The HaltingWinter Podcast

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

Matthew von der Hayden: The Leadership Gap No One Is Fixing
When Technical Experts Are Thrown Into Leadership Unprepared
*]: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 325 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:f5d404f8-ca3d-4963-9292-ba5aa2b18872-7" data-testid= "conversation-turn-16" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn= "assistant"> Most leaders in local government aren't struggling because they lack effort.
They're struggling because they were promoted for their skills and never properly trained to lead people.
In this episode, Matthew von der Hayden, Township Administrator of Stafford, New Jersey, and one of the National Academy of Public Administration's 250 Public Service Champions, shares his unconventional path from chemist to city hall, and what it taught him about the real leadership gap facing local government today.
We talk about the tension between managing the day-to-day and leading for the long-term, why infrastructure decisions no one sees matter the most, and how communication—not policy—is often the starting point for culture change.
Matthew also pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to run a modern municipality: long-range planning, cross-department alignment, building trust with staff and elected officials, and making decisions that impact thousands of lives, often without recognition.







Sponsored by:
Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software solutions designed specifically for the public sector and local government. Download their latest e-book on AI for FREE at https://tylertech.com/winter

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is built for local government leaders who were promoted for their skills, but never specifically trained to lead people. It's the development center for leaders across the nation who serve in all types and sizes of local government organizations. 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 – Never Split the Difference
Episode 324 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
_*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> Most local government leaders walk into their hardest conversations armed with data, logic, and well-prepared arguments and still walk out without what they needed. In this episode, Seth Winterhalter introduces this week's MLDC book of the week: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, a former lead FBI hostage negotiator and founder of The Black Swan Group.
Voss spent 24 years negotiating in life-or-death situations, and what he learned turned conventional negotiation wisdom on its head. His core argument: people don't make decisions based on logic. They make decisions based on emotion...and the leaders who understand that get better outcomes in every difficult conversation, from council chambers to union halls to community meetings.
This episode breaks down why Voss's framework is unusually powerful for local government leaders, what the book's central reframe means in practice, and how the MLDC is helping members apply these ideas to the specific pressures and constraints of public service leadership.
If you want to go deeper on this week's content (daily podcast episodes, implementation guides, and the full framework translated into the local government context), head over to HaltingWinter.com/MLDC to learn more about the MLDC.


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: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Connect with Seth Winterhalter
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: www.HaltingWinter.com

Helen Ramirez: Built in Silos, Stuck in Complexity
Why Projects Stall, Teams Disconnect, and Progress Slows
*]: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 323 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
Local government doesn't lack effort. It doesn't lack talent. And it certainly doesn't lack good ideas.
So why do so many projects stall? Why do teams struggle to stay aligned? And why does progress feel slower than it should?
In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Helen Ramirez, former City Manager of Brownsville, Texas, and now Director of Economic & Local Business Development in San Marcos, to unpack what's really happening behind the scenes.
From managing rapid growth and leading through crisis to breaking down silos and building true cross-department collaboration, Helen shares what it actually takes to move a city forward when complexity is unavoidable.
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

Jesse Muñiz: The Budget Translation Problem
Why Local Government Struggles to Translate Spending into Impact
*]: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 322 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Brought to you by Tyler Technologies
Local government leaders don't lack data. They lack clarity on what that data actually means.
In this episode, Seth Winterhalter sits down with Jesse Muñiz, Head of Customer Success at Tyler Technologies, to unpack a challenge hiding in plain sight: Most leaders struggle to clearly explain where their money is going or what impact it's actually creating.
Not because they're unqualified, but because the system wasn't built for clarity.
Jesse shares his journey from auditing local governments to working inside the City of Albuquerque, and now helping cities across the country rethink how they understand, communicate, and align their budgets with what truly matters.
This conversation moves beyond theory and into a practical shift: From funding departments to investing in the services that actually drive outcomes.
Learn more about Priority Based Budgeting here: TylerTech.com/WINTER
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