Passing On Some Great Advice to Aspiring Government Leaders.

I am a bit embarrassed that my FIRST blog post is based on information that is actually not original but from a mentor much smarter and more experienced than I am - but I would feel much worse not sharing it.

I had the great opportunity over the past two years to participate in and complete the Emerging Leaders Development Program with the International City/County Managers Association. The experience did not require significant time - which was good because I don't seem to have a ton of that for professional development these days, even though it is critical. However, it has given me some great rules to live by and also helped me to realize that I am not, in fact, crazy (most days) and that if you focus on strong ethics and are committed to being a professional public servant, you are on the right path. 

The final discussion in this program consisted of an open call from class participants with James Bennett, City Manager of Presque Isle, Maine. He shared with us his "Top Ten Things I Wish I Was Told Early in My Career" and this stuff is priceless - much of which I was forced to figure out over the past 10+ years because no one told me either. The following is my personal version narrowed down to a Top 5 of what I wish someone had told me, based upon his amazing insights:

1. Your colleagues are your greatest resource and path to success - treat them well:  Join a professional association. Contact seasoned folks, they love to mentor and offer advice but often just need to be asked. The people you grow up with in your field will likely also end up being your best friends, or people that someday could influence a job opportunity for you. Don't burn bridges unless absolutely unavoidable, and necessary for you to maintain self respect. Mentor others.
2. You were not hired to have all of the answers:  It is ok not to know the answer - build a good team and don't be intimidated if some outskill you in many areas - encourage their growth instead. If you are in a leadership position, you are tasked with something much more unique that includes the ability to lead a group in the right direction and to react to information available to you and respond appropriately.
3. Ask good questions:  Asking the right question is one of the most powerful ways to find solutions. Oh, yes - and LISTEN to the answers. The most powerful people are the best listeners, because they know what is going on and are continually learning. 
4. Develop a management/leadership philosophy:  Get a good handle on your management philosophy and realize it does not have to match what others say it should be. Write it down, and revisit it often.
5. Straight from Jim's advice, strive to be a Category 1 person:  Especially for those in the public sector, there will be continual criticism from many people who don't know you and have no concept of what you do. This hurts, especially when it is in the papers. Good news is that most of the time, it is actually not personal or about you. To put this in perspective, here are Jim's definitions of Categories of people:

• Category 1 are people that care about you.  They risk their relationship with you by providing insight into how you can be better.  They are not really being critical of you but offering ‘gems’ on how you can be a better person and leader. 
• Category 2 are people that do not care about you but have a big role in your life or job (often come in the form of bosses). Their criticism is often more about them than it is you. You have to pay attention and try to modify your behavior.  
• Category 3 are people that are not important and truly do not care.  These are the random people in the community that make statements that are radically inaccurate and coming from a motivation not even remotely related to you. Evaluate it, learn how you could have stayed away from the criticism (which many not have even be possible) and brush it off asap. As I like to say, get your love at home.