What does leadership in public finance mean to you?

GFOA asked the membership for their insights on leadership in public finance. Here are some of the responses we received.

Relentlessly exploring and unequivocally taking ownership of the roles, responsibilities, and choices available to the organization. Wholeheartedly embracing, completely understanding, and selflessly nurturing the chosen path. Being, building, and bringing resources to the organization for sound growth and continuing health.

LEE HUFFSTUTLER

Finance Director, City of Temple Terrace, Florida

As finance director of a local government entity, I am often considered the gatekeeper of the public organization. Although very important, a gatekeeper does not necessarily equate with leadership. An effective leader will exhibit by example those qualities that inspire others to follow the example. A few of the leadership traits for a finance director are motivation to accomplish financial goals, inspiration for others to examine how we do things, creativity to show new ways to accomplish the mission with fewer resources, determination and resoluteness to assure good stewardship and accountability, and a personality that brings sunshine to any issue rather than doom and gloom.

CARRIE H. NEAL

Finance Director, Richland County, South Carolina

Leadership in public finance means making the tough decisions and providing vision to our organizations. Many times the public finance officer is the person who is the bearer of bad news, but he or she can also be the individual who moves the organization forward through challenging his or her entity to achieve more. The public finance officer is in a unique position to be a leader due to an organization-wide perspective, providing support and bridging parties throughout the governmental entity to better serve the communities in which we live.

ROBERT SCOTT

Director of Finance, City of Brookfield, Wisconsin

Leadership in public finance means knowing that you're not helping anyone if you only tell people what they want to hear. Leadership is being a realist, neither overly optimistic nor overly pessimistic. Leadership is saying what you believe is true even if it's not the popular thing to say.

ROSIE VELA

Director of Finance, City of Richardson, Texas

Leadership in public finance is visioning into the future with the ability to change the organization's financial direction to meet the vision, and the creativity to accomplish it.

JAMES TERRY

Executive Director of Finance and Accounting Services, North...