HaltingWinter

When we're young, many of us think success is about finding the biggest opportunity.

The biggest city.�The biggest title.�The biggest stage.

But what if the most meaningful career is the one you never expected?

That was one of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Garrett Corbin, Town Manager of Carrabassett Valley, Maine.

Garrett's journey took him through Washington, D.C., law school, state government, private practice, and the Maine Municipal Association before he discovered that his greatest opportunity to make a difference wasn't in a large city or a prestigious office…it was serving a community he genuinely loved.

It's an honest conversation about purpose, leadership, integrity, and why experience often teaches us far more than any classroom ever could.

Whether you're just beginning your career, leading an organization, or simply wondering if you're where you're meant to be, I think Garrett's story will encourage you.

🎧 Listen now to Episode 367: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-garrett-corbin/
——
Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
Great leadership requires both innovation and resilience. Access free resources on AI, budgeting, and organizational readiness from Tyler Technologies at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

Chasing Purpose, Not Prestige: The Career Advice Every Public Servant Needs Halting Winter

Every few years, a new leadership book comes out and tells us that relationships are the foundation of effective leadership.

Dale Carnegie said it in 1936.

The reason we keep needing to hear it isn't that we don't believe it. It's that we don't practice it…not consistently, not under pressure, and definitely not when the council is pushing back, or the staff is resistant, or the community is frustrated.

This week in the MLDC Summer Series, we're slowing down with “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and asking what it actually looks like to live Carnegie's principles inside local government.

Five days. Five ideas. One book that refuses to go out of print.

More Here: https://haltingwinter.com/mldc-how-to-win-friends/
——
The MLDC Summer Series: 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴
Unlock daily leadership content and the community of local government leaders from across North America --> [www.haltingwinter.com/mldc]

The Leadership Book That's Almost 90 Years Old and Still Mostly Ignored Halting Winter

What keeps leaders moving forward when the road gets difficult?

In Episode 365 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Eric Swanson, City Manager of Phoenix, Oregon, shares lessons from more than three decades of public service, including leading through political change, military deployments, and the devastating Almeda Fire.

This conversation is filled with practical leadership wisdom about resilience, adaptability, humility, and why serving your community is one of life's greatest privileges.

Listen Here: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-eric-swanson/
——
Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
What does AI actually look like in local government? Explore free resources and real-world examples from Tyler Technologies at TylerTech.com/WINTER

Just Keep Showing Up: Why Resilience Is a Leader's Greatest Strength Halting Winter

What does it really take to build a thriving community?

This week, Seth sits down with Ken Pulskamp, retired City Manager of Santa Clarita and Executive Director of the California City Management Foundation, for a conversation filled with practical leadership wisdom and a powerful reminder of why local government matters.

You'll hear about:�
• Building a strong organizational culture�
• Leading with integrity and purpose�
• Bringing people together to solve complex challenges�
• Creating communities where people can truly thrive

If you believe leadership is about making a lasting difference, this episode is for you.

Listen Here: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-ken-pulskamp/
——
Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
AI isn't coming to local government…it's already here. Learn how communities are using AI to reduce repetitive work and create capacity at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

We Don't Just Build Cities. We Build the Good Life. Halting Winter

This week inside the MLDC, we're reading “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand, the remarkable true story of Louis Zamperini, whose survival of 47 days adrift in the Pacific and two and a half years as a prisoner of war reveals something profound about what holds a leader together when everything else fails.

Resilience built before the crisis. Perception as a choice. Dignity as a survival issue. The hidden cost of unresolved bitterness. These aren't abstract concepts…they're the daily reality of local government leadership, and Zamperini's story illuminates all of them.

Five days of content. One extraordinary book. All inside the MLDC.

More Here: https://haltingwinter.com/mldc-unbroken/
——
The MLDC Summer Series: 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴
Unlock daily leadership content and the community of local government leaders from across North America --> [www.haltingwinter.com/mldc]

What Survives When Everything Else Fails Halting Winter

What would you do if your dream leadership opportunity arrived...and deep down you knew you weren't ready?

That's exactly what happened to Benjamin Marentette.

When he was unanimously selected to become City Manager of Traverse City, Michigan, he made the difficult decision to say, "Not yet."

In this episode, Benjamin shares the personal work that followed and why self-awareness became one of the greatest leadership lessons of his career.

If you've ever wrestled with leadership, growth, burnout, or wondering whether you're truly ready for what's next, this conversation is for you.

Listen to Episode 362: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-benjamin-marentette/
——
Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
What does AI actually look like in local government? Explore free resources and real-world examples from Tyler Technologies at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

The Leader Who Said No: When Self-Awareness Says Halting Winter

What makes the difference between an employee who simply follows instructions and one who truly takes ownership?

According to Long Beach City Manager Tom Modica, it starts with helping people understand why their work matters.

In this new episode of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Tom shares leadership lessons from more than two decades in local government, including leading through crisis, building organizational culture, and preparing one of America's largest cities for the future.

If you care about developing people, strengthening your organization, and leading with humility, this conversation is for you.

Listen here: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-tom-modica/
——
Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
What does AI actually look like in local government? Explore free resources and real-world examples from Tyler Technologies at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

Why Compliance Isn't Commitment: The Leadership Approach That Inspires Ownership Halting Winter

The MLDC Summer Series: Stories That Shape Leaders continues this week, and we're reading a book that’s probably not on your leadership book checklist but should be.

“The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson puts you inside Winston Churchill's first year as Prime Minister. German bombs are falling on London nearly every night. France has fallen. Britain stands largely alone. And one leader is trying to hold it all together.

This isn't simply a war story. It's a leadership story.

This week inside the MLDC, we're pulling five big ideas from Larson's book and translating each one directly into the work of local government leadership: honest communication under pressure, building a real inner circle, the discipline of clarity, and what it actually takes to keep leading when the crisis has no end date.

If you lead a city, county, or department, this week was built for you.

More Here: https://haltingwinter.com/mldc-splendid-and-the-vile/
——
The MLDC Summer Series: 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴
Unlock daily leadership content and the community of local government leaders from across North America --> [www.haltingwinter.com/mldc]

What Winston Churchill Can Teach Every Municipal Leader Halting Winter

What happens when your most experienced employee retires?

For many local governments, it's more than losing a person…it's losing decades of knowledge that was never documented.

Today on The HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth sits down with Bryan Poster, Borough Manager for Telford Borough, Pennsylvania, to talk about preserving institutional knowledge, embracing technology with purpose, and leading organizations through change.

It's a practical conversation filled with ideas that every municipal leader can apply.

Listen now: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-bryan-poster/
——
Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
What does AI actually look like in local government? Explore free resources and real-world examples from Tyler Technologies at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

When Your Greatest Asset Retires: How Technology Helps Preserve Institutional Knowledge Halting Winter

Every community deserves great leadership. But great leaders don't appear overnight. They're developed through mentors who invest in them, teammates who encourage them, and opportunities that challenge them long before they feel ready.

My conversation with Rancho Cucamonga City Manager Elisa Cox is a masterclass in leadership development, succession planning, and why investing in people may be the most important work any leader ever does.

Episode 358 is Live: https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-elisa-cox/
——
Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
Local government leaders are being asked to do more with less every day. Tyler Technologies offers free resources to help your organization work smarter and stay prepared for what's next. Learn more at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

The Leaders Who Don't Chase Titles: How Unexpected Opportunities Shape Exceptional Careers Halting Winter