GUEST COLUMN.

I’ve been thinking about the concept of legacy lately.

Often that word is connected to the prominent career-defining projects we hope to be remembered for at the end of our lives. But there’s another powerful definition, which includes the seemingly small acts that create a lasting impact; the life-changing mentorship; the servant leader who opens the door to a new understanding or achievement; the ripple effects of wise decision making or well-timed encouragement.

In my experience, women leaders often underestimate their influence and don’t see the ways they are building up this kind of legacy throughout their careers.  

As I’ve been reading through the nominations we received for this year’s Inspirational Women in Local Government series, which will appear on the Barrett and Greene, Inc. website beginning in early March, I’ve been struck by the number that began by sharing the impact that their chosen nominee has made on their lives. Almost all of them explored the way their nominee’s leadership style and decisions made them feel and many wrote about how their paths had been transformed as a result. 

Of course, plenty of grand accomplishments came through as well. But more so than in previous years, a theme of quieter, empowering leadership emerged.

One of my favorite descriptions captured this perfectly:

“She is both a hug and a kick in the butt, and she always knows which order to deliver them. The hug is to let you know you're not alone, that she always has your back and the kick in the butt is to remind you that taking action is the only way to make the world a better place.”

What a delightfully tangible description. It reminded me of something easy to overlook when assessing leadership: impact is rarely dramatic while it is unfolding. Each expertly administered butt-kick and warm embrace may feel small in the moment, but together they lead to positive forward momentum.

Another compelling nomination reads:

“You can tell what kind of leader someone is when the room gets loud. When voices rise and people fight to be heard, [she] stops the noise, looks for the quietest person at the table, and asks for their opinion. It is a small move, but it resets the room. Her leadership is not loud. It is durable. She strengthens [the city] by strengthening its people. And she will absolutely be irritated that I nominated her.”

That’s a wonderful summary of someone transforming a community through steady presence, quiet empowerment, and maybe the odd eye-roll. 

There are three guiding pillars of this series - Celebrate. Elevate. Educate. They were designed to make visible the kind of leadership that often goes unrecognized. Leadership that shapes people, organizations, and community outcomes without the fanfare that comes with awards. In this series, we celebrate the influence, elevate the example, and educate ourselves on what legacy-making leadership looks like. 

These pillars serve another purpose too.

They are a reminder of what we stand to lose when we fail to protect the progress we have collectively fought so hard to achieve toward gender parity. They are an education for how we can continue addressing the structures that prevent qualified women from rising into leadership positions.

It’s notable that almost a third of this year’s nominations came from men. This reflects something most of us already know; we all benefit enormously when we recognize women for the genuine leadership traits they possess and allow them to lead authentically. 

Each of the four honorees who are selected from a remarkably powerful group of nominees, is leaving something meaningful for those who come next — through community work that makes headlines, as well as through less visible leadership that unlocks new possibilities within workplace cultures and individual lives.

In all cases, they follow trails carved by decades of women who navigated institutions that were often unwelcoming, deeply inequitable, or openly resistant; women, and their allies, whose persistence created space and possibility for today’s leaders.

Across North America, women now serve as mayors, city managers, chief administrative officers, and senior executives in numbers that would have felt like a distant dream a generation ago. Yet even now, women hold only about a quarter of top leadership positions. And for many, those freedoms and gains we enjoy today feel shaky right now. 

We only have these amazing women leaders because of the ones that came before. 

Let’s ensure they, too, can clear a path for those following closely behind.

Sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to nominate someone who inspired them.

Thank you to our returning series partners - the League of Women in Government, the Alliance for Innovation, SGR, and Barrett and Greene - as well as the Government Finance Officers Association’s Women Public Finance Network and the other organizations that shared the nomination process so widely.

To all the women changing our communities: thank you.

To all those learning and growing under their leadership: enjoy. Long may diverse, authentic leaders show us the way.

Happy International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.

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