Good Enough for Government Work

A few weeks ago, a customer and local photographer contacted me and asked if there was any way she could get on top of one of our water tanks to take some aerial photographs of the Greek Orthodox Church. My immediate thought was to react with an emphatic, NO! That’s too dangerous! It takes specials skills, equipment, certifications, and permits!  B esides, I have been here ten years and I have never even been on top of that tank. However in my next thought, I realized I was falling into the same pattern as so many individuals who work in the public sector: a bias for saying NO . You see, our roles are subject to greater public scrutiny because we are seen as a government agency responsible for taxpayer money. Because of this, we perceive our jobs as living in a fishbowl where the public is constantly watching and waiting for us to do something wrong. Screw-ups in government often become front-page news. Consequently, we become averse to making even minor decis...

... of reading negative news, fake news, and the latest salacious sex scandal involving some notable person? I certainly am. I initially started this blog back in 2015 as an assignment for graduate school. I recently decided to return to posting about my experiences with public sector management because the public needs to know there are more positive things happening in our communities than the media is reporting. Previous posts in this blog have highlighted public and private sector leaders and lessons we can learn from them. These personal stories were the most popular among readers. Individuals can identify with them and imagine what they would do if faced with similar circumstances. Future blog posts will highlight more of these individuals who have accomplished great things in their organizations and in their communities. Among these outstanding individuals, we'll feature: A  general manager who transformed a struggling water utility facing community distrust afte...

The 2008 movie Taken, is the story of a man, a former CIA agent played by Liam Neeson, whose daughter has been kidnapped in Paris by Albanian sex traffickers. In a now-famous line from the film, Neeson’s character, Brian Mills, warns the kidnappers over the phone: “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom I can tell you I don’t have any money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills I have acquired over a long career… if you don’t [let my daughter go], I will look for you. I will find you, and I will kill you.” To make a long story short, the kidnappers soon learned of Mills’ particular skills and he ultimately retrieved his daughter from them, safe and sound. This scene resonated with audiences and the “particular set of skills” line has become iconic in pop culture, generating countless internet memes. The Mills character is not arrogant and he is not bragging when he warns the kidnappers. He ...

Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. – Ralph Waldo Emerson In the previous post we discussed the importance of a clear mission to a leader. In our public agencies, a clear mission is essential if we ever hope to get our followers to give us more than the minimal amount of effort necessary. We need a mission our followers can embrace and are willing to pursue with the same enthusiasm we, as their leaders, have. As public sector leaders, we must embrace a mission that we can personally be passionate about. Because without passion, our employees – our followers – will be indifferent about the work. There is no universe where indifference leads to high-performance. Passion, for leaders, has a few meanings. ...

Why Does Your Public Organization Exist?  Over the course of the past six weeks, we have talked about great leaders in the public sector - some very recognizable names and even a few obscure individuals, perhaps not widely known outside of their communities. There are many leadership lessons we can learn from each of these individuals, but a few characteristics stand out in each one of the examples.   Clear purpose Passion Trust All of the leaders discussed thus far had clear objectives in mind as they took on their leadership roles. Captain Abrashoff was committed to "running the best damn ship in the Navy." Mayor Rudy Giuliani's initial mission was to clean up the crime in New York City and return it to the great cities in America. His follow-up purpose following 9/11 was to recover, rebuild and restore New Yorker's sense that nothing or no one could kill its spirit. Rick Baker had a purpose which became the official slogan, "Make St. Petersburg...

A Lesson in Leadership from the South Pole.  I recently read Great by Choice  by Jim Collins, the follow-up to his mega-successful Good to Great (2001) .  This newest book examines a number of companies in an attempt to understand why they achieve and maintain extraordinary levels of success despite an environment of change and uncertainty – even chaos. This is in fact, the world we currently inhabit. In the public sector world, we are facing partisanship, polarization, lack of public confidence, and distrust of everything government.  What are we, as public sector leaders, to do if we wish to turn the tide of negativity? This blog has examined but a few examples of great public leaders and the turnarounds they accomplished in their own organizations or communities. Each had a mix of talents, traits, skills, and behaviors they employed to inspire followers to reach for and achieve their vision of a better community. This week’s blog will depart slightly from...