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Agency official explains 'leading from the middle' in Fargo city administration
Summary
In a brief exchange, an agency official explained that 'leading from the middle' means coordinating between elected officials and department staff, communicating realistic expectations, and focusing on a limited set of priorities to support city operations in Fargo.
A questioner asked an agency official to explain what "leading from the middle" means for city administration, and the official described it as managing both upward to elected officials and downward to department staff while prioritizing limited resources.
The agency official said the approach requires "coordinating, communicating, being there for both the elected officials that we work for, communicating to them about what we can do and what we can't do, but then also supporting our departments where they're at." The official framed the role as unifying the organizational structure with the elected body and working across many teams in a large city like Fargo.
Why it matters: The explanation clarifies how city managers balance political expectations and operational capacity. The official emphasized that the administration must set realistic priorities. "I've said for a lot of years, we can do anything, but we can't do everything," the official said, underscoring limits on staff capacity and the need to focus efforts.
During the exchange the official outlined three practical elements of the approach: manage up (aligning with elected officials' expectations), manage down (supporting departments), and coordinate across teams to accomplish shared goals. The conversation was explanatory and did not include motions, votes, or formal policy actions.
No formal action was taken during this exchange.
