When people see the July PM cover title “Can Managers Benefit from VulnerABILITY,” I hope they don’t roll their eyes and dismiss its importance. Vulnerability is far from trivial or inconsequential. Author Patrick Malone describes leaders with vulnerability as seekers and tremendous listeners, who care, build trust, fuel innovation, and lead in a human way by being themselves and connecting with team members.

Malone, who is director of American University’s Key Executive Leadership Programs, observes that no workplace survey in recent years has found that workers want their leaders to be more technically skilled. Rather, research consistently shows that employees are looking for leaders who care and who are empathetic, connected, and relatable. The question is: Are you?

Here’s a glimpse at the rest of the July article lineup:

• Finding out what residents are thinking hasn’t dimmed over the years and surveys are still a good way to get at that. In “The Voice of the Public,” authors Thomas Miller and Michelle Kobayashi discuss what makes for a credible survey in today’s world and how to ensure worthwhile results.
• Team planning retreats still have their place in the organizational toolkit. “The Right Retreat Makes All the Difference” author Norman Wright shows why—before investing time and effort—it is best to ask the key question: What sort of retreat are team members ready to have?
• Local governments are using data to identify problems, address resident needs, and predict service gaps. In “Doing Data Right,” authors Heain Lee and Sam Lieberman tell about three community data analytics programs, examples that can provide a road map for managers who want to use data to improve operations.   
• Health and wellness should be considered an investment. In “A Healthier Bottom Line” author Rhonda Toole inspires us to help our organizations achieve health and wellness. It’s possible, for example, to customize a wellness strategy to employees’ needs.
• ICMA members Brad Ratliff, Denise Fitzgerald, and Shirley Hughes answer the On Point question: What Accomplishment Do You Feel Best About and Why? Is it any surprise that the word “budget” comes up in each of their responses!
• Good governance is a responsibility of appointed and elected officials alike, but doesn’t necessarily come easily. In “Growing Governance Capacity,” Mike Conduff finds a reason for optimism: Good governance is a learnable and transferable skill.
• Public engagement with police can require creating an environment that welcomes dissent and difficult conversations. There are effective ways to do that, writes Rod Gould in “Public Engagement for Police Departments.”
• Managers can take charge of their team culture by crafting an organizational constitution. In “Inspire Aligned Behavior,” S. Chris Edmonds shares the actions that can go into crafting one.

Beth Payne, Editor

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