Leading From Your Center for Municipal Leaders
Mayors · city managers · council members · municipal associations
For city halls and municipal associations specifically: this is told by someone who ran the meeting, held the press conference, and signed the resolution. Expect the version with the council votes, the union conversations, and the budget lines in it — not the TED-talk abstraction.
What does it mean to lead from your center — to hold your values steady when the pressure to compromise is highest? Mike Elliott draws on decisions made under national scrutiny, pandemic emergency powers, and moments when the politically safe path and the right path diverged.
Grounded in a village upbringing in Liberia and tested in an American mayor's office, this talk is about the interior discipline of leadership: knowing what you won't trade, and being honest about what staying true actually costs.
What municipal leaders take away
- A framework for making values-based decisions under pressure
- The real cost of holding a position — and when it's worth it
- How personal history shapes — and steadies — a leader
Book this talk
Mention “Leading From Your Center for Municipal Leaders” in your request — or ask Mike to tailor it to your audience.