Caryn Gardner-Young

City Manager

Parkland, Florida

cgardneryoung@cityofparkland.org

What advice did I receive? From the funny (make sure you put on the same color socks each day), to the serious (understand the politics of your organization). But the best leadership advice I received was from my mentor and that was to be open.

He had worked in government for a long time and had been through many difficult situations. He implored me to be open to new ideas, to communication, and to just being open.

I took this to heart by having an open-door policy, and I am fortunate that employees take advantage of it. We have cry sessions when employees are having personal issues, we have laughs when we cannot believe what a resident just did, and we have serious times when problems need solutions.

I feel the employees are comfortable in coming to see me because I do not sit at my desk. To be a leader, you need to be visible. I am lucky that my organization is fairly small so I can visit offices and employees in the field on a regular basis. That familiarity allows employees to know me and for me to know them.

It always amazes me when I see a smile from an employee when I ask about his or her family, especially when I use family names. The value of employee support to me as the face and leader of the organization cannot be measured. 

 

Marcus Jones

City Manager

Norfolk, Virginia

marcus.jones@norfolk.gov

I am the youngest of seven children born to my mother and father in rural Virginia. The best piece of leadership advice I ever received came from my father, Elmore Jones.

My father was a Baptist minister who served several churches, and he had us on the road with him each Sunday. At each church he served in the community or at home with our family, my father was the same person. By word and deed, he actively exemplified the best leadership advice that I have received: Be genuine.

Like my father, I have been extremely fortunate to serve the public. As Norfolk city manager, I run the city’s daily operations, which includes overseeing 5,000 employees in a city of nearly 250,000 residents.

In each interaction, no matter how calm or how intense, I follow my father’s advice: Be genuine.

 

Frank Robinson

Town Manager

Apple Valley, California

frobinson@applevalley.org

A piece of leadership advice that has always resonated with me is from author Ken Kesey: “You don’t lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.”

I believe a successful leader must be a powerful storyteller, not only able to see where the organization needs to go but also capable of bringing others along with him or her.

As a leader, first you must have vision. You must go to that place that will best serve your community. Second, you must have the ability to make your case and transform that vision into words, images, and actions.