To quote the great philosopher, David Bowie, “Turn and face the strange.” It may seem weird to quote a song from 2015, to look at issues facing municipalities in 2025. With that said, get ready to mix metaphors; Turn and Face the Strange is also a secondary quest which will unlock powerful upgrades to Geralt’s [The Witcher] skills which will add additional skill slots. So, now you are asking, What does any of this have to do with understanding Municipal Government? Nothing, yet everything. You see, when you turn and face the strange, you embrace the inner working of your community, yourself, and others, and address problems as possibilities and seek creative solutions. You need to be willing to move past the status quo, and face issues in creative, innovative ways designed to truly bring growth and energy. You need to unlock a new set of skills to change/grow in the 21st century.
Let’s face it, the ability to lead organizational to change has never been as critical in governmental operations as it is today; it’s not easy, but it’s critical. Many City Managers, County Administrators, Elected Officials, and Local Government Executives should be asking themselves; How can we rethink what it means to be a local government with a heart towards innovation, inspiration, creative, and agility? Yet many connect that question with another; Why do all our change initiatives seem to fail? I am excited, they’re asking the first question, I think the answer to the second questions is simply; they’re not using innovative, inspirational, creative, or agility to truly face issues – they’re doing the same old things, sometime in slightly different ways, to address complex issues facing municipalities in the 21st century.
With all the issues facing municipalities today, affordable housing, racial equity, gun violence, housing affordability, financial, climatic, and social threats, expiring federal funds and congressional dysfunction, the pressures on ageing city infrastructure, rising costs and complexity of providing critical services, workforce development, also efficiently retain economic competitiveness, are being addressed by policies, laws, and codes written in the mid to late 20th century, with forced updates to meet what they think will address the issues facing them in the 21st century.
For many municipalities, small and large, what I’m going to suggest might seem simplistic, and it is, yet I am surprised how many executive leaders ignore them. You need to realize you need to seek a whole greater than the sum of its parts. You’re either in, or you’re not; there is very little room for a happy medium. This isn’t change based on small increments over the next 20 years; because many cities don’t have 20 years, and if they do, when you finally implement a 20 year plan, you’ll need to develop a new 20 year plan. I’m talking straight up, down and dirty change with built in flexibility where changes to the plan can switch on a dime. The plan needs to be focused, centering on an action plan with transparency and fresh approaches in a model of flexibility.
Focus on an Open and Honest Dialog Concerning the Needed Changes:
If there’s one thing, you must do is shift the dialog around change; change needs to be part of the communities DNA. This focus needs to include the voices of as many people as possible. Yes, it can be hard to gather, sypher through, and develop great ideas – but it will be worth all the effort. Many leaders I know assume most people have no desire to change, this is not true. What is true, is many leaders fear change, so they center on projecting their fear of change on others. Professor Jim Bright[1], BA (Hons) PhD is a consultant organizational psychologist shares two very interesting facts concerning change: First, Over 76.51% of people said they could be fearless in a situation if they need to be, and second, Almost 9 out of 10 people believe their lives will be very different in five years’ time.
People are not as fearful of change as we think, the idea is to be open, honest, and transparent dialog concerning change – hold nothing back, and nothing is secret; no closed door meeting, or backroom deals, everything out in the open. Change flourishes in open and honest dialog with as many people as possible, from all areas of life. Here are four things I think are central to being a positive change agent as an executive leader.
Dream Big:
It doesn’t matter how big, or how small, your community is, if you don’t have big dreams, you lost even before you started. If you’re honestly listening to the voices of those in the community you serve, you will find the dream. Once found, lay out the plan, connect the dots, echo the voices, give credit where credit is due, and share how it all comes together. I’m dismayed when executive leaders don’t have a dream, a vision, a connection to the future, it tells me they’re not listening to the community. Christopher Reeve [Superman] said it best, So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.
People in your community are looking for those who can listen and weave dreams together. If you don’t have the will they’ll stay away as if you’re the carrier of disorder.
Without a dream, a vision, a future, you have noting for others to invest in. Dreams needs to be so big, so crazy, so driven it might seem impossible, but if they are built on the voices of other people will stand strong to the vision. Think of it this way, when you dream big, you have less competition; besides, even if you fall short of the big dream, you still did better than others without a dream.
Don’t Fear Failure:
Everyone fails, failure is a great teacher. I think one of the reasons people don’t dream is fear. Fear of failing limits our ability to be innovative, creative, and dreaming big; fear of failure keeps us safe in the status quo. I know when I say dream big, many of you think, easier said than done. I agree,when 70% [more people fear failure, then those who fear spiders] have a fear of failing, it’s not easy to jump in headfirst; keep in mind executive leadership is not easy, but taking a chance and moving forward is essential to executive leadership. Here is something I try to keep in my mind: failing is not being a failure, not trying is being a failure.
The key is finding the win in failure; and ensuring failure does not kill the dream. No matter what, take the chance, reach out for the impossible, and if you fail – have a great party to celebrate the try, and learn from it. Sometimes big dreams have setbacks, and those setbacks don’t kill the dream, they can empower the dream. Even if you fall short of the big dream, you still did better than others without a dream.
Be 100% Transparent and Authentic:
Not being 100% transparent and authentic comes from our fear of failing. It is easier to hide what we perceive as failure behind a wall of silence. We need to value transparency and authenticity because people seldom see it in Leaders. Leaders aren’t absent from temptation or failure. We’ve spent too many years with those who claim to be leaders hide their mistakes, run from responsibility, and lie about short comings. As an executive, people are not expecting you to be perfect, they’re expecting you to be open, honest, transparent, and authentic. I’m very willing to admit when I make a mistake, and I never blame others for my mistakes. I own them, I learn from them, and I try to do better as I move along in life.
Embrace the Culture:
From experience, I can assure you when you’re not transparent and authentic you’ll never connect with the culture around you; you’ll never have those willing to walk with you. If you hide behind your position, and don’t get involved in the community, your community will assume you don’t care; and lets ne honest, they’d be right. People are looking to engage with you and find ways to help. When executive leaders are pessimistic towards the culture, they miss the opportunity to be optimistic about the possibilities.
Understanding the community is a non-negotiable part of an executive leader. Executive leaders value a community that’ll move them beyond the surface issues of life and asks the hard questions we all struggle with. Communities aren’t looking for new drinking buddies, they’re looking to be challenged. That’s not to say being social in the community isn’t important, because it is. Municipal leaders should address the hard questions.
When we embrace culture, we think in terms of unity, and unity brings us together as a community, not just in place, but in lives. As an executive leader you need to value differences: racial, generational, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, and see all as important thread in the tapestry of community.
Closing thoughts:
Being an executive in a municipal setting, or any governmental setting, requires you to be the go to for the needs of the people. You need to be more than just an executive, you need to be the leader who is willing to be open, honest, transparent, and see the community as a valued place where people connect. Many executive leaders I know see their place as focusing on the tax base, economic development and fixing potholes, and while those are important, true growth comes when you can build true and lasting relationships – not just with the important people, but all people in the community.
[1] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-do-1-3-people-say-change-some-surprising-stats-jim-bright/