Municipal Leaders: Develop Faster, Lead Stronger, Build Better
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Leadership in local government carries a weight that few outside the role ever fully grasp. It’s not just the pressure to solve problems, manage crises, or balance competing priorities. It’s the quiet burden of being the person everyone looks to, even when you’re unsure yourself. It’s the weight of the title.
In Episode 184 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Milton Dohoney Jr.—City Administrator of Ann Arbor, Michigan—gives voice to this burden with honesty and clarity. His decades of leadership experience don’t lead him to posture or promote. They lead him to reflect. And what he shares is a message every municipal leader needs to hear.
Milton doesn’t sugarcoat the reality: leadership can be lonely. Even with strong teams. Even with community support. Even with professional success. At times, leadership isolates. It demands that you carry the pressures of others, solve problems quietly, and often push forward without the recognition or relational support others might assume you have.
But Milton doesn’t stay in the hardship—he points to hope. He reminds us that the seat of leadership isn’t just a position to hold. It’s a responsibility to act. “I didn’t come to keep the seat warm,” he says. Those words echo the kind of leadership we need more of in local government: proactive, purpose-driven, and deeply rooted in service.
He speaks to the internal balance leaders must strike—between confidence and humility, between forward movement and personal sustainability. He challenges listeners to not just be visible in their roles, but to be truly present—to connect, to listen, to lead with their full selves.
And perhaps most importantly, Milton issues a quiet but powerful call to reclaim pride in public service. He notes how, over the years, the perception of local government work has shifted. What was once seen as noble is often dismissed or misunderstood. But he hasn’t lost the fire and he encourages others not to, either.
This conversation is more than a podcast episode. It’s a mirror held up to the realities of municipal leadership. It doesn’t offer quick fixes. It offers something more valuable: solidarity. If you’re a leader who’s felt the weight of the title, this episode will remind you that you’re not alone—and that the work still matters deeply.
Listen to Episode 184 of The HaltingWinter Podcast:
“When the Title Feels Heavy: Leading Through Burdens No One Sees”
Available now at HaltingWinter.com/resources
The HaltingWinter Podcast celebrates and elevates the people who power local government. Through in-depth conversations with leaders from cities, counties, and communities of all sizes, host Seth Winterhalter explores the journeys, challenges, and innovations happening in municipal leadership across America.
