In a recent LeaderGov workshop on Emotional Intelligence, leaders shared their perspective and best practices on effectively addressing their own emotions as well as emotional situations on their teams. 

Underlying the leaders’ answers was a desire to improve their skill and the skills of their teams to address tension and emotion.   LeaderGov recommended several tools to learn and grow EI for their teams including:

• Emotional Intelligence 2.0 Book Club
• Ted Talks
• LeaderGov’s EI Team Workshop
• LeaderGov’s Team EI Survey
• Team Discussion about EI
• Have individuals complete the free IHHP Assessment & MindTools EI Assessment

The workshop started by asking the local government leaders why they or their leadership teams sometimes do not lean into emotional situations at work.  Leaders responded with the following ideas.

1. Fear of conflict or confrontation.
2. Lack of confidence in handling emotional situations effectively.
3. Concern about making a...

Enhancing Communication in Local Government: Insights from Our Expert Webinar

Effective communication is crucial for the success of any organization, and local government is no exception. In a recent webinar, LeaderGov gathered over 150 leaders to discuss the challenges and best practices in team communication within local government settings. The insights shared provide a comprehensive look at where communication often breaks down, the typical communication cadence in departments, how information flows up and down the management line, and the impact of body language and tone on productive conversations.

Where Team Communication Usually Breaks Down

Leaders shared the following about communication breakdowns:

• Listening and Engagement: A significant number of participants highlighted issues with not actively listening or engaging in conversations. This lack of engagement can lead to misunderstandings and a breakdown in communication. Notably, over 50% of respondents mentioned...

At LeaderGov's June 2024 Summit Leadership Workshop, the spotlight was on innovation. Dozens of local government leaders from across the country came together to share their insights, challenges, and strategies for fostering innovation within their teams. Here's a summary of the workshop discussions and feedback from these dedicated leaders.

Barriers to Innovation

Leaders identified several factors that hinder their teams from being more innovative:

• Fear of mistakes and lack of courage.
• Complacency and comfort with the status quo.
• Time constraints and heavy workloads.
• Resistance to change and lack of capacity.
• Poor communication and lack of initiative.
• Rules, regulations, and red tape.
• Budget constraints and lack of consensus.
• Cultural barriers between what's innovative and what's allowable.

Defining a Growth Mindset

When discussing a growth mindset, leaders highlighted the importance of:

• Openness to new ideas and willingness to share and...

There are some great coaches that have influenced athletes over time.  You probably can think of some examples.    

In local government, you're the coach and the players are your employees.   As with all coaching, it’s the athlete who has to carry out and execute the plans.  You're not "on the field" and shouldn't be….you're on the sidelines encouraging, cheering and directing, just like a coach.   

Coaching is based on the idea that you believe the person is capable of solving their own issue.  Your goal is to help them develop a path to address a need by asking great questions.

Coaching is not a few things….

• Coaching is not an annual review
• Coaching is not feedback per se
• Coaching is not being someone’s friend, although you may like the person
• Coaching does not rely on your inspiration, but rather the person’s
• Coaching is not directly telling someone what to do

Coaches facilitate, they don’t offer...