Build on.
One of the most overlooked ideas in government leadership is this: Build on what came before you instead of tearing it down.
Too often, new leaders feel pressured to differentiate themselves by tearing down the previous leader and their management framework. While in the short term, it might pad their ego and create some goodwill, this tear down has a disastrous long-term effect on our teams. It’s a whiplash effect that can really harm the team’s ability to perform, stalling services, and dissolving institutional knowledge.
Real innovation and transformation starts with honest process discovery — taking the time to understand why existing systems were built so you can keep what works and build on what doesn’t.
I saw this firsthand in South Bend, Indiana. Santiago Garces created a modern, centralized IT operation, and when Denise Riedl succeeded him, she chose to build on that work instead of burning it all down. Her choice empowered her team to create a custom CRM and a powerful 311 platform, helping make South Bend one of the most responsive local governments I’ve ever seen.
Real transformation is not about forcing our team to rebuild a foundation from the ground up. Real transformation comes when we use our curiosity to build on what came before us.
We build on.
And here’s the full article:
Build on.
It’s second nature.
When you get the opportunity to take over as a director in a department, you often look to differentiate your leadership.
In nearly every case, your intuition might be to downplay or denigrate the previous boss.
You might want to say negative things about the previous leader.
You might even point out all the things that the previous leader did and speak to how you’re going to run things differently.
And you might even want to assert yourself as a smarter, more powerful leader.
Without knowing it, you begin tearing down any structure or system the previous leader created.
For your team, they might even respond well because they didn’t like the previous leader.
So, they might jump on the bandwagon and start to disparage the previous leader and their management framework.
As a leader, this feels really good because it feels like everyone loves you more than the last guy…
…at first.
Unfortunately, this feeling doesn’t last long.
About a decade ago, I started working with the City of South Bend, Indiana.
I got the incredible opportunity to work with Santiago Garces as he built out a new technology team.
Prior to Santi, South Bend IT was decentralized—which means that each department had their own ragtag technology operation.
There was a lot of room for improvement.
Santi started to make simple, small, and practical changes to the IT shop, building out a team of smart, thoughtful, and committed practitioners.
Then, years later, he left South Bend and left behind a structure and system of management and leadership with his stamp all over it.
When Denise Riedl took over, she had the opportunity to start anew.
She also had the opportunity to tear down the systems and trash talk Santi…
Instead, she made a simple, yet powerful, decision.
She wouldn’t dismantle the system or the structure; she would build on it.
Over the years, because of the foundation set before her, she was able to build out data systems and structures that would enable her team to create meaningful digital services for the city of South Bend.
Her team created their own CRM system and launched a powerful 311.
Denise and her team continued to build out a foundation and structure that would prove to be even more transformative and effective.
Here is the secret:
Build on innovations.
Build on foundations.
Don’t tear them down for quick wins and big feelings to pad your ego.
Santi laid the foundations that Denise built on and improved on.
It’s easy, or to put it another way, it’s lazy, as a leader to tear down the people before you to rally the team together.
This tear down has a disastrous long-term effect on our teams.
It’s a whiplash effect that can really harm the team’s ability to perform.
They will start to list all the things the previous person did wrong and try to rally you against everything they didn’t like about the previous leader.
The problem with this is that when the team experiences the whiplash effect, services usually come to a standstill.
Instead, all new leaders should take the time to perform the discovery process and learn about the team and their services with a fresh set of eyes.
It is so easy while performing your discovery work to create a common enemy (the leader before) and start talking trash.
But…
Transformation doesn’t come from gossip or trash talk.
Real transformation in bureaucracies comes from lessons…not a post-modernist burndown program.
I am not saying that everything Santi did was perfect. I am sure he would say the same, that building on strong foundations is extremely important.
Today, South Bend, Indiana, has some of the best resident responsiveness I’ve ever seen.
And now, Denise has moved on to another gig.
I’m confident the new IT leader will continue to build on her and Santi’s legacy.
We have a saying in my work—the first idea is the worst idea.
That means that building on ideas creates strong innovation and stronger services.
Transformation in government isn’t a single leadership position.
It isn’t a single person or a team.
Real transformation comes when we use our curiosity to build on what came before us and make it better.
Real transformation comes when we deliver better services without taking a step back and forcing our team to rebuild a foundation.
We make lasting transformations over years with thoughtful teams and thoughtful services.
We build on.
Interesting in building on with your organization? Drop us a line here for a free consultation.
P.S. September 2026 soundtrack (courtesy of Yugs):