HaltingWinter

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/
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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

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/
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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

Every leader can point to someone who believed in them before they believed in themselves.

For Opal Mauldin-Jones, that person was a mentor who saw potential, opened doors, and helped launch a career that would eventually lead to serving as City Manager of Lancaster, Texas.

In Episode 355 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Opal shares how mentorship, service, resilience, and a commitment to continuous growth have shaped her leadership journey.

If you lead people or aspire to, you'll walk away from this conversation inspired to invest not only in yourself, but in those coming behind you.

https://haltingwinter.com/hwp-opal-mauldin-jones/
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Sponsor Highlight: Tyler Technologies, Inc.
Looking for practical ways to work smarter with limited time, people, and resources? Download Tyler Technologies' free AI and resilience resources for local government leaders at TylerTech.com/WINTER.

If You Stop Learning, You Stop Leading: How Continuous Growth Leads to Lasting Impact Halting Winter

This week's MLDC book is a must-read (at least watch the movie!)! “The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown is the true story of nine working-class young men who went to the 1936 Berlin Olympics as underdogs and came home with gold.

It's a story about trust, about what honest feedback actually looks like, and about what happens when a group of individuals finally learns to row as one.

Every idea this week is built directly for local government leaders: the constraints, the pressures, and the real dynamics of leading in public service.

We just posted about why this book is the perfect way to continue our special Summer Series.

Read it Here: https://haltingwinter.com/mldc-boys-in-the-boat/
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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 Lessons Hiding in an Olympic Crew Halting Winter