169: Peter Crichton: From 'The Dark Side' to Lasting Impact: Leading with Your Glass Half Full
169: Peter Crichton: From 'The Dark Side' to Lasting Impact: Leading with Your Glass Half Full  
Podcast: The HaltingWinter Podcast
Published On: Tue Apr 29 2025
Description: Show Notes: Peter Crichton: From 'The Dark Side' to Lasting Impact: Leading with Your Glass Half Full Episode 169 of The HaltingWinter Podcast Overview In this episode of the HaltingWinter Podcast, Seth Winterhalter interviews Peter Crichton, retired city and county manager turned author. With over four decades in public service, Peter shares his remarkable journey from a small town in northern Maine (Mars Hill) to leading Cumberland County for nearly 20 years and serving as city manager of Auburn. The conversation explores Peter's leadership philosophy detailed in his new book "Leading with My Glass Half Full," the challenges and opportunities of county management, and his innovative approaches to building effective teams and implementing strategic plans that transformed local government in Maine. Episode Highlights: Small Town Roots, Big Impact: How growing up in Mars Hill (population under 2,000) and attending town meetings with his father at age 8 sparked Peter's passion for local government From Political Aspirations to Management Excellence: Peter's transition from Democratic Party involvement to appointed leadership positions in local government Building Organizational Capacity: Creating Cumberland County's first-ever Finance Director position  Strategic Planning for Buy-In: Using strategic planning to build relationships and trust with municipal officials who viewed county government as "the dark side" Team-Building Philosophy: The powerful insight that "you can't fly like an eagle if you're flying with turkeys" and how Peter built dream teams throughout his career Stepping Back to Move Forward: Peter's unconventional leadership approach of letting others lead strategic initiatives rather than being the face of every project Working with Elected Officials: Navigating the complexities of having just three county commissioners who could make or break a county manager's career Finding Work-Life Balance: Peter's practice of taking his children's birthdays off and the critical role his wife Jen played in major career decisions Career Transitions: The wisdom of knowing when to move on, including Peter's shift from Cumberland County to Auburn after 18+ years Strategic Plan Implementation: How Peter adapted from 8 committees to 3 at Auburn to make his strategic vision more achievable while maintaining impact Connect with Peter Crichton: LinkedIn: Connect with Peter Here Purchase "Leading with My Glass Half Full" on Amazon Connect With Seth Winterhalter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sethwinterhalter Website: www.HaltingWinter.com About HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions: At HaltingWinter, our mission is to build stronger cities through stronger leaders by providing municipal leadership development services, rooted in the ABCs of Impactful Leadership framework. To explore how we can strengthen you and your municipality, visit haltingwinter.com. The MLDC  The Municipal Leadership Development Circle (MLDC) is a community for city managers and administrators from around the world to find support personally and professionally as they lead thriving teams and communities. We're giving podcast listeners 20% off an annual subscription with a 7-day FREE trial to make sure it's the right fit for you. Visit the link below and use the coupon code "PODCAST" when you register today! --> JOIN HERE