Gov360

There is no single path to the city manager’s chair.

Some arrive through planning or finance. Others through engineering or public safety. And some come through politics, communications, or advocacy.

In this episode of Gov360, City Manager Chris Mann reflects on his personal journey into professional management and the lessons he wishes someone had shared earlier. In a candid conversation with Joe Turner on the City Manager Unfiltered Podcast, Chris unpacks what it really takes to not only become a city manager, but to stay effective, resilient, and credible over time.

This episode is not about titles or résumés.

It is about mindset, durability, and navigating a profession where leadership is constantly tested—often quietly, and often unfairly.

Chris and Joe explore how early career experiences shape executive leadership, why personal branding is no longer optional for city managers, and how professionals can protect their reputation and longevity in a highly visible, politicized environment.

 

This is not career coaching.

It is lived experience from inside the chair.

 

You’ll hear Chris unpack:

✅ The realities of the road to the city manager role—beyond job descriptions and interviews

✅ Why resilience matters more than raw competence in local government leadership

✅ How political exposure and public visibility can strengthen, not undermine, professional credibility

✅ The role personal branding plays in protecting reputation, clarity, and career longevity

✅ Common mistakes city managers make when trying to stay “invisible” instead of intentional

✅ Why leadership endurance—not perfection—is the real measure of success in the profession

 

This episode is for you if:

• You aspire to become a city manager and want a realistic picture of the journey

• You are a new or mid-career executive navigating pressure, scrutiny, and expectations

• You are questioning how visible, vocal, or “branded” a city manager should be

• You want to lead with integrity while still protecting your professional future

 

Chris closes with a grounded reflection on why the city manager role is not just about technical skill, but about identity, discipline, and emotional endurance—and why those who last are rarely the loudest, but almost always the most intentional.

 

▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/GuKwiHaJL6I 

 

📚 Links & Resources:

 

🎙️City Manager Unfiltered Podcast: 
https://www.citymanagerunfiltered.com/

 

📲 Connect with Joe Turner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/citymanager

 

🇺🇸 American Association of Municipal Executives: https://community.aame.org/

 

📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismann76/ 

 

💻 Chris’ Blog and Professional Website:

https://www.chrismann.us 

 

📬 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter:

https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817 

 

🎙️ Subscribe to Gov360 on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov360/id1807649614 

 

🎧 Listen on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rq8Hxqvx23OVL0H4bQdqa

 

🗣️ About Gov360:

Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.

 

Tags: LocalGovernment, CityManager, CityManagement, Leadership, Gov360, PublicService, ProfessionalManagement, CouncilManager, ResilientLeadership, CareerLongevity

If you spend enough time in city management or local government leadership, you will eventually ask a quiet but unavoidable question:

Is this still worth it?

Not necessarily in a moment of crisis. Not only after a bad meeting. But after years of responsibility, pressure, restraint, and service—when the weight of the job begins to compete with the meaning that first drew you to it.

In this solo episode of Gov360, City Manager Chris Mann steps back from tactics and survival strategies to reflect on something deeper: why city management still matters, why the work is still meaningful, and why—despite everything—the profession is still worth it.

Drawing on lived experience across elected office, private-sector work, and multiple city manager roles, Chris reflects on the moments that shaped his commitment to public service—from seeing a park filled with families months after a quiet council vote, to navigating structural budget deficits, political turbulence, and ultimately a highly public departure that clarified more than it diminished.

This episode is not a defense of the profession.

It is not nostalgia.

And it is not motivational fluff.

It is a grounded, honest reflection from someone who has seen both the best and hardest chapters of local government leadership—and chosen to stay clear-eyed about the cost and the value of the work.

This episode explores:

• Why so many capable, principled professionals are questioning the sustainability of city management

• How the job has changed—and why burnout is not a failure of commitment

• The difference between comfort, stability, and meaning in a leadership career

• What city management uniquely offers that few other professions can

• Why political pressure, public criticism, and uncertainty do not negate the value of the work

• How losing illusions can actually strengthen purpose and perspective

• What it really means to measure a career by integrity, stewardship, and impact

Chris also reflects on what the profession needs now—not martyrdom, not silence, and not retreat—but grounded leaders who understand the tradeoffs and still choose service with intention.

This episode is for you if:

• You are a city manager, assistant/deputy city manager, or department director feeling the weight of the role

• You are mid-career and questioning long-term sustainability

• You are early in your journey and want an honest picture of what this profession demands—and gives back

• You have been through a hard chapter and are trying to reconnect with purpose

• You care deeply about local government and want reassurance that the work still matters

 

🎥 Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lYO-qq9K7EU

 

📚 Links & Resources:

📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismann76/

💻 Chris’ Blog and Professional Website: https://www.chrismann.us

📬 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817

🎙️ Subscribe to Gov360 on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov360/id1807649614

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rq8Hxqvx23OVL0H4bQdqa

 

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🗣️ About Gov360

Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.

 

Tags: LocalGovernment, CityManagement, CityManager, Leadership, PublicService, Gov360, CouncilManager, LocalLeadership, PublicAdministration, ResilientLeadership

If you work in local government long enough, you will experience political change. Elections happen. Majorities shift. New voices come in with new priorities.

But what happens when that change suddenly alters your footing—when the ground beneath you shifts, trust thins, and you realize your role is being quietly re-evaluated?

In this solo episode of Gov360, City Manager Chris Mann offers a calm, experience-based field guide for navigating sudden political power shifts inside City Hall. Drawing on hard-earned lessons—including a personal failure that played a significant role in finding himself unexpectedly “in transition”—Chris breaks down what really happens when a council turns, and how leaders can protect their credibility, composure, and options when alignment changes.

This is not theory.

It is what political power shifts actually look like in local government. You’ll hear Chris unpack:

✅ How political change shows up internally long before it is acknowledged out loud

✅ The early warning signs professionals often rationalize away

✅ Why logic, performance, and professionalism alone do not guarantee protection

✅ The most common mistakes leaders make when the ground starts to shift

✅ How a single emotionally driven reaction can permanently alter trust and outcomes

Chris also shares seven clear rules for surviving political power shifts, grounded in lived experience rather than abstract advice:

          1. Assume the environment has changed—because it has.

          2. Stop explaining yourself to feel safe.

          3. Recognize that professionalism is the floor, not the shield.

          4. Manage relationships one person at a time.

          5. Do not become reactive—become predictable.

          6. Protect the institution, not your ego.

          7. Always be preparing—quietly.

This episode is for you if:

• You are a city manager, assistant/deputy city manager, or department director sensing that political dynamics have shifted.

• You are an aspiring executive who wants to understand the realities no one teaches you.

• You are currently navigating council turnover, elections, or a new majority.

• You are “in between” and trying to make sense of how things unraveled—and what to do differently next time.

Chris closes with a grounded reflection on why political change is not a personal failure, but a structural feature of the profession—and why preparation, discipline, and composure matter more than ever.

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📚Links & Resources:

🎥Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5h9hBotRmbU 

📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismann76/

💻 Chris' Blog and Professional Website: https://www.chrismann.us 

📬 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817

🎙️ Subscribe to Gov360 on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov360/id1807649614

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rq8Hxqvx23OVL0H4bQdqa

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🗣️ About Gov360: Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.

 

Tags: LocalGovernment, CityManager, Leadership, Gov360, PublicService, CityHall, CityManagement, CouncilManager, PoliticalChange, ResilientLeadership

What keeps city managers going when the pressure, politics, and public scrutiny feel relentless?

In this special holiday episode of Gov360, host Chris Mann revisits a candid, wide-ranging conversation with Joe Turner, founder of the American Association of Municipal Executives and host of the City Manager Unfiltered podcast, and Will Kolbow, City Manager of Calimesa, California.

Originally recorded as part of the award-winning Yucaipa 360 podcast, this discussion remains as timely today as when it first aired. Together, these three city managers reflect on the realities of the profession, the different paths that lead to the city manager’s chair, and why—despite the risks and sacrifices—local government leadership still matters.

From unconventional career journeys and first-time city manager experiences, to executive compensation, public trust, misinformation, and the evolving role of podcasts in government communication, this episode offers an honest look at what it really means to lead in local government.

Whether you’re early in your career, sitting in the city manager’s chair, or questioning whether the profession is still worth it, this conversation provides perspective, encouragement, and reassurance that you’re not alone.

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🔑 Key Learnings:

• There is no single “right” path to becoming a city manager

• The city manager works for the City Council, not directly for the public

• Executive leadership in local government carries significant personal and professional risk

• Strong financial and organizational fundamentals are critical to successful city management

• Long-form communication builds trust in ways press releases and social media cannot

• City managers need stronger peer support, advocacy, and professional community

• Despite the challenges, local government leadership can be deeply fulfilling and impactful

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🎧 Featured Topics:

• Traditional vs non-traditional paths to city management

• The council-manager form of government explained

• First-time city manager realities and learning curves

• Being fired, career resilience, and professional recovery

• Executive compensation and public perception

• Why city managers need advocacy and support networks

• The rise of podcasts as a public communication tool

• Combating misinformation and social media toxicity

• Why local government work still matters

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📚 Links & Resources:

🎙️ City Manager Unfiltered Podcast (Joe Turner): https://www.citymanagerunfiltered.com

🏛️ American Association of Municipal Executives (AAME): https://aame.org

📲 Connect with Joe Turner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/citymanager/

📲 Connect with Will Kolbow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-kolbow-icma-cm-8801098/

📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismann76

📬 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817

🎙️ Subscribe to Gov360 on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov360/id1807649614

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rq8Hxqvx23OVL0H4bQdqa

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🗣️ About Gov360: Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.

 

Until next time, govern boldly my friends.

 

Tags: LocalGovernment, CityManager, Gov360, PublicService, MunicipalLeadership, CouncilManager, CityManagement, Leadership, PublicAdministration, CityManagers, GovPodcast, LocalGov

City and county managers carry an extraordinary weight—public pressure, political conflict, community expectations, nonstop crises, and the quiet fear of what could go wrong next. Most of that burden stays hidden from view.

But not today.

In this special episode of Gov360, we flip the mic. Guest host Sam Toles, Founder & CEO of CiviSocial, steps into the host chair and interviews four veteran public sector leaders—Amanda Mack, Michael Paulhus, and Gov360’s own Chris Mann—in one of the most candid roundtables ever recorded on this show.

This is not a policy discussion — it’s an honest conversation about the emotional, relational, and ethical burdens of leadership in the council–manager form of government.

 

You’ll hear the panel dive into:

✅ The constant fear of getting fired — and how that pressure affects decision-making

✅ How public expectations, media narratives, and the “fear of missing something” weigh on CAOs

✅ The emotional toll of dealing with challenging elected officials and high-stakes moments that stay with you

✅ The tug-of-war that comes from having experience as both an elected official and an administrator — and how that shapes expectations

✅ Why understanding the public’s perspective is essential to guiding and mentoring staff through difficult situations

 

The group also shares powerful insights for leaders at every level:

1. Build strong relationships early — trust equity makes the hard moments survivable.

2. Stay grounded in your values — especially when fear starts driving choices.

3. Embrace vulnerability — acknowledging fear helps leaders refocus and make better decisions.

4. Understand the political-administrative divide — especially if you’ve served in both roles.

5. Support your peers — several panelists note that these pressures are universal among managers.

 

This episode is for you if:

• You’re a city manager, county manager, or any local government professional navigating political pressure or organizational strain.

• You’re a councilmember seeking to understand what your manager carries behind the scenes.

• You’re an emerging leader considering whether you’re ready for the responsibility of the “big chair.”

• You’re feeling the weight of leadership and need to know you’re not alone.

The conversation ends with a call to strengthen professional culture — to create environments where managers can be honest about the pressures they face, where support is intentional, and where courage isn’t punished but expected.

 

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📚 Links & Resources:

Connect with:

Sam Toles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samtoles1/ 

Amanda Mack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-mack-empa/ 

Michael Paulhus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeltpaulhus/ 

 

Check out Sam's company, CiviSocial: https://civisocial.com 

And Sam's new book, The Social Media Playbook for Local Elected Officials: https://a.co/d/8cOsOea 

 

📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismann76/

📬 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817

🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/I8iAfjx633U 

🎙️ Listen to Gov360 on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov360/id1807649614

🎧 Or on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rq8Hxqvx23OVL0H4bQdqa

 

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🗣️ About Gov360: Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.

 

Tags: LocalGovernment, CityManager, Leadership, Gov360, PublicService, CityManagement, CouncilManager, ResilientLeadership, LocalGovLife, SamToles, AmandaMack, MichaelPaulhus