Amy Snider: The Executive Leadership Trap
When Your Greatest Strength Becomes Your Team's Weakness

Episode 407 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies

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What if the very skills that made you successful are now holding your team back? In local government, the leaders who rise through the ranks are often the ones who know how to get things done. They solve problems, take ownership, and step in when things get difficult. But at the executive level, those same instincts can become a liability.

Amy Snider, Deputy City Manager for Harrisonburg, Virginia, joins Seth to explore one of the most overlooked challenges of executive leadership: knowing when to stop being the fixer.

Drawing from her unconventional journey through education, city, and county government, Amy challenges the idea that assistant and deputy city managers should function as super department heads. Their greatest value isn't knowing more than everyone else. It's creating the conditions for everyone else's expertise to work together.

Together, they explore the dangers of overfunctioning, the power of giving employees permission to innovate, and why communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution aren't simply soft skills; they're essential executive competencies.

Amy also shares insights from her ICMA Annual Conference session in Long Beach, "Assistant City Managers Are Not Super Department Heads: Understanding the Realities Behind the Title," which challenged municipal leaders to rethink the responsibilities, expectations, and skills that make assistant and deputy city managers effective.

If you've ever struggled to let go, delegate responsibility, or resist the temptation to solve every problem yourself, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership.

About Amy Snider
Amy Snider serves as Deputy City Manager for the City of Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she oversees five departments: Public Works, Public Utilities, Public Transportation, Parks and Recreation, and Community Development. She brings a distinctive perspective to executive leadership, emphasizing relationship-building, facilitation, conflict resolution, and empowering department leaders to succeed.

This Episode is Sponsored by:

Tyler Technologies – the nation's leading provider of software and technology solutions built specifically for local government. From artificial intelligence and resident engagement to budgeting, planning, and public service delivery, Tyler helps communities operate more efficiently and serve residents more effectively. Learn more at https://tylertech.com/winter

The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC): Leadership shouldn't be carried alone. The MLDC is evolving in 2027 with practical leadership development and new, role-specific Mastermind cohorts designed to build trusted relationships with municipal leaders who understand your challenges. Mastermind applications are open now at https://haltingwinter.com/MLDC

Connect With Seth Winterhalter
Seth Winterhalter is a keynote speaker, storyteller, and President of HaltingWinter, a national media company dedicated to telling the stories of local government. Through The HaltingWinter Podcast and the nationwide HaltingWinter Tour, he highlights the people and communities shaping America from the ground up, celebrating public servants, strengthening the profession, and inspiring the next generation to pursue lives of purpose and impact through local government.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter
Website: https://www.HaltingWinter.com