The HaltingWinter Podcast

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – Team of Teams
Episode 330 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
_*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> 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

Justin Hopkins: Before the Tap Runs Dry
What Leaders Need to Know About Growth, Scarcity, and the Future of Water
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> 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

Lisa Garcia: Not Just a Clerk
The Leadership, Influence, and Impact Behind the Title
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> 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

Show Notes: MLDC Book of the Week – The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Episode 327 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
_*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> 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
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: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
Connect with Seth Winterhalter
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Chase Bruton: Earning Respect, Not Demanding It
How Jiu-Jitsu Shapes Leadership in an Increasingly Uncivil World
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "7f0aa905-d803-4481-9e44-c1a088a011df" data-testid= "conversation-turn-12" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> 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