An Emerging Leader’s Perspective on Local Government Today

As part of ICMA’s Emerging Leaders Development Program, California-based participant Marisa Cumpian, Senior Management Analyst, Fairfield, CA, shares her perspective on the skills, challenges, and opportunities shaping local government leadership today. Her reflections offer a window into how emerging leaders are thinking about complexity, trust, and adaptability in today’s local government environment.

What distinct perspective do emerging leaders bring right now?

Marisa Cumpian, Senior Management Analyst, Fairfield, CA

Emerging leaders bring a collaborative, adaptable, and innovation-focused perspective that is especially important as local governments navigate increasingly complex community challenges. There is a growing expectation for government to be more responsive, transparent, and accessible, and emerging leaders are often more comfortable leveraging technology, data, and community engagement tools to support those expectations. At the same time, emerging leaders recognize the importance of balancing innovation with equity, trust-building, and public accountability. I believe this generation of leaders is well positioned to help local governments modernize processes while still maintaining a strong focus on relationship-building, public service, and community-centered decision-making.

What capabilities matter most in today’s environment and why?

I believe adaptability, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and collaboration are essential capabilities for emerging leaders today. Local government environments are evolving rapidly due to changing community expectations, technological advancements, fiscal pressures, and increasingly complex challenges that often cross organizational and jurisdictional boundaries. Leaders must be comfortable navigating uncertainty while remaining focused on long-term goals and public trust.

Equally important is the ability to listen actively and engage diverse perspectives. Strong leadership today requires balancing data, operational needs, and community input in a way that leads to thoughtful and equitable decision-making. Emerging leaders also need a mindset of continuous learning and innovation, recognizing that successful organizations must evolve and improve over time while remaining grounded in service to the community.

What leadership lessons or tools from the program are most shaping your thinking?

One of the most impactful lessons for me was the distinction between technical and adaptive challenges. The program reinforced that many of the issues local governments face today, such as housing, sustainability, public trust, and organizational change, cannot be solved solely through technical expertise or policy solutions. They require collaboration, stakeholder engagement, communication, and the ability to navigate differing perspectives.

The emphasis on community trust and meaningful engagement also strongly resonated with me. Learning about the Five Pillars of Community Trust and strategies for equitable engagement reinforced the importance of transparency, setting clear expectations, and creating opportunities for authentic public participation. I am thinking about how these principles can continue to strengthen project planning, cross-departmental collaboration, and communication with both internal and external stakeholders within my work.

Additionally, the focus on data-informed decision-making and digital transformation provided practical tools for improving service delivery while maintaining a community-centered approach. I see opportunities to apply these concepts by supporting process improvements, improving accessibility to information, and helping identify innovative solutions that enhance operational efficiency and customer experience.

What should local governments be paying more attention to right now?

I believe local governments should continue placing greater emphasis on proactive community engagement and organizational adaptability. Communities increasingly expect transparency, accessibility, and meaningful opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. At the same time, governments are being asked to respond to rapidly changing challenges with limited resources.

Building trust through early engagement, clear communication, and inclusive decision-making can improve both community relationships and project outcomes. Internally, organizations that invest in innovation, cross-departmental collaboration, and adaptable leadership practices will be better positioned to respond effectively to future challenges. The program reinforced that resilience is not only about emergency response, but also about creating organizations and communities that can adapt, collaborate, and remain responsive over time.

As you complete the program, what will you carry forward into your work?

As I complete the program, I am most looking forward to carrying forward a broader leadership perspective and a stronger focus on strategic, community-centered problem solving. The program reinforced the importance of approaching challenges through collaboration, adaptability, and long-term thinking rather than focusing only on immediate operational needs.

I am also looking forward to applying the lessons related to stakeholder engagement, trust-building, innovation, and data-informed decision-making to support projects and initiatives within the organization. Overall, the experience strengthened my confidence in contributing to cross-functional efforts, helping drive continuous improvement, and supporting initiatives that enhance service delivery and community outcomes.

Are you interested in ICMA’s Emerging Leaders Development Program? Find out more here.