Gov360

When It's Time to Walk Away | Kevin Lahner | Ep.31

After 25 years in local government, veteran city manager Kevin Lahner made a decision he never expected to make. He walked away. Why? Because the profession he loved wa

Is Government Really as Broken as It Looks? | David Martin | Ep.30

Most people hear about government when something has gone wrong. A scandal. A failure. A meeting that explodes. An official who betrays the public trust. Those stories

Gov360: Episode 29 - A New Hope

Local government has been through a difficult season. Political polarization. Social media attacks. Burnout. Public distrust. Workforce challenges. Talented professional

Why Local Government Breaks Your Heart...And Why We Keep Coming Back | Ep.28

Local government can break your heart. Not because the work lacks meaning, but because it matters so deeply. The people who choose careers in public service often carry

Leadership Doesn’t Have to Be Lonely | Introducing the Gov360 Community | Ep.27

Leadership can be incredibly lonely. Not because leaders are isolated. But because responsibility often can’t be shared. What if the conversation didn’t have to end whe

The End of Loyalty | Ep.26

Employees are changing jobs faster than ever. Organizations are experiencing constant turnover. City manager tenure continues to shrink. Political environments are increa

Different Systems, Same Problems: Local Government Across the Pond | Ep.25

Before we talk about the differences between American and British local government… It may be more important to talk about the similarities.   Different governmental s

The Municipal Battlefield: Leadership, Pressure, and Survival in Small-Town Government | Ep.24

Leadership in local government is becoming emotionally heavier. Not just operationally difficult. Heavier. The public sees the council meeting. The vote. The controver

Why City Managers Don’t Last – And What They Get Wrong | Ep.23

City managers don’t just fail. Most don’t fail at all. They stall. They plateau. They quietly move on… or get pushed out. And it’s usually not because they weren’t goo

When Departments Break: Why Local Government Employees are Leaving | Ep.22

Departments don’t usually fail all at once. They break quietly, then suddenly. Across local government, employees are leaving, burnout is rising, and many leaders don’t r

Is the Council-Manager Model Buckling in Today’s Politicized Era? | Ep.21

For more than a century, the council–manager form of government has been one of the most successful governance innovations in American public administration. It professi

Competence Is No Longer Enough: The Quiet Shift in Local Government Leadership | Ep.20

Competence used to be enough. Master the craft. Stay neutral. Deliver results. Let the work speak for itself. For decades, that formula sustained careers across local g

Becoming a City Manager: Lessons in Resilience, Leadership, and Longevity with Joe Turner | Ep.19

There is no single path to the city manager’s chair. Some arrive through planning or finance. Others through engineering or public safety. And some come through politics

Is City Management Still Worth It? – Purpose, Impact, and Meaning in a Demanding Field | Ep.18

If you spend enough time in city management or local government leadership, you will eventually ask a quiet but unavoidable question: Is this still worth it? Not necess

When the Council Turns: 7 Rules for Surviving Political Power Shifts | Ep.17

If you work in local government long enough, you will experience political change. Elections happen. Majorities shift. New voices come in with new priorities. But what h

A Christmas Replay: Timeless Lessons in City Management & Leadership | Ep.16

What keeps city managers going when the pressure, politics, and public scrutiny feel relentless? In this special holiday episode of Gov360, host Chris Mann revisits a ca

What Keeps Us Up at Night: A Raw Roundtable on the Pressures of City Management | Ep.15

City and county managers carry an extraordinary weight—public pressure, political conflict, community expectations, nonstop crises, and the quiet fear of what could go wr

Cancel Culture in City Hall: What Happens When the Mob Comes for You | Ep.14

If you work in local government long enough, you’ll face public criticism. That comes with the territory. But what happens when it stops being about policy and becomes ab

From City Staffer to Councilmember: How Joe Pradetto Flipped the Script on Local Politics | Ep.13

What really changes when you go from writing staff reports to voting on them?   In this episode of Gov360, host Chris Mann sits down with Palm Desert City Councilmember

The Resilient Leader: Leading Local Government with Courage and Clarity | Ep.12

🎙️ Guest Appearance on the Courage Wise Podcast with Gavin Johns   What does it really take to lead a city with courage—especially when your path is unconventional, the