Building Better Public Sector Leaders: A 10-Point Plan for Success

Creating environments where teams thrive, and future leaders rise

As a seasoned public servant with decades of experience in law enforcement and city management, Steve Dye understands leadership from the inside out. He began his career as a patrol officer in Houston, and rose through the ranks at departments in Arlington, Garland, Colleyville and Grand Prairie (all in Texas) before becoming that city’s City Manager in 2021. Last year, he returned to his first professional love, becoming the Police Chief in Allen, Texas.

His depth of knowledge on leadership earned him two speaking slots at last year’s Servant Leadership Conference¹. We covered When Following is Leading: Building Trust in Public Service in November as part of our Servant Leaders series. It was Good Government Files’ sixth most popular post of 2024. Today, we’ll learn from Chief Dye about the flip side of leadership. His presentation answers important questions for those in public service:

• How do we lead so others will lead?

• How do we inspire the next generation of leaders?

• How do we inspire those that we’re leading today to better serve our organizations and our communities?

Dye’s answers are a 10-point master class for anyone aspiring to lead in the public sector (and any other field, IMO).

1. Lead with Strength, Not Weakness

Servant leadership isn’t about being passive. Dye emphasized the best leaders are strong, consistent, and values driven. As he put it, “Being a servant leader doesn’t mean you’re a weak leader. It doesn’t mean you’re passive. The best servant leaders I know are strong leaders.” He urged leaders to anchor their decisions in steadfast ethical values, even when facing tough choices.

He also encouraged the audience with this quote from NFL Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi: “Let’s strive for perfection to achieve excellence.”

“I love that. As servants, that’s what we should be doing,” he said. “We want to be perfect. We never will be, but if perfection is our goal, I bet you we’ll be excellent. It’s hard to do that, but I think that should always be our goal in leading others.”

2. Create an Optimal Working Environment

Foster workplaces where employees feel safe, valued, and can enjoy their working hours.

“I always tell my employees: ‘I can’t make you happy. You’ve got to find your own happiness at work. But here’s what I can promise you: I’m going to try my hardest to give you every reason to be happy.’ I want them to know that when they come into work, they’ve got a comfortable, safe, collegial, and fun environment. It’s OK to have fun at work. I’m going to have fun at work; I hope you do too. I’m going to be happy at work. I invite you to join me.”

Agree 💯 on that last point. Life’s too short for your work hours to be a soul-crushing grind.

3. Give Credit Where It’s Due

Strong teams thrive when leaders prioritize “we” and “us” over “I” and “me.” Dye reminded us that humility in leadership not only builds trust but also empowers employees to collaborate and innovate.

“It’s all about the team. Credit goes to the team because guess what? As leaders, nothing gets accomplished without the team and the teamwork.”

It’s amazing what can be accomplished if you’re not worried about who gets credit. Let your work speak for you.

4. Prioritize Employee Wellness

Dye’s view on wellness extends beyond physical and mental health to include spiritual and even financial well-being. He shared a personal anecdote about his early years in law enforcement, working 60 to 80 hours a week just to make ends meet. Leaders, he stressed, must support their team members holistically to enable their best performance.