Leadership strategist and long-time municipal executive Gilmore has published his latest book, Competent Leaders Know How to Succeed, which draws on decades of public-sector experience to deliver practical tools for today's leaders. The book establishes that true leadership competence is founded on integrity, careful planning, and the courage to challenge complacency, positioning leadership as less about charisma or positional authority than strategic foresight, ethical discipline, and transparency. Through real-world case studies and hard-won experience, Gilmore demonstrates how leaders can alter organizational trajectories by combining deliberate planning with moral courage, arguing that leadership without planning amounts to management by chance.
The book outlines essential tools for competent leaders, including personal planning agendas, third-party evaluations, and data-driven decision-making, while emphasizing that budgets and policies serve as moral documents reflecting institutional values. Gilmore writes that integrity forms the bedrock holding everything together, asserting that when leaders embrace transparency and strategic planning, real reform becomes not only possible but inevitable. From chapter to chapter, Competent Leaders Know How to Succeed covers the realities of public governance, including managing councils and boards, eliminating complacency, aligning staff through training and communication, and building proactive cultures resistant to political manipulation.
The case studies featured in the book, ranging from uncovering local corruption to modernizing utility governance, provide instructive examples of the resilience needed to lead under political pressure. Rich with actionable guidance, the book serves as both manual and memoir, inviting readers into the author's experiences confronting entrenched systems while championing ethical governance. Whether for city managers, board members, executives, or emerging leaders, the book offers a roadmap for planning boldly, acting ethically, and driving lasting organizational renewal. Competent Leaders Know How to Succeed is now available in print and digital formats through Parker Publishers.
