Published in the Missouri Municipal Review Magazine Spring 2025 

by Bill Stark and Scot Wrighton
Published in the Missouri Municipal League Magazine

All city councilmembers want to be effective in their roles, but not all succeed. This article focuses on three high-level essentials elected officials should consider as they strive to successfully lead their communities.

LeaderGov has been privileged to work with hundreds of local governments around the country and we have observed how successful and unsuccessful cities tend to operate. We have also observed how council effectiveness is closely linked to community success.

1. Good Councils Think Long-Term and Set Clear Goals and Norms for the Organization

We have been surprised to see many communities operate year to year without written strategic plans for where they want to go and how they plan to get there.

With periodic turnover in elected and key appointed offices, it can be difficult to obtain and retain operational polic...