Gov360

Most people hear about government when something has gone wrong.

A scandal. A failure. A meeting that explodes. An official who betrays the public trust.

Those stories matter. Journalism is supposed to expose failure and hold power accountable.

But planes landing safely don't make the news. Neither do the thousands of public servants who quietly solve problems, deliver services, and keep communities functioning every day.

So if failure is the story we keep seeing, is government really as broken as it looks?

In Episode 30 of Gov360, City Manager Chris Mann sits down with veteran journalist David Martin, host of The Good Government Show, for a wide-ranging conversation about government, journalism, public trust, civic engagement, and the people behind public service.

David spent more than two decades in television news, including time with CBS News and Fox News. His career took him from presidential campaigns and mayoral politics to organized crime, major criminal trials, 9/11, and Afghanistan.

Then he began looking at government through a very different lens: asking what government looks like when it actually works.

After nearly 200 conversations with elected officials, administrators, and public servants, David says the biggest surprise has been discovering how many remarkable stories inside government simply never make the news.

Those experiences have changed the way David sees the stereotypical government employee and reinforced his belief that, for the most part, government is working and people inside it are trying to do the right thing.

The conversation ultimately comes back to something more fundamental: an informed public requires people willing to do the work of being informed.

David's message is simple: show up. Read local news. Attend a council meeting before you're angry about something. Learn how your government actually works. Get involved.

Because democracy works better when the people participating in it understand what their government is actually doing.

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📺 Watch Gov360 Episode 30 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4OMKEXuFQgM 

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Join the Gov360 Community

Leadership doesn't have to be lonely. The Gov360 Community is a professional home for local government leaders who want to continue the conversations started on the podcast.

Members connect through live conversations, leadership resources, behind-the-scenes content, and meaningful relationships with professionals who understand the unique challenges and rewards of public service.

👉 Join the Gov360 Community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Gov360

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Chapters

0:00 Is Government Really as Broken as It Looks?

1:06 Welcome to Gov360

2:53 Government and Journalism

4:38 David Martin’s Journey as a Journalist

10:55 What Do Journalists Look for at City Hall?

13:46 Why Local TV Focuses on Crisis

16:21 Looking at Government From the Other Side

17:25 Why David Created The Good Government Show

19:25 Why Negative Government Stories Dominate the News

20:32 How Accurate Is the Public’s Picture of Government?

22:01 Social Media, Misinformation and the Decline of Local News

26:10 What Happened to Local Journalism?

28:32 Telling the Stories of Good Government

31:17 Why Government Is Bad at Telling Its Own Story

35:24 What David Has Learned From 200 Conversations

40:46 What Does “Good Government” Actually Mean?

47:03 Why Local Leaders Serve

53:29 Has David’s View of Government Employees Changed?

55:25 Emotion, Ego and Entitlement

57:30 Can We Restore Civility to Public Discourse?

1:00:18 Serving Everyone, Not Just the People Who Voted for You

1:03:56 The Origin of The Good Government Show

1:07:44 The Stories David Never Expected to Find

1:13:25 Inspiring the Next Generation of Public Servants

1:15:45 What Americans Need to Understand About Government

1:18:10 Final Thoughts: Most of Government Is Just People

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Links & Resources

👉 Join the Gov360 Community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Gov360

📬 Subscribe to The Gov360 Briefing, the free Gov360 email newsletter: https://gov360briefing.beehiiv.com/

🏛️ The Good Government Institute & Show: https://www.goodgovinstitute.org

👉 Explore Gov360 Episodes and Resources: https://www.chrismann.us/gov360

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

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

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rq8Hxqvx23OVL0H4bQdqa?si=cbef8a7c7e2b4719

💻 Visit Chris Mann's Website: https://www.chrismann.us

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#LocalGovernment #CityManager #PublicAdministration #GovernmentLeadership #MunicipalLeadership #PublicService #Journalism #GovernmentCommunications #GoodGovernment #CityManagement #Gov360 #Gov360Community

Local government has been through a difficult season.

Political polarization. Social media attacks. Burnout. Public distrust. Workforce challenges. Talented professionals questioning whether the personal cost of public service is still worth it.

Those challenges are real.

But they are not the whole story.

There are reasons to believe something better is taking shape.

In Episode 29 of Gov360, “A New Hope,” City Manager Chris Mann takes a different look at the state of local government and makes the case for optimism about where the profession is headed.

A new generation of public servants is bringing fresh ideas and challenging old assumptions. Local governments are learning how to use social media to communicate more authentically and rebuild trust. Artificial intelligence is creating opportunities to eliminate administrative work and give leaders more time for the human side of leadership. And perhaps most importantly, the profession is finally having honest conversations about burnout, loneliness, resilience, and the personal cost of public service.

None of that means the challenges have disappeared.

Hope isn't pretending everything is fine. It is recognizing the problems in front of us while believing something better is still possible, and then doing something to help build it.

Because the future of local government isn't something that simply happens to us.

We get to help shape it.

This episode explores:

✅ Why the challenges facing local government don't necessarily mean the profession is in decline
✅ How a new generation of public servants could reshape local government for the better
✅ Why younger professionals are right to question some long-standing assumptions about public-sector careers
✅ How social media could evolve from one of government's greatest challenges into a tool for rebuilding public trust
✅ Why government needs to tell its own story before someone else tells it for us
✅ How AI could make government more efficient, and leadership more human
✅ Why openly discussing burnout, loneliness, and the emotional toll of leadership is actually a sign of progress
✅ The resilience of public servants who endure difficult seasons and keep moving forward
✅ Why a bad chapter, a bad council, or a bad organization doesn't have to define an entire career
✅ Five practical things struggling local government professionals can do right now
✅ Why experienced leaders have a responsibility to mentor the next generation
✅ Why the future of local government will be built one leader, one organization, and one decision at a time

📺 Watch Episode 29 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/56KvatC64Zo 

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Join the Gov360 Community

Leadership doesn't have to be lonely.

The Gov360 Community is a professional home for local government leaders who want to continue the conversations started on the podcast.

Members connect through live conversations, leadership resources, Commute with Chris, behind-the-scenes content, and meaningful relationships with professionals who understand the unique challenges and rewards of public service.

👉 Join the Gov360 Community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Gov360 

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Chapters

0:00 The Challenges Facing Local Government
2:02 Welcome to Gov360
4:59 Is Local Government Really in Decline?
6:30 A New Generation of Public Servants
10:53 Is Local Government Finally Figuring Out Social Media?
15:16 Why AI Gives Me Hope
18:38 We’ve Finally Started Talking About the Problems
21:57 The Biggest Reason I Have Hope
24:22 What If You Don’t Feel Hopeful Right Now?
25:53 Five Things You Can Control
28:31 Don’t Wait for Someone Else to Fix the Profession
30:05 Why I Called This Episode “A New Hope”
32:20 Good People Keep Showing Up
33:34 Final Thoughts and How to Support Gov360
35:20 Local Government Has Found A New Hope 

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Links & Resources

👉 Join the Gov360 Community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Gov360 

📬 Subscribe to The Gov360 Briefing, the free Gov360 email newsletter: https://gov360briefing.beehiiv.com/ 

💻 CiviSocial - Social Media Strategy for Local Government: https://civisocial.com/

📖 The Social Media Playbook for City and County Managers: https://a.co/d/070jQXRe

📺 Gov360 Episodes 3 & 10 re: Social Media for Local Government:

Ep.3: https://youtu.be/5MgughL1LuA?is=rp0lKFULYzRn5ssZ

Ep.10: https://youtu.be/sJ_NEN7wYr0?is=-_zisW7IpfkfWc6J 

👉 Explore Gov360 Episodes and Resources: https://www.gov360podcast.com 

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

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

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

💻 Visit Chris Mann’s Website: https://www.chrismann.us 

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#LocalGovernment #CityManager #PublicAdministration #GovernmentLeadership #MunicipalLeadership #PublicService #Leadership #CityManagement #Gov360 #Gov360Community

Local government can break your heart.

Not because the work lacks meaning, but because it matters so deeply.

The people who choose careers in public service often carry enormous responsibility for their communities, organizations, employees, and democratic institutions. They celebrate victories that may never be noticed, absorb criticism few people fully understand, and confront problems that may never be completely solved.

And yet, they keep coming back.

In Episode 28 of Gov360, City Manager Chris Mann sits down with former San Rafael City Manager Jim Schutz to explore the emotional realities of local government leadership through one of the profession’s most unexpected lenses: poetry.

Jim’s book, The Mayor Has a Hammer, is a collection of poems inspired by more than thirty years in local government. But this conversation is about far more than poetry. It is about the people behind the budgets, ordinances, council meetings, infrastructure projects, and public controversies.

It is about why the work hurts...and why it remains worth doing.

This episode explores:

✅ Why local government leaders struggle to acknowledge the emotional toll of the profession
✅ The three “lions” every city manager must care for: the council, staff, and community
✅ Why council chambers can feel like sacred spaces for democracy
✅ The cumulative effect of crises, criticism, polarization, and constant public scrutiny
✅ Why admitting that leadership hurts can feel like admitting weakness
✅ The complicated truth behind “Run the city like a business”
✅ What separates exceptional elected officials from ineffective ones
✅ Why city managers must intentionally build joy into their careers
✅ How retirement can challenge a public servant’s identity
✅ Why local government breaks your heart, and why we keep coming back  

 

📺 Watch Episode 28 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e865oDBGHok 

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Join the Gov360 Community

The Gov360 Community is a professional home for local government leaders who want to continue the conversations started on the podcast.

Members connect through live leadership discussions, masterclasses, recommended reading, practical resources, behind-the-scenes conversations, and meaningful relationships with professionals across the country.

👉 Join the Gov360 Community on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/Gov360  
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Chapters
0:00 Why Local Government Breaks Your Heart
1:02 Welcome to Gov360
1:11 Introducing the Gov360 Community
1:50 Commute with Chris
2:21 Meet Jim Schutz
3:44 Why Poetry?
5:13 The Emotional Reality of Local Government
6:17 Love Poems to the Profession
7:49 City Council Chambers
9:18 The Council Chamber as a Sacred Space
10:19 The Danger of Cynicism
12:18 Pride of Lions
14:45 The Three Lions of City Management
17:57 Do City Managers Give Too Much of Themselves?
18:50 City Manager Gulliver
20:44 When the Profession Becomes Overwhelming
21:08 Revealing the Human Side of Government
22:37 The Cumulative Weight of Public Service
23:57 Why Leaders Struggle to Admit the Job Hurts
25:19 Vulnerability in Local Government Leadership
25:51 A Generational Shift in Leadership
26:58 Getting Off the Island
27:31 Life After the City Manager’s Office
30:16 Run the City Like a Business
31:45 Why the Phrase Resonates—and Frustrates
34:40 Don’t Run for City Council
36:12 Who Should Run for Office?
36:34 What Makes an Exceptional Council Member?
41:00 Advice for the Next Generation
41:51 Would Jim Do It Again?
42:08 Finding Joy in the Work
44:33 Why Local Government Breaks Your Heart
46:09 Why We Keep Coming Back
46:52 Final Thoughts
47:29 The Mayor Has a Hammer
47:37 Join the Gov360 Community
48:04 Govern Boldly  
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Links & Resources

👉 Join the Gov360 Community on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/Gov360 

📖 The Mayor Has a Hammer by Jim Schutz
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mayor-Has-Hammer-James-Schutz/dp/1421835797 
Jim's Website: http://www.localgovernmentpoetry.com/  

👉 Explore Gov360 Episodes and Resources:
https://www.chrismann.us/gov360 

📬 Subscribe to the Free Gov360 Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7320606146577186817/ 

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

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

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

💻 Visit Chris Mann’s Website:
https://www.chrismann.us 
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#LocalGovernment #CityManager #PublicAdministration #GovernmentLeadership #MunicipalLeadership #PublicService #Leadership #CityManagement #Gov360 #Gov360Community #JimSchutz

Leadership can be incredibly lonely.

Not because leaders are isolated. But because responsibility often can’t be shared.

What if the conversation didn’t have to end when the podcast ended?

Over the past year, Gov360 has brought together city managers, elected officials, consultants, authors, and other respected leaders from across the local government profession. Every episode ended the same way: the cameras stopped rolling…and the conversation became even more honest.

That’s when people shared the decisions that still weighed on them years later. The difficult council relationships. The personnel issues. The mistakes that shaped them. The moments they questioned whether they could continue in the profession.

In Episode 27 of Gov360, City Manager Chris Mann shares the three biggest lessons he learned from the first twenty-six episodes and explains why they convinced him that the profession doesn’t simply need more information. It needs more community.

This episode explores:
✅ Why leadership can be far lonelier than most people realize
✅ The biggest lessons learned from interviewing local government leaders
✅ Why great professions are built on community, not just conferences
✅ The conversations that happen after the microphones are turned off
✅ How Gov360 has evolved from a podcast into something much bigger
✅ The vision behind the new Gov360 Community
✅ Why the future of leadership is built on connection

Along the way, Chris shares several personal stories that reshaped his own approach to leadership, including decisions that still stay with him today and the experiences that nearly drove him out of the profession.

This is the most personal Gov360 episode recorded thus far.

More than anything, this episode is an invitation. An invitation to continue the conversation.

🎧 Watch the full episode:
https://youtu.be/XwWRFw_LeS8 

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Introducing the Gov360 Community

Early access to the Gov360 Community is now open.

The Gov360 Community is a professional home for local government leaders who want to continue the conversations started on the podcast through leadership discussions, live events, AI resources, recommended reading, practical leadership tools, and meaningful connections with professionals across the country.

👉 Join the Gov360 Community (early access is available now for viewers of Ep.27):
https://www.patreon.com/cw/Gov360/membership  

📅 Join us Tuesday, July 21 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific for a special LIVE Gov360 event on YouTube, where we’ll officially kick off the Gov360 Community, discuss the future of local government leadership, give everyone a live tour of the community, and answer your questions.

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Chapters

0:00 Leadership Doesn’t Have to Be Lonely
2:07 Welcome to Gov360
3:50 Lesson One: Leadership Is About People
6:09 A Leadership Decision That Still Haunts Me
8:26 Lesson Two: Leadership Can Be Lonely
10:16 Why Responsibility Often Can’t Be Shared
12:24 Lesson Three: Great Professions Are Built on Community
14:28 The Podcast Wasn’t the Destination
15:23 The Story That Changed Everything
17:19 Local Government Has a Connection Problem
19:28 Introducing the Gov360 Community
19:44 Gov360 Live Kickoff Event
20:09 Early Access Now Open
20:31 What the Gov360 Community Will Become
21:41 A Professional Home, Not a Membership Site
22:58 Why Local Government Still Matters
23:01 The Profession Almost Broke Me
25:07 None of Us Gets Through This Alone
25:51 Building a Stronger Profession
26:15 Final Thoughts and Subscribe

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Links & Resources

👉 Join the Gov360 Community:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/Gov360

👉 Explore Gov360 Episodes and Resources:
https://www.chrismann.us/gov360 

📬 Subscribe to the Free Gov360 Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7320606146577186817/ 

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

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

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

💻 Visit Chris Mann’s Website:
https://www.chrismann.us 

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About Gov360

Gov360 is your full-circle view on local government leadership.

Each episode explores the challenges, opportunities, and leadership lessons shaping cities and counties across America through conversations with city managers, elected officials, consultants, attorneys, public safety leaders, and other respected voices in the profession.

Whether you’re an aspiring leader or a seasoned executive, Gov360 exists to help you lead with greater confidence, greater wisdom, and greater impact.

 

#LocalGovernment #CityManager #PublicAdministration #GovernmentLeadership #Leadership #MunicipalLeadership #PublicService #Gov360 #Gov360Community #Patreon

Employees are changing jobs faster than ever. Organizations are experiencing constant turnover. City manager tenure continues to shrink. Political environments are increasingly volatile. Public expectations continue to rise. And leaders everywhere seem to be asking the same question:

What happened to loyalty?

In Episode 26 of Gov360, City Manager Chris Mann explores why that may actually be the wrong question.

This episode delves into an examination of how leadership has changed, why incentives matter more than most leaders realize, and how understanding human behavior can dramatically improve your effectiveness as a leader.

For generations, organizations operated under an unwritten social contract. Employees provided loyalty. Organizations provided stability. Long-term relationships were rewarded. Institutional knowledge accumulated. Trust developed over time.

Today, the environment looks very different.

Career mobility has become normal.

Political pressure moves at the speed of social media.

Public expectations evolve rapidly.

Information travels instantly.

And the incentives that drive behavior have fundamentally changed.

In this episode, Chris examines one of the most important leadership lessons he has learned during his career:

People generally act in what they perceive to be their own self-interest.

Understanding that reality isn’t cynical. It’s enlightening.

Because once leaders stop asking, “Why are they doing this to me?” and start asking, “What problem are they trying to solve for themselves?” people become far less confusing, conflict becomes more manageable, and leadership becomes far more strategic.

This episode explores:
✅ Why loyalty looks different than it did a generation ago
✅ How changing incentives have reshaped local government leadership
✅ Why city manager tenure continues to shrink
✅ The impact of social media, political pressure, and public expectations
✅ How understanding incentives can help leaders navigate conflict more effectively
✅ Why leadership is ultimately about creating alignment, not demanding loyalty
✅ Practical strategies for building trust, influence, and organizational resilience

Chris also shares a personal leadership story that helped reshape his understanding of incentives, decision-making, and human behavior.
 
At the end of the day, leadership isn’t about demanding loyalty. It’s about creating the conditions where people willingly choose to move in the same direction.

 

🎧 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/8Pv5Yc2iiak 

 

Chapters:

0:00 What Happened to Loyalty?
1:22 Welcome to Gov360
3:18 When Loyalty Was the Norm
5:02 The Incentives Changed
7:28 City Manager Tenure and Leadership Instability
9:25 The Council-Manager Model in an Age of Immediacy
12:20 The Leadership Lesson That Changed Everything
14:22 A Personal Story About Incentives
17:49 Look at the Incentives
18:13 The Question That Changes Everything
21:10 Mapping Incentives Before Taking Action
21:57 Positions vs. Interests
22:44 Never Assume Alignment
23:32 Leadership Is About Alignment, Not Loyalty
25:53 Building Alignment Around Shared Interests
27:05 People Are Going to Leave
28:28 Practical Strategies for Leaders
29:27 Invest in Relationships Before You Need Them
30:14 Communicate Relentlessly
30:55 Build Systems, Not Heroes
31:42 Trust Is the Most Valuable Currency
32:20 The Future of Leadership
34:08 Gov360 Community on Patreon
35:19 Is Loyalty Dead?
36:41 Final Thoughts and Subscribe

 

Links & Resources

👉 Explore Gov360 Episodes and Resources:
https://www.chrismann.us/gov360

 

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

 

📬 Subscribe to the Free Gov360 Newsletter:
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7320606146577186817/

 

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

 

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

 

💻 Visit Chris Mann’s Website:
https://www.chrismann.us

 

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.

 

#LocalGovernment #CityManager #PublicAdministration #GovernmentLeadership #Leadership #MunicipalLeadership #PublicService #Gov360