To live in the mountain town of Bozeman, Montana, might sound like the epitome of the quiet life—clean air, rugged beauty, and breathtaking vistas. But governing this city of about 30,000 residents—one of the fastest-growing communities in the state—can be anything but quiet. Maintaining quality of life and affordability, balancing existing neighborhoods with new development, and preserving open space are just a few of the issues that Bozeman's leaders have had to grapple with in recent years. Over the past decade , former Bozeman mayor and current city commissioner, has had plenty of opportunity to reflect on what it takes to be a good leader. She talked with the Journal's about what she's learned.
How did you get involved in city government?
Not on purpose. I never aspired to be a leader. I had a background as a grass-roots organizer on neighborhood and national social-and economic-justice issues. I helped people work together and learn how to solve problems. But I didn't solve them myself, and I certainly wasn't out front.
Then, one year, there were no women running for city commission. And there weren't many candidates who had a commitment to the careful community planning that I thought was so important. So I was talked into running. And, of all the things
I've done, it's turned out to be my favorite. It's been fabulous.
Left: Marcia Youngman takes a break on a hike in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness with her dog, Kindle.
So what has this experience taught you about leadership? What makes someone a good leader?
My view of a good leader is one who serves, primarily. An attitude of service is vital. And so is humility. My model is more Jesus washing his disciples' feet than Jesus speaking to crowds of several thousand people.
I think good leadership needs to be responsive. It involves a lot of research, listening to all points of view, and including a broad spectrum of people in shaping decisions. And, out of that, striving to understand the right course—not to just know a bunch of facts, but to have a deep understanding of how all the different points of view come together into a good solution.
It's hard for people in elected leadership posts, because you're so busy. So much information is coming at you. Being open—being flexible and willing to change—is not a very typical leadership quality these days. Nevertheless, the best ideas tend to come from angles that you're not expecting. And maybe that's where patience comes in, because you not only need to be open to those new ideas, but sometimes you have to wait for them. The easy-and-quick solutions are rarely as good as the ones that have time to be seasoned.
Other important qualities are fairness, civility, and vision—a sense of the long view. And humor, which sometimes falls by the wayside. There's no better leaven for a community-building process than to enjoy it. Sometimes when you can just laugh and lighten up, that lets a good idea come to light. And, of course, a good leader needs lots of love and compassion.
Is there a spiritual component to all this?
I think there is. Of course, you could view these qualities as just nice human qualities. But they go deeper. They're rooted in God. For me that's where all of those qualities initially come from.
Fundamentally, a good leader is a good follower of God's guidance. You pray for that guidance, and then you go where God leads you. You have to be ready to recognize the answer and act on it, even if it's not what you wanted, which is sometimes the case.
It sounds like you're saying that God's guidance can come in different forms—perhaps as an idea you have, but also from an unexpected source, like somebody else's inspiration.
Absolutely! Even after I've had an idea that I thought was right, I always go into public hearings open minded. Because it's often a member of the public—and not necessarily somebody that I thought I would hear a good idea from—who shares something that clicks, and leads to the best solution, or at least a component of it.
Many people are consciously listening to God, and each one may get a different part of the answer. You may not hear the whole thing by yourself. It's not that God gives it to us as a puzzle, but that we're all ready for different ideas. And sometimes those ideas have to go together for a really complete solution.
Even people who aren't consciously praying about an issue are still receptive to God's goodness. They may not call it that, but that is what's happening. So it's a pleasure to be able to pull together those different perspectives into an answer that responds to all legitimate concerns. And doesn't break you down into winners and losers. Up to a point, at least, it dissolves sides, because it brings people together for the common good.
Is it hard to stay true to these ideals in today's political climate?
It can be. I had a period when I was in the minority on the commission. During that period, the people I was serving with just weren't interested in what I had to offer. One night when we were discussing an important community issue, I quietly asked if they wouldn't like to at least try to find common ground and come together around a solution before voting. But all they did was the stare at me. They wouldn't even answer. And that was the answer. It was like that most of the time we were serving together. They didn't want a contribution beyond the majority point of view. And they weren't even friendly about it.
But an amazing thing came out of that experience. The voters figured it out. They didn't like the poor communication and unresponsiveness any more than I had. And in the next election, they voted that majority out and happened to elect me mayor. (I should mention that you don't run for that position in Bozeman. The commissioner who receives the most votes serves as mayor.)
That difficult period ended up preparing the soil for a tremendous period of progress in our community. After that, people were working together in all sorts of innovative new ways. Bozeman even received an All-America City Award, which rewards communities that innovatively collaborate to solve problems.
What I learned is that you can't always see the good that's developing when you're in the middle of a tough experience. Not giving up too soon—not doubting even though the evidence isn't immediate—is often the toughest thing. But even when I couldn't see the light around the bend, continuing to rely on God without interruption, listening more vigilantly and more patiently .... it worked, after all.
And I'm not talking about the outcome of the next election, but the atmosphere our community created—where people were responded to, and where good ideas were acted on, where everybody could work together rather than against each other.
All those things emerged out of that experience.
What would you tell someone asking for advice on how to be a better leader?
My favorite advice is a quote from Mary Baker Eddy: "Dare to be faithful to God and man." The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 253. In any kind of leadership, private or public, the faithfulness to God enables you to be faithful to the people that you're serving.
And I think also: Don't accept the stereotypes about government or leadership—that there needs to be a power situation where some win and some lose. Seek a third way that meets everyone's genuine needs.
What about people who aren't in positions of leadership? Is there anything they can do to improve the quality of leadership in their communities and the world?
Politics and government are about polarization for many people right now. About winners and losers and widely divergent points of view. There's a certain drive toward power politics. But we can expect better than that.
True government is God's government of people's lives and communities and the world. And if people start from that basis—one power, God; one Mind, God; one all-inclusive, divine Love—they can start bringing that out in their communities.
I don't want to minimize how difficult it can be. But I think that committed, praying people need to cling to the spiritual standard of God's government, and know that the goodness of His government has to come out in our world. This depends on everyone's vigilant thoughts, on not slipping into acceptance of the way things are.
People don't ever have to accept that personal motives—selfish motives—are in control. It doesn't make any difference, truly, ultimately, who has official positions of power. If you're relentlessly claiming God's government of your community, then that's going to come to light. And things that aren't consistent with that—actions that aren't consistent with that—will fall away. Circumstances will change, and God's government will become more visible again.
