The end of one year and the beginning of the next is always a great time for personal reflection. As I looked over the articles for PM Magazine this month, an article about ICMA’s annual scholarship for the Harvard Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program caught my eye. If I took an inventory of the professional development experiences that have enhanced my leadership skills, my career, and even my personal life, I would put this program at the top of the list. In fact, superlatives like “amazing,” “transformational,” and “life-changing” coming from fellow managers are what led me to the program in the first place.

A Unique Experience

From the moment I made the commitment to attend, the journey began. I received notebooks full of information detailing the cases we would be discussing and the biographies of the people that would be leading the program. These were the best and brightest in the field of public service—academics and peers—and it was clear they would be expecting those of us selected to join the program to be ready to contribute on day one. And that was truly the case.

We were segmented into study groups, and I was even assigned to lead one. We were challenged to consider problems that confronted local government leaders from every angle. The faculty demanded that every participant be fully engaged every day. While the professors had data and research to back up their discussion points, we students—elected officials, lawyers, or city managers like me—had real life experiences. Those often-divergent points of view made for a completely absorbing three weeks. You had to be at your best, all day, every day, marshalling all your brain power to be a meaningful contributor to the discussions.

I made lifelong friendships with both the faculty and fellow participants as we engaged in conversation on topical issues, public service policy, and points of views relevant to the very work I was doing at home. Most importantly, it reignited my commitment to and love for public service. It’s impossible to walk through the Harvard campus without thinking about the ideals of democracy and the contributions of great leaders like John F. Kennedy, for whom the Harvard Kennedy School is named

Relevant to My Community

The ICMA scholarship is one way to finance the considerable expense of the program, and we are grateful to the Ferguson Group for the funding they provide. The application period opens this month. Learn more at icma.org/harvard.

As I was moving into a new position in a new city three decades ago, I was able to negotiate attending the Harvard program as part of my employment agreement. My experience most certainly paid dividends to the city throughout the rest of my career. As we graduated from the program, each of us believed that we were leaving with the capacity to resolve some of the great challenges of the day. When I returned to my city, I was eager to act on the ideas and perspectives gleaned from the program. I can recall my mayor saying, “Slow down, you need to bring us along with you.”

There are, of course, process and operational lessons to learn there, but here are just a couple of takeaways from the program that have helped form my leadership philosophy:

• Be prepared to be challenged and to have what you think you know challenged.

• There is not necessarily a right answer. Sometimes decisions must be made in the gray area.

• Take the time to be in the muck where things aren’t clear; those discussions can lead to unexpected breakthroughs.

• It’s important to take a step back, especially when you feel pressure to move forward quickly in the face of rapidly changing circumstances.

• Keep an open mind. When you are flexible and open to even unorthodox suggestions, you will often find clarity.

I have been back to the Kennedy School a couple of times as a guest and for a refresher. My staff sometimes teases me when I say, “I’m on the edge of my seat,” as we pursue a new direction or take on a wicked problem. That expression comes directly from the time I spent in Cambridge and the feeling that anything is possible when your end goal is to improve the lives of the people you serve.

MARC A. OTT is CEO/Executive Director of ICMA, Washington, D.C.