Enhance Your Leadership by Tapping into Staff Attitudes By Patrick Malone Local government managers are expected to be innovative and successful. Whether it be public health, crime prevention, going green, or developing a self-sustaining economic base, the nation looks to them for successful approaches on every scale. But leading in today’s environment is not easy, especially for managers working with shrinking budgets, fewer qualified personnel, and less support from state and federal entities. Recent events highlight these challenges. Both local elected and appointed officials struggle with how to involve residents and attract investment as they plan for the future. Residents expect more services and less taxes from their over-burdened communities. And when the unexpected occurs—the devastating tornado in Moore, Oklahoma or Superstorm Sandy’s farreaching effects—resources are stretched to the limit as
28
communities grapple with the results of devastating natural disasters. What today’s managers need are as many tools as they can muster to do an extremely difficult job. Many times they approach this challenge by building skill sets or adding certifications for selected staff members. Not a bad approach but in the midst of the chaos, the best tools and most valuable organizational assets are not new technical talents. The most beneficial tools within reach of the public sector manager are the minds of those they lead. Understanding and tapping into the mindsets of staff can build lasting synergy for organizations large and small. Practical Workplace Applications Author Susanne Cook-Grueter’s groundbreaking 2004 work on the developmental mind provides a solid foundation for understanding the importance to leaders of tapping into specific mental attitudes possessed by those with whom they work. Cook-Grueter points out that when
SOUTH DAKOTA MUNICIPALITIES
