In this post of LeadershipTalks, we interviewed Amy J.P. McEwan, deputy county administrator of Lake County, Illinois, and recipient of the Assistant Excellence in Leadership Award. We discuss her leadership role with the Judicial Facilities Review Committee in Lake County, her greatest achievements, the qualities she believes are most important to be a leader, and what she believes is the biggest challenge for women in local government today.

Q1: Can you explain a little how you initially broke into your career to become a Deputy County Administrator? 

I began my career as an urban and regional planner and worked for a city and a county in that capacity. After working several years and gaining my MPA, I discovered I wanted to work with the elected office holders on setting policies and truly influencing the decisions that impact communities. Next, I went to Delta Charter Township in Michigan for my first Assistant Manager position where I worked for seven years.  I started in Lake County, IL in 2006 as a Senior Assistant County Administrator and was then promoted to the Deputy County Administrator.   

Q2: What achievement are you most proud of to date? 

I could talk about many different policies, projects or initiatives; however, I am most proud of the balance I have been able to build with the people I work with and in my life.  For example:

• Balance between being the leader and helping others lead;
• Balance between listening to others and sharing my ideas;
• Balance between deadlines and stressful situations and having fun at work;
• Balance between giving to others and maintaining a healthy and happy self;
• And, balance between being a dedicated public servant and a dedicated parent and family member. 

It is a constant internal struggle to keep the balance, but at the end of my life, I want to look back and recognize that my greatest achievement was having lived a balanced life.

Q3: In order or importance or weight, what do you feel is most important: mission, vision, or core values? Why?

If I were comparing public and private sectors, I believe my answer would be different.   In considering this question for within the context of local governments, I could make an argument for each. As the mission and core values have remained consistent and nearly identical in all of the local governments where I have worked, I am most interested in what makes communities unique and that is their vision for the future state of their community.  It is most important because of its uniqueness to that specific community.  Community uniqueness cannot be replicated—mimicked, but not replicated.

Q4: You had major success establishing credibility and earning the respect of board members in your county. What’s your secret?

Be authentic. Be genuine and actively work to develop personal relationships with each member of the board.  In Lake County, we have 21 board members and that creates a diverse range of community interests or issues, political opinions, and expectations of staff.  I have found success by talking with board members and seeking to understand their areas of interest and goals.  In nearly every case, when you listen, you can identify common goals between the projects or departments you lead, and the interest of the individual board member.  When I see them, I try to share with them something I am working on that relates to their area of interest.  It isn’t about doing anything different with my work, but rather, sharing the work I do in a meaningful way with each board member.

Q5: Were there things that worked great or simply did not work at all when you were working to build the consensus of the board on the $100 million court expansion project for Lake County?

When we presented the high level vision, many of the board members were disinterested in the project.  We were asking them to invest a significant amount of money in capital at a time when we were experiencing the worst economy we had seen in more than 30 years, while offering voluntary early retirement options to employees.  The team needed to find a new approach.  After brainstorming many ideas and personally revisiting each sight to really look and understand how those facilities operated, we tried presenting the facility constraints and problems.  I scheduled multiple tours of each facility so all board members could see firsthand the facility challenges we were attempting to solve.  We had a few who had not attended. I was persistent and urged them to join me on a one-on-one, 15 minute “speed date” addressing only the most important points. We were successful in having each member see in person the facility constraints.  During the tour, we focused on what did not work in the facility and what was wrong and needed to be fixed.  It worked.  They were not interested in the vision of a beautiful new building, but they absolutely cared and were passionate about fixing the problems that existed for the customers and for the employees who worked in the facility. Understand what is important to each stakeholder group and focus your message on what they care about most.

Q7: What is one thing that surprised you most when leading the JFRC initiative?

Even after 20 plus years in government, it was surprising to me how many people believe you study an issue, develop the best option, present it to the elected body and it will be approved.  Big projects are complex.  It is challenging to convince a diverse group to be flexible, adapt to changes along the way, and accept a good solution when the best alternative (in their mind) isn’t an option.  A unanimous vote for good is better than a failed vote for perfect.

Q8: What qualities do you believe are most important to be a leader in local government?

• Vision combined with an insatiable curiosity about the unique views and ideas of others.
• Flexibility and a willingness to adapt to change. 
• Humility.  No one person owns all of the good ideas. Honor the knowledge in the room by listening. Hang back (sometimes) and allow others to lead.  There are some tasks better left to others; (admit to yourself that  you are no good at them and let others help you).   
• Resilience.  We all have bad days.  Rise again tomorrow restored and ready to serve.
• Persistence.  I have more bad ideas than good and I fail often.  In the midst of bad ideas and failure are the solutions we have yet to dream, build or reveal.

Q9: What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing women leaders in local government today?

Authenticity.  Don’t work so hard at being someone else.  Invest every ounce of energy, wisdom and power into being the best you.  It may sound corny, but I think it is true.

Q10: If you had to boil down this entire Q&A into a single piece of advice on leadership, what would it be?

Solutions are all around us. In the midst of bad ideas and failure are the solutions we have yet to dream, build or reveal.  Solutions need leaders to be curious, open, inclusive, flexible, doggedly persistent, and willing to fail before one succeeds. Go forth today and be a solution builder.

Click here for last month's LeadershipTalks with chief administrative officer, Jay Covington, and learn how he built an inclusive city.