Podcast: Leadership in Government

The Business of Government

The business of government is to serve constituents and the broader community; to do this successfully requires strong leadership skills and the confidence to deliver change. 

Key Points:

• Government entities can learn best practices from commercial industries, and vice-versa.
• Weaver helps government agencies develop strategies and navigate change.
• Successful leaders embrace and apply from across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

Government does not measure profit and loss, but it is still a business. Government leaders deliver change, develop strategies, and adapt. Sharing her insights on the topic, Weaver National Strategy Leader Alyssa Martin, CPA, joined Business of Government host and State Government Practice Leader, Adam Jones.

Martin has decades of public accounting experience and founded Weaver’s advisory services practice. She shared why she loves working with government agencies, “They serve the communities, and that provides a strong connection. One of my favorite parts is seeing leaders take the best of commercial and public and put them together.”

Martin’s experience working in various sectors also enables her to leverage that experience when working with government leaders as they face new and emerging challenges. “Our government clients have to keep up with the same things as a commercial entity.”

Regarding budgeting, Martin advises that governments move away from cost-based to performance-based. “With this approach, they can align better to strategies and trends.”

When Martin works with government leaders, she often provides best practices. She said, “Leaders being more accessible to their constituents is a communication and cooperation best practice. We urge them to be collaborative in their management approach, less hierarchical and more fluid.”

On key trait that government leaders should have, Martin said is courage. “It’s not naturally deployed and is sometimes conditioned to be suppressed. It means having the conviction and intentionality to step up and speak up about ideas, thoughts, and concerns.”

Listen to the full episode to hear the full interview between Jones and Martin.

Subscribe and listen to future episodes of Weaver: Beyond the Numbers, The Business of Government on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Weaver’s professionals are known for helping government clients address problems, achieve compliance, and prevent fraud or loss. Visit weaver.com for more thought leadership. 

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