Pattern Theory
• The Art of Inquiry
• Collaborative Infrastructure
• Cognitive Diversity in Teams

• Book: "Collaborative Intelligence" by Dawna Markova and Angie McArthur
• HaltingWinter Blog Series: "The Power of Collaborative Intelligence"
• The Leader's Lens Newsletter: Subscribe Here
• Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC)

• Website: www.HaltingWinter.com
• LinkedIn: Seth Winterhalter

Learn more about the Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) launching January 2025. Visit HaltingWinter.com/MLDC for exclusive founding member benefits.

Get weekly insights and practical tools for municipal leadership delivered to your inbox. Subscribe for FREE.

On this episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, discover how City Manager Marc Mondell is leading Tulare, California's remarkable transformation through bold, decisive leadership. "Drive it like you stole it" isn't just a catchy phrase – it's Mondell's philosophy for municipal leaders who want to create real change. Learn how he's erasing 30 years of stagnation through strategic economic development, innovative solutions to homelessness, and a commitment to taking calculated risks.

From reimagining downtown spaces to securing $550 million in transportation improvements, hear firsthand how bold leadership combined with strategic planning can transform a city. Mondell shares practical insights on: - Building council relationships through proactive communication - Turning challenges into opportunities for economic growth - Creating innovative solutions to homelessness while balancing compassion with accountability - Leading with confidence instead of fear

Whether you're an aspiring city manager or a seasoned municipal leader, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on what's possible when you choose bold action over bureaucratic safety.

Note: Our Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is launching January 2025 and early membership starts this week! Visit HaltingWinter.com/MLDC to learn more and save your seat. Early enrollment bonuses are limited!

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter to get all our podcasts, articles, and more in one easy-to-read weekly resource: Subscribe Here

Connect with Seth on LinkedIn

Check out HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions - your primary resource for developing city leaders and fostering a flourishing municipal culture that produces extraordinary results through executive coaching, professional speaking, and results-based consulting.

On this episode of The Halting Winter Podcast, discover the invisible patterns that separate thriving city halls from those stuck in bureaucratic quicksand. We dive deep into Daniel Coyle's "The Culture Code" to reveal how high-performing organizations build psychological safety, use strategic vulnerability, and make purpose more than just words on a wall.

Learn why traditional approaches to municipal leadership might be holding your organization back, and discover practical ways to transform your city's culture without compromising authority or accountability. Whether you're struggling with silos, innovation barriers, or team engagement, these insights will help you build the kind of organizational DNA that drives excellence.

Read the 5-part companion blog series here: HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions

Note: Our Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is launching January 2025 and early membership starts this week! Visit HaltingWinter.com/MLDC to learn more and save your seat. Early enrollment bonuses are limited!

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter to get all our podcasts, articles, and more in one easy-to-read weekly resource: Subscribe Here

Connect with Seth on LinkedIn

Check out HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions - your primary resource for developing city leaders and fostering a flourishing municipal culture that produces extraordinary results through executive coaching, professional speaking, and results-based consulting.