The HaltingWinter Podcast

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332: Kathy Hodgson: When You're Not Ready, But You Lead Anyway May 14, 2026

Show notes

Kathy Hodgson: When You're Not Ready, But You Lead AnywayThe Reality of Growing Into the Role of City Manager

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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 growing into leadership in real time. From starting as a teenage lifeguard to leading one of the largest cities in the state, her journey isn't built on a perfect plan; it's built on saying yes, learning fast, and leading through uncertainty.

Kathy opens up about the overwhelming early days of city management, the imposter syndrome that comes with the role, and how she leaned on her team to find her footing. She reflects on the values that shaped her leadership—fairness, forgiveness, and treating people with dignity—and why those matter more than ever in today's environment.

The conversation also explores how the job has changed. Issues like homelessness, incivility, and political polarization have reshaped what it means to lead at the local level, placing city managers at the center of some of the most complex challenges facing communities today.

This episode is a reminder that leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about being willing to step in, stay steady, and grow into the responsibility.

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

331: Christopher Wren: Similar Roles, Different Realities May 12, 2026

Show notes

Christopher Wren: Similar Roles, Different RealitiesThe Shift from Service Delivery to System-Level Leadership

Episode 331 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

Most people assume that city and county leadership are essentially the same role, just at different scales.

They're not.

In this episode, Christopher Wren, County Administrator of Newaygo County, Michigan, shares the critical distinction that changed how he leads: cities are built on service delivery, while counties operate through systems.

Christopher walks through his journey from city management to the private sector and back into public service at the county level, offering a rare perspective on how leadership changes when the work becomes less about direct control and more about coordination, influence, and trust.

We explore the realities most people never see:

Why local government remains one of the least understood professions and what that's costing us
The pressure, responsibility, and unpredictability behind everyday decisions
How early crises shaped his leadership approach and decision-making
The challenge of leading across elected officials, departments, and jurisdictions
Why presence, not position, is what builds trust inside an organization
How he navigated burnout and what it took to come back differently

This conversation is a clear reminder: leadership in local government isn't about having all the answers. It's about building the systems and the people that make the work possible.

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 without burning out. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

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

330: Book of the Week: Team of Teams May 11, 2026

Show notes

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Team of TeamsEpisode 330 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

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In this episode, Seth Winterhalter breaks down Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal and makes the case that the most important leadership lesson from one of history's most elite military forces has nothing to do with combat. It has everything to do with the structure you've built and whether it's designed for the world you're actually leading in.

McChrystal's central diagnosis: large, well-resourced organizations lose not because of incompetence, but because they're optimized for efficiency in environments that demand adaptability. Sound familiar? If you're managing a city or county through shifting council priorities, budget constraints, and a community that expects real-time responsiveness, you're operating in exactly the kind of complex environment McChrystal is describing.

Seth explores three ideas from the book that translate directly to local government leadership: shared consciousness — what it means for your departments to actually understand each other's work; empowered execution — how to push decisions down to the people with the best real-time information without losing accountability; and the leader as gardener — the shift from controlling outcomes to cultivating the conditions that produce them.

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: Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

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

329: Justin Hopkins: Before the Tap Runs Dry May 07, 2026

Show notes

Justin Hopkins: Before the Tap Runs DryWhat Leaders Need to Know About Growth, Scarcity, and the Future of Water

Episode 329 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

Most people don't think about water…until they have to.

But behind every faucet, every development project, and every growing community is a system under pressure and one that most residents will never see.

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Justin Hopkins, General Manager of the Stockton East Water District, to pull back the curtain on the complex world of water in local government. From aging infrastructure and groundwater depletion to regulatory pressure and explosive growth, Justin shares what it actually takes to keep water flowing and what happens when the math no longer works.

As communities continue to expand and resources become more constrained, the conversation around water is no longer just operational; it's strategic.

And for local leaders, it's becoming one of the defining challenges of the next generation.

This episode also highlights Drinking Water Week (May 3–9, 2026), an initiative led by the American Water Works Association to recognize the essential role water professionals play in protecting public health and supporting thriving communities.

If you're a city manager, department head, or public sector leader navigating growth, infrastructure, or long-term planning, this is a conversation you can't afford to ignore.

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

328: Lisa Garcia: Not Just a Clerk May 05, 2026

Show notes

Lisa Garcia: Not Just a ClerkThe Leadership, Influence, and Impact Behind the Title

Episode 328 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

May 3 through May 9, 2026, marks the 57th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week, and there's no better time to shine a light on one of the most essential and often overlooked roles in local government.

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Lisa Garcia, Clerk and Deputy Manager for the Town of Florence, Arizona, whose 30+ year career tells a story most people never hear, but every community depends on.

From her early days navigating uncertainty to becoming a nationally recognized leader and past president of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC), Lisa shares what it really means to serve at the center of local government.

This conversation goes far beyond the title.

You'll hear:

Why the municipal clerk role is far more than most people realize
How local government leaders grow into roles they were never fully prepared for
The power of mentorship, community, and continuous learning
What transparency actually looks like behind the scenes
How communication—and lack of it—shapes public trust
The rising challenge of incivility and what leaders can do about it
Why local government is not just a job, but a calling

Lisa also shares one of the most practical leadership exercises you'll hear all year, something every leader should be doing, but almost no one is.

This week, take a moment to recognize and thank the municipal clerks in your community...the ones working behind the scenes to bring order, transparency, and continuity to the work that keeps our cities running.

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

327: Book of the Week: Five Dysfunctions of a Team May 04, 2026

Show notes

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – The Five Dysfunctions of a TeamEpisode 327 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

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Most leadership teams look functional on the surface. Meetings happen. Decisions get made. People stay professional. But if your most important initiatives keep stalling, if the hard conversations keep happening everywhere except the room where they need to happen, and if you've quietly become the only person holding the whole operation together, the problem probably isn't strategy, budget, or staffing.

It's the team.

In this week's MLDC book, we dig into Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team — one of the most important leadership books written in the last two decades — and run it straight through the realities of local government. Lencioni's model is built on a five-layer pyramid, and every layer compounds on the one below it. Absent trust produces conflict avoidance. Conflict avoidance produces shallow commitment. Shallow commitment kills peer accountability. And without accountability, teams drift toward protecting their own corner of the organization instead of delivering for the community they serve.

Every one of those dysfunctions hits differently when you're operating in a fishbowl, managing directors who've been in their seats longer than you've been their manager, and navigating elected oversight that can turn an internal disagreement into a public agenda item.

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

Book: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

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

326: Chase Bruton: Earning Respect, Not Demanding It Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

Chase Bruton: Earning Respect, Not Demanding ItHow Jiu-Jitsu Shapes Leadership in an Increasingly Uncivil World

Episode 326 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

What does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu have to do with running a town?

More than you'd think.

In this episode, Town Manager Chase Bruton (Yorktown, Indiana) shares how lessons from the mat—patience, positioning, and staying composed under pressure—have shaped the way he leads in local government. Because in a role where you're navigating public scrutiny, internal dynamics, and rising incivility, force doesn't work. Presence does.

Chase reflects on stepping into leadership at a young age, learning to earn trust without relying on authority, and why the most effective leaders don't stay behind a desk; they get out into the community and meet people where they are.

From managing day-to-day operations to responding in moments of crisis, this conversation is a grounded look at what leadership actually requires when there's no playbook and no easy wins.

If you're leading in today's environment—or preparing to—this episode will challenge how you think about respect, resilience, and what it really means to show up.

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

325: Matthew von der Hayden: The Leadership Gap No One Is Fixing Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

Matthew von der Hayden: The Leadership Gap No One Is FixingWhen Technical Experts Are Thrown Into Leadership Unprepared

Episode 325 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

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Most leaders in local government aren't struggling because they lack effort.

They're struggling because they were promoted for their skills and never properly trained to lead people.

In this episode, Matthew von der Hayden, Township Administrator of Stafford, New Jersey, and one of the National Academy of Public Administration's 250 Public Service Champions, shares his unconventional path from chemist to city hall, and what it taught him about the real leadership gap facing local government today.

We talk about the tension between managing the day-to-day and leading for the long-term, why infrastructure decisions no one sees matter the most, and how communication—not policy—is often the starting point for culture change.

Matthew also pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to run a modern municipality: long-range planning, cross-department alignment, building trust with staff and elected officials, and making decisions that impact thousands of lives, often without recognition.

Sponsored by:

Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Download their latest e-book on AI for FREE at https://tylertech.com/winter
The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is built for local government leaders who were promoted for their skills, but never specifically trained to lead people. It's the development center for leaders across the nation who serve in all types and sizes of local government organizations. Learn more at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

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

324: Book of the Week: Never Split the Difference Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Never Split the DifferenceEpisode 324 of The HaltingWinter Podcast

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Most local government leaders walk into their hardest conversations armed with data, logic, and well-prepared arguments and still walk out without what they needed. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter introduces this week's MLDC book of the week: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, a former lead FBI hostage negotiator and founder of The Black Swan Group.

Voss spent 24 years negotiating in life-or-death situations, and what he learned turned conventional negotiation wisdom on its head. His core argument: people don't make decisions based on logic. They make decisions based on emotion...and the leaders who understand that get better outcomes in every difficult conversation, from council chambers to union halls to community meetings.

This episode breaks down why Voss's framework is unusually powerful for local government leaders, what the book's central reframe means in practice, and how the MLDC is helping members apply these ideas to the specific pressures and constraints of public service leadership.

If you want to go deeper on this week's content (daily podcast episodes, implementation guides, and the full framework translated into the local government context), head over to HaltingWinter.com/MLDC to learn more about the MLDC.

Join the MLDC for the Complete 5-Part Series

➡ Learn more at www.HaltingWinter.com/MLDC

Resources Mentioned

Book: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

Connect with Seth Winterhalter

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

323: Helen Ramirez: Built in Silos, Stuck in Complexity Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

Helen Ramirez: Built in Silos, Stuck in ComplexityWhy Projects Stall, Teams Disconnect, and Progress Slows

Episode 323 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies

Local government doesn't lack effort. It doesn't lack talent. And it certainly doesn't lack good ideas.

So why do so many projects stall? Why do teams struggle to stay aligned? And why does progress feel slower than it should?

In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Helen Ramirez, former City Manager of Brownsville, Texas, and now Director of Economic & Local Business Development in San Marcos, to unpack what's really happening behind the scenes.

From managing rapid growth and leading through crisis to breaking down silos and building true cross-department collaboration, Helen shares what it actually takes to move a city forward when complexity is unavoidable.

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

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